SHAH ALAM, Sept 8– The rate of cyberbullying among 15-year-old students in Malaysia is revealed to be higher than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average, based on the findings of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025.
The findings showed that less than five per cent of Malaysian students reported having experienced cyberbullying, compared to the OECD average of three percent, reported Sinar Harian.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said the issue needed to be given serious attention because the safety, well-being and support of adults were directly related to the students’ learning process.
Fadhlina said students who experienced cyberbullying also tended to have lower academic achievement.
“Bullying at school may end when a student goes home. However, cyberbullying can continue to follow them anywhere.
“That is why safety and well-being are not secondary issues in education,” she said at a press conference announcing the PISA 2025 results on Tuesday.
Fadhlina said that today’s students’ lives are no longer centered around school because interactions also occur via smartphones, chat groups and various digital platforms.
She stressed that every child needs to know that there are adults who are ready to listen, trust and take action when they face problems.
PISA 2025 involved 7,624 students aged 15 from institutions under the Education Ministry, private schools, Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) and GiatMARA.
In a similar development, the PISA 2025 findings also showed a decline in parental support for their children’s learning.
The percentage of parents who discussed school activities dropped to 51 per cent compared to 57 per cent in 2022.
The findings also revealed that discussions about problems at school declined from 46 per cent to 34 per cent.
Fadhlina also added that the findings are not intended to find fault, but rather indicate the need for stronger support from the family.
“Teachers can teach in the classroom, while the Education Ministry can provide the curriculum, teaching staff, schools and various forms of support.
“However, no education system can replace the role of a family in a child’s life,” she said.
Fadhlina also said that parents do not need to be the ‘second teacher’ at home but highlighted that support can start by spending time, asking about learning and listening to the child’s problems.
She said that improving the country’s educational achievements requires joint responsibility between the ministry, schools, teachers and families.
