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.