Kuala Lampur, March 8 -- According to a report by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) in 2019, 72.1 per cent of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) graduates choose not to pursue further education after completing secondary school.

In an interview with Berita Harian, Malaysia Productivity Corporation's development, productivity, and competitiveness division director Mohamad Muzaffar Abdul Hamid expressed concern over the findings, stating that the high percentage of students unwilling to pursue further education after SPM could negatively affect the country's productivity, particularly when job vacancies remain unfilled by local youth.

As reported by The Star, the primary factors contributing to student dropouts are poverty, lack of...