I am a bit puzzled by this issue of government scholarships.

Firstly, are the SPM ‘scholars’, who are barely out of their diapers, ready for higher education? They are about 18 years old, not allowed to smoke, vote or even drive and yet some of them are already entering courses like medicine, engineering, pharmacy etc.

If I am not wrong, they have yet to complete their secondary school education as there is still form six, the A levels or STPM? Yet these ‘scholars’ are already entering Universities? Which university of repute admit students with O levels and SPM? Our education system churn out young, immature students who are often unable to cope with more mature students from other countries.

Secondly, if the scholarships are intended for them to pursue their sixth form or A levels first, why can’t these students do these exams locally as some private Foundations and Institutes are already doing for their scholars?

And if these ‘scholars’ can again prove their worth and consistency at the higher level, then by all means send them overseas, this time to enter university with greater maturity and experience.

Many of our ‘top scholars’ are actually ‘stray shots’ who cannot repeat their past ‘one-off’ performance. I know of students who had a string of distinctions at SPM but are failures at 6th Form and at university. Which brings me to my next point.

Thirdly, can we have statistics of the performances of our past scholars who were sent overseas? Are they doing well? How many have continued with their ‘brilliant’ SPM performances, how many earn good degrees or end up with mediocre degrees, how many failed? Can we have some hard figures?

How come we do not hear of any these many scholars we send annually overseas, topping their classes and getting reported in the media? Has our scholarship selection system been effective and reliable or is it badly skewed and flawed and in urgent need of repairs? Have the scholarship monies spent seeing results and returns or have these been wasted?

And lastly, for the moment, shouldn’t we all take one or two steps backwards and analyse the situation and find out WHY we have so many brilliant ‘scholars’?

Is it really true we have so many brilliant students thousands of whom obtain strings of A+s every year? If it is really true, then we should be topping the world tables in secondary school competitions (mathematics, sciences etc) beating the likes of Japan, Korea, Norway, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany and the like. Why is it very difficult to get As or A+s in other countries and not many of their students end up with strings of As and A+s like we have here in 1Bolehland?

Have our examination system and marking dumbed down over the years? Barely a generation or two ago, it was very difficult to get a distinction and a SC / MCE certificate was worth alot. Sources have told me that 60 marks will earn you an A+ nowadays.

These days, just about anybody can get a degree from some University College or ‘recognised’ institution of higher education. You can see the products, ‘graduates’ who cannot think or write, who are barely literate but to whom the government owes them a living. Unemployables who end up in some uniform groups.

As far as I can conclude, our whole education system and scholarship process should be totally revamped to stop it from crumbling further into the abyss.

The DAP and PR should come out with concrete plans for restructuring the whole system and also how it proposes to stop the brain-drain when they take over Putrajaya. Let us see your plans.