Archive for category Education
Poor command of English affects job chances
By Teoh El Sen
June 9, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians will be at a “slight disadvantage” in the competive global environment because of their poor command of English, said Jobstreet.com.
The online recruitment company recently placed Malaysia, behind Singapore and the Philippines in an English Language assessment test conducted in Asian countries.
“We are not that far off in the ranking but the third place does mean that we do have a slight disadvantage when we compete globally for businesses,” said JobStreet.com country manager Chook Yuh Yng.
Chook said there was a need to appreciate the importance of English proficiency as English is recognised as the international business language. Read the rest of this entry »
If history was written by Interlok author Abdullah Hussain
By Centre for Policy Initiatives
June 09, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JUNE 9 — The Malaysian Insider yesterday (June 8) carried the rather arresting headline “Use Interlok as model for history textbooks, says historian”. The article reported a suggestion by Prof Anthony Milner for “Interlok” to be used as a model for history textbooks. The reasons given are that the novel is “wonderfully inclusive” and “sympathetic” in its narrative and depiction of non-Malays.
Milner, who is with UKM’s International Studies department, categorises “Interlok” as being “a bit of a historical novel” that provides an insight into the lives of the Chinese and Indian communities and their relationship with the Malay community.
The Australian academic is likely unaware that his proposal is every bit as controversial as Abdullah Hussain’s contentious novel. “Interlok” elicited the firestorm it has precisely because its sympathy quotient is no more than if a third-rate author were to attempt to copy Alex Haley’s acclaimed “Roots” (about the origins of the African-Americans) but narrating from a white slave owner’s supremacist point of view. Read the rest of this entry »
One single school system
By Kamal Amzan
June 09, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JUNE 9 — Why is it so hard to have a single education system?
With all the talk about unity, certain sacrifices must be made. If a unified Malaysia cannot be fostered in this generation, we shouldn’t miss the bandwagon for the next generation.
I’ve said this before, and let me say it again. Let’s start with our divisive schools.
In order to make a single school system successful, the government must build more schools. When we have enough schools to cater for a single session, we can then begin to teach extra languages and cultural studies in the afternoon. Those who claim that the vernacular schools are built as a mean to propagate and preserve their cultures can then be permanently silenced. Read the rest of this entry »
DAP decries concession for PSD rejects
Jun 7, 11 2 | MalaysiaKini
DAP has urged the federal government to ensure all top Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) scorers are given scholarships to study overseas and grants to study locally in the interest of fair play and rewards based on meritocracy.
In a statement today, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said his party was against the federal government’s decision to compensate top scholars who failed to obtain Public Services Department (PSD) grants to study overseas.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said yesterday that 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) would be financing the grants for 500 qualified students who did not get PSD scholarships to study locally. Read the rest of this entry »
DAP insists on overseas scholarships for all SPM aces
Posted by Kit in Brain drain, Education on Tuesday, 7 June 2011
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
June 07, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 7- All SPM top scorers should get overseas Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships instead of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) grants if Malaysia wants to retain the country’s human talent, DAP has said.
Putrajaya announced yesterday that 500 special education grants would be disbursed by 1MDB to rejected applicants to study locally. The categories (annual): Scholarships to public universities (RM7,500), scholarships for critical courses in private universities (RM15,000), and grants for non-critical courses (RM7,500). Read the rest of this entry »
History education in M’sia: Deep roots of contestation
Posted by Kit in Education, nation building on Monday, 6 June 2011
By Dr Lim Teck Ghee
Monday, 06 June 2011
Most Malaysians – including members of the specially appointed government committee to review the history curriculum – may not be aware of the deep roots of the current controversy on the narrow religious and ethno-nationalistic approach that has come to dominate history education in the country. The following essay provides information on two studies that have examined the roots of the contestation on history education, especially with regard to the history curriculum developed for schools and the assigned textbooks. 1
Santhiram’s work: Textbooks that divide
The earliest academic study on the subject was undertaken by Dr R. Santhiram. The study published in 1997 is a pioneering attempt at examining the extent to which the educational system – as exemplified in the curriculum and textbooks – was reflective of a multiracial and multicultural society. 2 Focusing on selected lower secondary school textbooks and using quantitative content analysis and qualitative strategies, the paper’s general conclusion was that while some textbooks provided curriculum content appropriate for a multicultural society, others had concentrated heavily on majority race identity. 3 Read the rest of this entry »
Mixed race: Where do we draw the line?
