PUTRAJAYA: A bill to amend the Education Act 1996 to make compulsory education up to secondary school level is expected to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in February next year, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

She said the proposed bill had been sent to the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) for review.

"We already have a primary school education policy and with that policy, we achieve a very high enrolment which is between 98 to 99 per cent.

"With this (proposed) compulsory secondary school education policy means that we want to express our commitment to ensure that there are no dropouts in secondary schools, especially upper secondary," he told reporters after the assembly here today.

Last Dec 4, it was reported that the AGC is reviewing a draft bill to extend compulsory education from primary to secondary level to ensure every Malaysian child has access to quality education, regardless of their background.

The extension of compulsory education to 11 years of schooling is also to ensure students complete secondary education with a minimum qualification of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or in technical and vocational fields recognised by the government.

-- BERNAMA