The public's concern about disciplinary problems among students is one of the challenges faced by teachers in the second wave of the Malaysia Education Blueprint, says Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

He said students' disciplinary problems like playing truant, taking drugs, bullying and others which worried the public must be given attention and solutions found.

"These are challenges for those of us in education to face in the second wave. If we can reduce these negative things, it is very good.

"At the same time, we should also be looking at how to develop students with a high level of morals, have civic-consciousness, patriotism and good discipline. We play a role in the road map and we want parents to be involved in the school activities and students to be involved in the arts, sports, co-curriculum and other activities," he said here today.

Earlier, he launched the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 Annual Report 2016. Also present were Deputy Education Ministers Datuk Chong Sin Woon and Datuk P. Kamalanathan, Education Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad and Education director-general Tan Sri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof.

He said in the face of challenges of the Education Blueprint second wave, there were some successes, such as in Internet access.

"This means that there is some achievement in the urban and rural areas. But we must not be comfortable with this achievement. We must improve on Internet access, especially in the rural and interior areas," he said.

Mahdzir said he had studied the 2016 Annual Report and was satisfied with the level of achievement shown in the second wave (2016-2020) so far.

He said there was improvement shown in all aspects involving academics, co-curriculum, sports, high-level skills thinking, vocational and pre-school education.

"All these have to do with increased access to better quality education. The Education Ministry comes out with the report each year to inform the public of the progress of each initiative which had been planned and implemented.

"The report shows that we are on the right track in the National Education Blueprint," he said.

-- BERNAMA