Posted by Kit in Education, nation building on Thursday, 2 June 2011
Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 2, 11
‘We have one rule for some people, another rule for others, while Muslims seem to get the best deal as no matter what the situation, they still be bumiputera.’
Students of mixed parentage denied varsity admission
Borneo Son: Every deserving Malaysian should be given admission to university and/or scholarship regardless of ethnic/religious background if Malaysia is to become a progressive nation.
Read the rest of this entry »
PSD scholarships: What’s Nazri trying to hide?
Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 2, 11
‘In a truly democratic country, a responsible government would publish the list of scholarship holders alongside their results.’
86 top scorers to be placed in local private varsities
Cala: I am dumfounded by the Public Service Department and Minister in the PM’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz’s line of action. They appear to be incapable of doing things right in the first instance. After all, they are the products of the Umno-led BN regime’s mediocrity and recklessness.
Read the rest of this entry »
Using history to make us intelligent, not stupid
Posted by Kit in Education, History, nation building on Wednesday, 1 June 2011
By AB Sulaiman | May 30, 11
Malaysiakini
Some years ago, a concerned parent and friend drew my attention to the peculiar case of the current History textbooks for Forms 4 and 5 students. He hinted that apparently they were decked with omissions, errors, half-truths, an exaggerated role of the Malay ethnic group, and minimising or omitting altogether the considerable contribution of non-Malay individuals.
The texts furthermore exaggerated the role and influence of Islam toward the development of human civilisation and the country. His daughter had found the subject unbelievable, bordering on the ridiculous, and also very boring, but had studied on because she had to.
Read the rest of this entry »
We are in this together
Posted by Kit in Brain drain, Education, nation building on Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Y. Khairil
The Malaysian Insider
May 31, 2011
MAY 31 — I am a not-so-young Malaysian male of the majority type. You know, the type who people always accuse of being pampered by the government, being coaxed with many affirmative-action niceties and other stuff.
I have lived here all my life and, contrary to the standard image of the constitutionally-protected people, do not have the opportunity nor the money to even step out of my state border, let alone the national border.
I went from primary to tertiary education in government institutions, since it was the only viable choice for my poor family. Until a few years ago, I worked as a lowly factory operator earning just slightly above the officially recognised poverty-level income, although you and I know that “official” things are rarely dependable and practical.
No other employers would take me for some unknown reason, despite my degrees and several language proficiencies. I think I might have been deemed too rebellious for Malay firms or the civil service, and I’m definitely not “leng zai” enough to be courted by Chinese firms. I spent four to five hours of my life daily wasting away in morning and evening rush traffic. What a great life. Read the rest of this entry »
Make public PSD scholarship recipients
Posted by Kit in Education, Good Governance on Sunday, 29 May 2011
Tashny Sukumaran | May 28, 2011
DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang says the prime minister must restore transparency and integrity to the selection process
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang wants Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to make public the names of PSD scholarship recipients.
“Najib must restore transparency and integrity to the selection process by making public the list of scholarship recipients,” said Lim.
“It’s a crying shame that even after so long, the Public Service Department is incapable of functioning in a competent and professional manner.”
The former DAP chairman added that as the government had spent billions of ringgit on computerisation, this should be achievable.
“If it was not possible, those responsible for computerisation project should be sacked,” he said.
Lim also underlined the importance of restoring public confidence in the system by ending the double standard of having two different pre-university examinations. Read the rest of this entry »
Laporan kajian tentang penyimpangan dan kelemahan buku teks sejarah
CPIASIA | 27 May 2011
Urutan Power Point di bawah telah disediakan oleh Centre of Malaysian Chinese Studies (CMCS) dan Nanyang University Alumni Association of Malaya (NYUAA, Malaya) and dibentangkan kepada awam yang menghadiri upacara pelancaran kempen A Truly Malaysian History pada Mei 15 baru-baru ini.
Laporan CMCS dan NYUAA membuat ulasan bahawa skop sempit matapelajaran Sejarah tidak berupaya memupuk generasi muda yang “berpandangan global”.
