RE-BUILDING MALAYSIAN EDUCATION

Credit: https://mommypoppins.com/coding-kids-free-websites-teach-learn-programming  I HAVE been reading about the teaching of ICT literacy programmes in Chinese primary schools from the news media. Since I do not know how the programme is taught as an additional lesson during school hours, I should refrain from saying too much about it. However, as a former Education Technology lecturer at the Teachers’ Training College, I know that teacher trainees have been trained on how to integrate technology into different subject areas to make classroom teaching more effective. By the time they graduate, they should have sufficient know-how to guide their students to use ICT in the classroom. They need not turn to outside vendors for help. I certainly do not agree that ICT literacy classes need to be taught outside the classroom during the primary school years. The best way to teach ICT is to employ an integrated approach rather than teaching it as a separate su...

Credit: https://mommypoppins.com/coding-kids-free-websites-teach-learn-programming By Stephen Ng  THERE is too much hype over the ban of paid IT literary classes in Chinese primary schools by the Education Ministry. Having studied the issue, this is what I have put together to offer a better perspective for English-educated parents who have children in Chinese schools. To me, the fear that some parents have that IT literacy classes will be taken away from their children is clearly unfounded. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has stated in no uncertain terms that the Government will introduce the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching the young generation of Malaysians. Even newly-minted Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik has indicated an interest in visiting Finland to learn how they achieved reform in their education system. To reform the education system, one cannot depend on the traditional style of teaching using ro...

Credit: http://www.fafaup.com/post527130/1176 By Stephen Ng Parents welcome the proposal to have two teachers per class, especially in schools where there are more than 40 children per class. According to the Education Director-General of Education, Dr Amin Senin as highlighted by an  education portal , the proposal is still in discussion. If implemented, the new policy would not only help to lighten the burden of teachers but benefit the children directly. With the help of assistant teachers, teachers will be able to provide direct supervision to the children. There will also be better control of the class discipline. In some schools, the Parent-Teacher Association can also recruit its members to fill in as assistant teachers. This is where money should be spent to hire more assistant teachers instead of wasting away in operating some email accounts , costing the ministry at least RM10 million per annum. We wish to congratulate the National Union of the Teac...

By Stephen Ng While the country's coffer is dry and Malaysians  from all walks of life have come  forward  to donate  money toward the Tabung Harapan, it appears  to be business-as- usual at the Ministry of Education. In a letter addressed to various education institutions  within the State of Kedah,  teachers have been urged to  use their email accounts under the MyGovUC for  their official correspondence. It is believed that this involves the schools and  other education institutions  in the whole country,  although documents cited were written by the Kedah  State Education Department. For each email account, the government has to  pay RM15.65 a month,  which works out to be approximately  RM841,000 for some 96,061 accounts  that are registered  under MyGovUC throughout the country. In a year,  it works  out to be RM10 million. This money cou...

By Stephen Ng Less than 24 hours after deputy education minister, Teo Nie Ching announced that the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) will finally be recognised by end of the year, the opposition has come out strongly against the proposal. All the arguments put forward by groups such as Umno Youth and Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) are nothing but fluff. These are clearly the people who had in the past halted all the attempts made by Dong Zhong to have the UEC recognised. As early as the early 2000s when I was working with Monash University campus in Malaysia, UEC was already accepted as entry requirements for university programmes. Students applying to study in other universities in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States were also able to apply using the UEC results. Yet, I could see over the years that the UEC has faced an uphill battle especially in the past not because its curriculum was inferior but because of the politics and mentalit...

credit: Malaysiakini THE role played by PIBGs (Parent-Teacher Associations) is important in helping schools to provide conducive learning environments for children. However, based on my personal observations and those from a few parent lobby groups such as Jiazhong, PAGE, Magpie, Aspires, and Penang Hope, I have arrived at one conclusion: If the Education Ministry fails to tighten the control over PIBGs, they will become an open cheque for some school principals. The PIBG constitution is too loose, and although there are education officers at the local district and state education departments monitoring the schools and the PIBGs, often the enforcement is lagging, making even the annual general meetings and the minutes they produce a mockery of our system. There is so much room for abuse and despite complaints lodged with the ministry at all levels, parents often feel that they are complaining to a blank wall. To solve the woes that parents face, some of these officers ...

Credit: Norman Goh, Malaysiakini By Stephen Ng Education Minister Maszlee Malik's press conference today is like a breath of fresh air when he finally announced sweeping reforms in the local universities. After nearly three weeks since the students demonstrated at the Ministry of Education in Putrajaya, Maszlee has finally decided to meet them. This is at least some positive development for student leader, Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi to cherish. However, a few points need to be noted that although he had agreed to drop all charges against students, Maszlee has yet to decide on a couple of controversies. The repeal of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 was not apparently on his top priority. To date, Sports and Youth Minister, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has gone on record to say that the Act is on its way out. But when? The minister who responsible for the repeal of the UCCA has not made any commitment to repeal the controversial Act. If the Act is t...