Education is key to a better future, I care for my children’s education because only in a conducive environment, will they then be able to learn better. So it was a great opportunity when I was invited to attend a press conference at the LeapEd Services’ office. With a vision to create an environment that develops holistic students with 21st century competencies and schools that embed sustainable education practices, LeapEd is Malaysia’s first homegrown education service provider and social enterprise established in 2010 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad.

LeapEd aims to influence a positive change in the education sector by initiating various intervention models that cater to student-centered education. They want every student to realize their innate potential as a learner. To date, they have impacted over 71,000 students and over 160 schools through their various intervention models such as the District Transformation Programme-AMAN (‘DTP-AMAN’), Islamic School Enhancement Programme (‘ISEP’), Ground-up School Transformation (‘GUSTO’) Programme, Program Sekolah Transformasi (‘PreSTasi’) as well as the nation’s first Trust Schools Programme (‘TSP 1.0’).


Speaking at the press conference to unveil the insights of the ‘Education in the 21st Century – Our Impact’ (‘Impact Study’), Managing Director of LeapEd Services Sdn Bhd, En Zulhaimi Othman said, “The Trust Schools Programme was designed with the future generations in mind. Over the past 9 years, we have worked closely with our strategic partners such as the Ministry of Education and Yayasan AMIR to develop and implement the program across schools in Malaysia, equipping students with the critical life skills such as confidence, communication, co-existence, critical thinking, and creativity. TSP also focus on transforming schools in a holistic manner by adapting international best practices.” This recent Impact Study was conducted to review the effectiveness of TSP 1.0, identifying opportunities to further enhance the model moving forward.
Let’s take a look at their insights!



#1 Increase in professional competencies
The Impact Study was carried out via surveys, interviews, and observations with over 3,000 respondents including school staff, students and parents. The study revealed that 95% of secondary school teachers and 76% of primary school teachers moved up by at least 1 level up the scale, e.g. from Starting to Developing or Enhancing to Extending.

A movement of one level indicates a paradigm shift in levels of knowledge, skills, thinking, pedagogy, and practice. In many cases, professionals may not even experience one level of shift throughout their entire career as it requires continuous self-reflection and a growth mindset. This proves that teaching practices and classroom management has progressed positively and will result in a better learning experience for the students.

Respectively, 86% of primary and 91% of secondary Middle Leaders observed a minimum progression of 1 level. As for the Senior Leadership team, 76% of primary and 83% of secondary Senior Leaders indicated a minimum progression of 1 level. Of the 124 Middle Leaders surveyed, 8% indicated a progress of 3 levels, equivalent to a very high level of teaching excellence. The study also showed that improved school culture was nurturing students to be involved in the design of their learning.

#2 High quality teaching and learning
Over 3,139 students and parents interviewed reported that students under TSP 1.0 received quality teaching. The study also shows that parents reacted positively to the program as they observed an increase in opportunities for students to be involved in the life of the schools, as well as an increase in the frequency and level of interaction between schools, parents and the wider community. Furthermore, school climate is both a strong influencer of students’ life satisfaction, well-being and student outcomes. Parents have noticed a palpable difference in their children as they observed increased opportunities for them to be involved in school.

#3 TSP 2.0 Underway
The TSP 1.0 transformation approach focuses on a public-private partnership (‘PPP’) outreach model, working collaboratively with school leadership teams, teachers, students, parents, and the community.

To ensure that the program remains transformative, sustainable and scalable, the impact study also identified opportunities to further enhance the program. Some of the areas identified include customizing interventions, depending on the individual needs of schools. This will allow expansion of the model to better cater to groups with specific needs such as indigenous and other minority groups, students with special needs, as well as rural and under-enrolled schools.

Hence, TSP 2.0 is the next evolution of LeapEd’s Trust Schools Programme, which leverages on the success and learnings of TSP 1.0. Designed as a model that is both sustainable and scalable, TSP 2.0 has been launched in 2019 in selected Malaysian public schools.


Zulhaimi added, “We believe that investing in education is the smartest decision one can make. Education provides opportunity which in turn empowers people, cultivates creativity and improves confidence and self-belief. Through the Impact Study, we have seen how the Trust Schools Programme has positively impacted the lives of teachers, students and parents. Leveraging on the success and learnings of this programme, we are committed to continue working with our partners to implement a new and enhanced model, TSP 2.0, which will be aligned to global trends and national aspirations.”

I hope that all schools are granted with the opportunity to undergo TSP 2.0, as I believe that it will raise a generation of wholesome individuals who will thrive in the future. But of course, as this is a public-private partnership, I hope that more private companies will come onboard to fund this initiative. As a parent, I strongly urge all of you to show your support to LeapEd and the Trust Schools Programme, simply because if we work towards a change now, it will result in a better future for all of us.

Head over to the LeapEd website below to learn more about their programs: https://www.leapedservices.com/