By Damian Denis
November 13, 2010
NOV 13 — After reflecting my schooling years I have to agree with my friends that those who started school in 1983 with the new KBSR format felt like guinea pigs. I did too!
Then, the Standard 5 exams were change to Standard 6 with the UPSR format. Well, I thought things were fine until they changed the year-end school holidays from December to October. We had to start our new school year in December. Remember?
I felt that was really weird starting our school term at the end of the year. Hhhmmm. Our Christmas holidays had to be cut short, and Christmas was never the same again.
And by that time I had a sense that other changes were coming soon and I dreaded that. We just had to go through the motions and study hard while thinking what sort of changes were coming next. I resented that feeling.
Later we were in Form 1 under the KBSM thingy and life went on as usual. The SRP was later replaced by the PMR exam, and SPM and STPM so far have not been changed.
Recently, Education Minister and DPM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin suggested that the UPSR and PMR exams be scrapped. The reason: our education system is too exam oriented.
For a start why doesn’t the ministry look at our Chinese and Tamil schools. What are their strengths and their methodology. We do not need to go far as the solution to our predicament is only a stone’s throw away!
And during the Umno general assembly he suggested making history a compulsory passing subject.
Why the sudden rush to change our education system again and again?
Does he know what he’s doing?
Somehow he doesn’t inspire confidence in those who take education seriously.
It was also Muhyiddin who scrapped the teaching of science and maths in English previously.
Well, for one, our young minds are not your guinea pigs anymore. We are not your lab rats that you or Umno can experiment with. We had enough of those so-called changes that actually do not make sense to us at all.
Secondly, the fewer changes that you make with our education system the better. I know this is one ministry everyone wants to make a mark for themselves. And, Muhyiddin, you are no different.
Any changes have to be backed by a proper study which engages all sections of society. What is so difficult in doing that? Plain lazy or for political expediency? I think we all know the answer!
Thirdly, please stop politicising our education system. After all your brand of politics is rotten to the core and I’m afraid our schools are already a sad reflection of that rottenness.
Imagine the kind of students who are being produced from this type of rotten and failed system. Is our system churning out the best or are we producing Rempits, Alongs and gangsters all the way?
Instead please spend our country’s resources to train our teachers and recognise them whoever they are. They are gurus to our young minds and their contribution to our nation is priceless. I believe this is one step which is very much lacking today and, Muhyiddin, you can make a huge difference by doing so.
Finally, I think we all know what needs to be done in our education system. A total overhaul needs to be executed and it must always start from the head. And I believe we will have that opportunity not very long from now.
#1 by johnnypok on Saturday, 13 November 2010 - 3:55 pm
We need a cultural revolution.
We also need a 100 % change in the government.
#2 by ktteokt on Saturday, 13 November 2010 - 4:28 pm
Looks like the education system of Malaysia is also subjected to NEP (Never Ending Policy) changes!
#3 by danieltkb on Saturday, 13 November 2010 - 5:32 pm
now it hit the education system in Malaysia.
i guess it need like the industry to have R&D. Education is not today change tomorrow hero. It need at least 5-10 years study and a pilot plan.
This stupic politicial, know what !
I know some politicial do send their children to oversea for education. And damp Malaysian edu stupic system they trust NOT.
To make a change, just like few year of revamp in the edu system, make everybody, the teachers, the students, the parents, the press printing books, the media, got crazy, to roll out. What they roll out is “rojak” never have long life, die fast, and who got the “mind bloggling!”
If a gov hv the GOOD intention to improve or better off the education system, for goodness sake, do a proper study, a pilot project, from “utara-to-selatan”, “barat-to-timur”, stick to it, dont PLAY PLAY,
Remember: HUMAN BEING is an ASSET.
NOT a BALL !
#4 by k1980 on Saturday, 13 November 2010 - 5:49 pm
What happens if the next Education Minister likes sex and all spm candidates are required to pass sex education as a compulsory subject?
#5 by raven77 on Saturday, 13 November 2010 - 5:58 pm
Its too late…the education system is completely messed up….unless there is a change in government and we reinstate O and A level standards….Malaysia will be Indonesia….
Our A level students are sent to Indonesia to not only study but have to teach their lecturers there….same thing is already happening in some of our urban schools…
#6 by k1980 on Saturday, 13 November 2010 - 6:34 pm
Correct me if I am wrong, but the last time I heard was that Indon science degrees are equivalent to Malaysian diplomas. If the above is true, then why are scholarship holders wasting their money, time and effort over there just to come back with diplomas?
#7 by undertaker888 on Saturday, 13 November 2010 - 7:16 pm
You can put any umno malays in any position, 99.9% of the time they will screw up everything. They are just plain lazy and brainless. That you can’t change. But we can change the government.
There is no successful umno malays who made it on their own. They need to be racist to be ahead of the game. That’s all they can do. And they know racism cannot sustain their ketuanan anymore. They are crumbling. Crumbling fast.
#8 by undertaker888 on Saturday, 13 November 2010 - 7:18 pm
You can put any umno malays in any position, 99.9% of the time they will $crew up everything. They are just plain lazy and brainless. That you can’t change. But we can change the government.
There is no successful umno malays who made it on their own. They need to be racist to be ahead of the game. That’s all they can do. And they know racism cannot sustain their ketuanan anymore. They are crumbling. Crumbling fast.
#9 by johnnypok on Saturday, 13 November 2010 - 11:16 pm
Laziness plus prolong consumption of NEP drugs will cause them to become extinct.
#10 by ktteokt on Sunday, 14 November 2010 - 5:09 pm
Just let the Melayu ME-LAYU!
#11 by Bryan Lee on Sunday, 14 November 2010 - 10:31 pm
Damian, I think you will be a better candidate for the Education Minister position. You can take over the current one anytime.
#12 by boh-liao on Monday, 15 November 2010 - 10:57 pm
No worry, can always study in a foreign univ
Our fake 1st lady encourages M’sians 2 b well educated 2 bcome globalised individuals
She asks M’sians 2 get their degrees fr Fazley International College, whose Executive Director is Fazley Yaakob who claimed 2 hv a masters n a doctorate in business admin
Fazley is 1st lady’s SIL, a big fat happy family
http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/2010/11/rosmahs-son-in-law-quits-amid-probe.html