YOURSAY | Education should be free from political interference

YOURSAY | ‘In the right environment, our children can achieve the highest standard.’

COMMENT | Some badly needed changes in education system

Man on the Silver Mountain: Columnist P Gunasegaram’s article is well written and has listed the mutilations of our education system and the solutions to address them.

Education should be free from political interference and should provide the best knowledge there is.

Over the years, our education system has been turned into a useless political vehicle instead of educating students with knowledge and technology. Education in Malaysia has been politicised so much that schools and colleges are nothing more than just indoctrination camps.

Every now and then, new governments took over and so did the insertion of the changes in our education according to their whim and fancy. Of course, for that, you do not need professional teachers, anyone will do if he/she can follow instructions or has been instructed themselves.

Top students, regardless of racial background, should be facilitated into the pinnacle of learning, so that they will be scientists and philosophers, even winning the Nobel prizes. We do not see much of that, and if at all, they were not in the country. How come?

Our children are smart, they can achieve the highest standard but only if they grow up in the right environment. That means, as toddlers, pre-kindergartens, primary and secondary schools until colleges and universities, their brains are taught and filled with the desired knowledge.

Religious studies should be taught outside the classrooms or be offered as optional for those who want to major in them.

Apa pun boleh: Indeed. Gunasegaram has summarised in layperson’s terms what ails our education system that has reduced the standards and rendered our students uncompetitive in international measurement and largely unemployable outside the public service sphere.

There have been many more empirical studies previously but instead failed to make a difference and have complemented its steady decline.

He mentioned that the education standards began deteriorating after the 70s following the speedy changeover from the old English medium system. If I am not mistaken, one of the key persons who went in with a zest to accelerate the changeover was Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar has now implemented the ‘Al Nawawi 40 Hadith’ into the school curriculum which conflicts with separating religion from education. I remember the confusion back then over the implementation of Bahasa Baku that very few understood.

Why am I mentioning this? Do we know what the governments of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and those after him really wanted in changing the education policy? Every succeeding government thereafter has been tinkering with the education policy that has only helped to drive our students further south.

The levels have deteriorated beyond salvage at least for two generations to come. We seem to be moving further and further away from Singapore on all fronts.

Even a contractor that undertakes a project must be well-versed with the architecture’s plan failing which he will be barking up the wrong ladder.

Accordingly, what you have written if acted upon will certainly be better than where we are headed now provided, we are on the right trajectory. Are we? What with the Madani government adding on to the further Islamisation of the curriculum. So, the question is what does this Madani unity government really want?

Can we have some indication from the PM? Do they want to move forward to make our students more comparative or are they merely adding on to dumping down education that seems to have aided the vested interest of certain politicians and their parties in terms of widening their voter base?

Existential T: It would be easier to set up an alternative school system from scratch. If a road has too many potholes, patching it one hole at a time is more time-consuming than just paving a new road.

When a bank becomes insolvent or bankrupt, we generally extract all the good assets and put them in a well-run bank or a newly set up bank. We then auction or write off the bad assets. Something similar can be done for our education system.

Set up a new school system with English as the only medium of instruction for all subjects. Invite world-class educators to design the syllabus.

Any existing teacher can be recruited into these new schools if they pass the English test and the subjects, they are teaching in. Pay them double or even triple the existing salaries.

Hire professionals to administer the schools and not burden the teachers with extracurricular activities or administrative roles.

The test must be administered by an independent body, free of influence and interference from politics and religion. Likewise for all subsequent student evaluations.

Continue to run existing schools until all teachers retire or no further enrolment, whichever comes first.

The question is, does the government have the courage to do the right thing? If it does, will it be open to all Malaysians without restrictions or quotas being imposed, or worse, only admit a single race?

The problem is stark, the solution is clear, and the resources are available. What's lacking is the will.

Education in Malaysia is not for uplifting and enriching the mind, but it is used for indoctrination and enclosing the mind. So that it will churn out more mindless supporters and dependents who cannot survive without patronage and can be called upon to harangue the minorities to drum up flagging support.

RimauTongkatAli: Everything that the author said here makes perfect sense. However, the reality of trying to make a change would be equated to having a stillborn.

To use English to teach Math and Science would not only be met with resistance by the ultras but also by teachers with poor command of English.

Add in the removal of Islam on top of the English language, Perikatan Nasional/PAS and their supporters would have a field day. No doubt, what the author suggested is the right thing to do but the Malay majority just don’t see these changes as progressive.

If anything, they will see the changes as a threat to Malay rights and Islam. Even if there’s political will from both sides, making the change would be very difficult and will take a long time to fix due to the years of rotting. There’s just no easy way out, unfortunately.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.