Until now, underprivileged students are still associated with low achievement in academic, personal quality and co-curricular activities. Difficulty in life, especially after the Covid 19 pandemic, is worsening the situation. Pupils' motivation towards schooling is getting worse even though aid policies have been implemented. This survey study was carried out with the objective of exploring the challenges in the implementation of the existing policy related to underprivileged students, exploring the extent to which the existing policy meets the five levels of underprivileged student needs, as well as exploring strategies to increase the achievement of underprivileged students. Total numbers of sample are 120 which comprised 10 officers from the Ministry of Education (MoE), 19 school administrators, 19 teachers, and 57 students. Research instruments are protocol interviews and data were collected by interviewing face to face. Data was manually analysed, and findings showed that, based on the existing policy, MoE focuses more on the physiological needs by providing financial aid, food, and clothing but give less focus on the safety needs, love, appreciation, and selfimprovement. The implementation of the existing policy also led to several issues including limited amounts of aid, inadequate distribution of aid, inaccuracy of data, misuse of aid, aid information did not reach parents or students, no follow-up for the impact of aid on students, and no collaboration among those who were involved in giving aid. The main recommendations are MoE should create an integrated aid distribution system, create an underprivileged student management committee at school level, review the categories and amount of aid given, and schools should manage underprivileged students based on the human needs theory. In conclusion, the MoE needs to improve the existing education policy so that the focus is not only on the basic needs but also on the other needs. By that, the achievement of underprivileged students in academics, personality and co-curricular can be improved.
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