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Background: This paper reports on the first stage of a larger research project on the education of delinquent youths in Malaysia. Specifically, this paper addresses the challenges of educating delinquent youths in the country. As a developing nation, Malaysia faces various issues pertaining social and youth development. The question explored in this study is whether delinquent youths in Malaysia are neglected in terms of systematic and adequate education. In Malaysia, delinquent youths are sent to correctional facilities all around the country, where they are separated from school systems, their families and communities; it can be argued that these youths are deprived of moral support from society. This paper aims to identify the challenges around educating delinquent youths in Malaysia and to recommend potential solutions to these challenges. Methods: The research approaches adopted for this paper included content analysis of printed documents and preliminary informal interviews with the staff at one correctional facility. Content analysis data were gathered from departmental and government documents made public as well as past research on delinquent youths. Meanwhile, a curtesy visit was made to a correctional facility in Kuala Lumpur to obtain preliminary input into the education and training provided at the facility. Results: The authors found that there are three main challenges to sufficiently educating delinquent youths in Malaysia. These include unclear policy on the education of youths at correctional facilities; the lack of frameworks facilitating the education of these youths; and the lack of awareness and understanding on the need for educating these youths, despite their behaviors. Conclusions: The paper ends with two solutions to these challenges and future directions for the education of delinquent youths in Malaysia.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to give insight on the important preparation task needed to be considered by prospective PhD candidates prior to the start of their study. As pursuing and obtaining a higher degree qualification is becoming more eminent for those who want to advance their academic career, crucial preparation is needed before embarking on the doctoral quest. Design/methodology/approach A small-scale study of the PhD experience was carried out in a public university in Malaysia using semi-structured in-depth interviews with eight successful doctoral students representing three different faculties to assess respondents’ experiences concerning the preparation aspect, challenges faced and strategies used to overcome the problem. Findings From the interview data, three overarching themes emerged: motives, task and financial and health as important dominators that could influence a successful venture of a PhD journey. Research limitations/implications As the present research respondents were few, further research with bigger number of respondents may shed better light in identifying other important aspect in preparation for PhD. The authors are unable, in the space of this paper, to fully explore the implications of the data, and the work of others that it builds on, for the future of professional doctorates or other types of PhD awards. As professional doctorates are fully concentrated on their professional endeavour, i.e. nursing and education, the preparation needed may include different groundwork. In addition, this study was carried out in Malaysia, where the system may not necessarily share the same characteristics to other doctoral systems in other countries. Cultural differences, the impact of age, gender and race, were other variables that could be weighed by future research in the same area. Practical implications The university’s graduate office should line-up courses to inform future doctoral candidates on the aspect of preparation at personal level that the students need to carry out. Social implications The study provides new views where potential doctoral students should be helped and guided to become more consciously aware of their decision in pursuing a higher degree. This paper provides suggestions on the guidelines of the initial preparation needed before embarking on a PhD journey and managing their own learning. Originality/value The paper establishes the important aspect of the preparation phase needed to be considered by future doctoral students before pursuing their doctoral quest.

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The development of study programs, including the curricula and student activities, is essential to learning quality outcomes in acquiring knowledge, scientific skills, and social values. This study aims to provide a background on Egyptian thought development in the pre-university education programs, curricula, and student activities from 1990 to 2020. We used the descriptive method to collect and interpret data in this study. This method aims to describe an object of phenomena after data collection, analyze it, identify the conditions and relationships between variables, and monitor the challenges arising from Egypt's educational system's problems. The results showed that a) although efforts made in developing the curriculum, its quality at the theoretical level and the modern educational trends did not meet some obstacles in all education stages due to the lack of trained human resources and lack of potential, b) the diversity of government institutions related to pre-university education with little coordination, c) There is no clear link or communication between institutions and the educational decision-makers, d) there is a separation between research efforts, educational developments, and the operational efforts on the ground. The challenges of developing educational programs and curricula are related to a) lacking a future vision of the mechanism of continuity, b) lacking resources available to train teachers in the correct actual application of student activities, c) lacking commitment, and d) neglecting the role of the teachers to follow up the curriculum's development and its implementation.