Read the rest of this entry »
Page wants Putrajaya to make stand on English
By Clara Chooi | May 27, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — Pro-English language lobby group Page today pleaded with the Najib administration to stop delaying its decision on re-introducing PPSMI (Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English) as an option in schools.
Page chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim revealed to The Malaysian Insider today that the group had been invited for a discussion with the Education Ministry on April 29, but said the meeting was mysteriously cancelled at the last minute.
Read the rest of this entry »
Gov’t scholarships: Don’t be disheartened, Heama
‘Have the inner strength to carry on your struggle despite this setback. Persevere. The world out there is waiting for you to explore.’
High achiever’s PSD scholarship dreams dashed
Pemerhati: The Sun reported Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz as saying that of the 300 scholarships that were given based on merit, 14 percent were given to bumiputeras while 86 percent were given to the non-bumiputeras.
This indicates that if Malaysia has a meritocractic system, there would be only about 20 percent bumiputeras in the various fields that require strong academic ability.
Read the rest of this entry »
Too many top scorers, not enough scholarships
Malaysiakini Your Say | May 27, 11
‘Perhaps the major problem is not there are too few scholarships, but too many applicants from an examination that have too many top scorers.’
High achiever’s PSD scholarship dreams dashed
Wfworker: While I sympathise with parents with ‘brilliant’ children, I like to relate two incidents regarding my friends’ children.
One parent expressed her surprise over her son’s achievement of 5As at the recent SPM examination. The reason being that he had failed in all his subjects at the school trial examination.
Read the rest of this entry »
High achiever’s PSD scholarship dreams dashed
By S Pathmawathy | May 26, 11
Malaysiakini
Every year, we hear stories of high achievers not being able to secure government scholarships to pursue the courses of their choice despite fulfilling the necessary requirements.
Heamanthaa Padmanaban was among those who had suffered this setback to follow her ambition to study medicine abroad and also did not qualify to take up a course in biotechnology locally.
Read the rest of this entry »
Wary of flip-flop tag, Cabinet dithers over English
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
May 27, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — The Najib administration has not decided on switching back to English for Science and Mathematics (PPSMI) because several Cabinet ministers feel any change would be another embarrassing flip-flop.
The Malaysian Insider understands the Cabinet has discussed the issue but ministers are still divided, leaving Datuk Seri Najib Razak to ask the Education Ministry to work out the various options.
“They don’t want to appear to flip-flop like the Abdullah government,” a government source told The Malaysian Insider recently.
Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s rule was marked by several policy U-turns that led to him being mocked by predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and other critics. Read the rest of this entry »
Abolish race quota for PSD scholarships, says ex-FT education chief
By Boo Su-Lyn | May 26, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
PETALING JAYA, May 26 — A former Federal Territory education director today pressed the Najib administration to abolish the race quota in Public Service Department (PSD) overseas scholarships.
Abas Awang, who is now the PKR education bureau chief, said the government should consider the long-term interest of Malaysia which aims to become a high-income nation by 2020.
Read the rest of this entry »
Make lists of scholarship recipients public
Malaysiakini Vox Populi | May 26, 11
‘Then there will be no arguments as to the veracity of the selection process. Until that is done, there will be quarters that won’t trust nor believe PSD.’
Abolish PSD’s racial quotas, urge NGOs
WangMalaysia: More than 8,800 students getting 9A+. Malaysia has loads of talent! I remember during my time, those getting 8A1 count for less than 30 throughout the country.
Read the rest of this entry »
PPSMI options
Page
The Malaysian Insider
May 24, 2011
MAY 24 — “We will consider the Prime Minister’s views and what can be done to fulfil the wish of certain groups.” — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, April 4, 2011
“We have not made any commitment on this yet and we need to assess the feelings of parents. We want to see if it is possible to have some flexibility on this.” — Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak, April 7, 2011
“The teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics can be carried out bilingually according to the capabilities of the teachers or students.” — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, April 24, 2011
Prior to the Sarawak state election over a month ago, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak made an encouraging announcement, on the possibility of using two mediums of instruction for the teaching of Science and Mathematics in schools. Parents are eagerly looking forward to a meaningful dialogue with the Ministry of Education. However, there has been no subsequent follow-up since then, leaving many of us in the dark. Read the rest of this entry »
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