RE-BUILDING MALAYSIAN EDUCATION

By Stephen Ng In order for the Minister of Education, Maszlee Malik and his deputy Teo Nie Ching to implement the much needed overhaul to our education system, they need to look into the burning issues involving the school heads. By now, Maszlee should have learnt that whatever policy that he announces in public, will not see the light of the day unless the heads of schools are willing to implement them. Over the past two years that I have been with Jiazong, I learnt that many of them, especially in the SJKCs, are more interested in money matters than to improve the quality of the education for young children. I have already highlighted to Maszlee and Teo's attention that schools especially the Chinese primary schools are unwilling to solve issues relating to: Additional workbooks. This has been a major issue affecting the schools, which clearly involves a cartel. Since 2000, the Ministry of Education has issued a directive to control the number of additional books

YAB Tun Perdana Menteri,  This is EXACTLY what I am saying! After my email less than an hour ago, I just chanced upon this article in Malaysiakini titled:  "Maszlee wants hotels to let students use their swimming pool"  https://www.malaysiakini.com/ news/452807 . This is horrendous and shocking where I am concerned.  Like the UEC, I want to know if a holistic study has been carried out before the Minister of Education announced his decision to implement swimming lessons for children.  I also want to know how many teachers will be in charge of a whole class of 40 children who are jumping around in the swimming pool. As a parent, I for one, would not allow my children to be anywhere near the swimming pool if there are not enough lifeguards watching over them. Over one incident, you may end up having more drowning incidents among school children.  Tun, as a rakyat, this has to stop. I am not in the hotel business, but I can tell you that no h

Time to set up an independent committee to investigate complaints in SJKCs By Stephen Ng A girl was molested and after four months, the case was still not reported and acted upon by the Ministry of Education. In another case, a headmaster of a Chinese school was operating a second bank account illegally, but in the investigation report, the school claimed that the second account was set up by the Board of Governors. A case, which I was handling where the headmistress of a Chinese school recorded on video a forced confession by a bully victim, has still not been resolved yet despite numerous complaints raised at different level of the ministry. The principals of Chinese primary schools continue to load the children with all kinds of resource books and workbooks. This is despite the ministry’s directive last year to stop loading the children with more workbooks. My son, who is in Standard Four this year, has a total of 426 pages for just one language subje

Photo credit: https://spinalresearch.com.au/heavy-school-bags-biggest-pain-neck/ By Stephen Ng Comment: With every new Education Minister, there are new subjects introduced. Maszlee Malik is no difference. Despite call by parents to revamp the entire school curriculum, Maszlee appears to be adding more subjects to the already heavy laden kids. Like his announcement about the UEC, I wonder if any "holistic study" has been carried out before he announced it in parliament, especially on getting feedback from parents. I doubt it! This has never even been discussed with parents, but we are hearing it in parliament that Civics will be re-introduced in schools. According to him, this will include a topic on anti-corruption which will be taught in schools, beginning the third quarter of 2019. Yes, as parents, we agree that our kids should learn to say "No" to corruption at an early age, but just adding one chapter to the Civics book lacks what I consider a

By Stephen Ng Education Minister, Maszlee Malik has finally conceded that he cannot hold two portfolios as the minister of education and president of International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). A number of people have spoken up against his decision to take on the position. This includes the prime minister designate, Anwar Ibrahim who told him that he had personally declined from taking on the position. The Pakatan Harapan manifesto had promised that no politician should be appointed to any government-linked corporations or organisations. Like it or not, many have interpreted it to include the IIUM. Whether it was the Sultan of Pahang who appointed him or not, certainly to politely decline the appointment is not any form of derhaka towards the sultan. After all, he is holding a very important portfolio that requires him to put a lot of efforts to get things right. My point of contention is different from what most people suggest. I see the minister's portfolio

By Stephen Ng I am sure most of us are not born yesterday to be thinking that school heads can be depended upon to solve the heavy bag issue. One after another minister of education has come and gone, but the school bags are still heavy that you need a donkey to help carry it into the classroom. But, in Malaysia, donkeys are seldom found except in the zoo. With the exception of a few good principals, most school heads merely pay lip service to the bag load issue. Principals, especially in the Chinese primary schools, happily add to the burden by making it mandatory for school children to buy additional workbooks, and a whole lot of other resource/ reference books, that they claim to be very useful for the children. In 2017, Puay Chai 2 Level 1 (Standards 1-3) were told to buy workbooks. When complaint reached the ministry, and the officers were supposed to come and investigate, for some reasons the school asked the children to remove the covers of the workbooks so that they