It's probably the best definition of insanity:
doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
The
famous quote is often wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein but whoever said
that, it makes sense, especially in the context of the Malaysian education
system.
It’s
madness to continue spending billions on education without seeing any
improvements in quality.
The
education ministry has been allocated 56 billion ringgit (US$15.5 billion) this
year, 1.4 billion ringgit more than what it received last year.
Our
expenditure on basic education is more than double that of other Asean countries
and also South Korea and Japan.
Yet
Malaysia remains stuck at the bottom third of the global schools league, as
confirmed by the results from recent assessments such as the Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
The
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s 2012 study, based on
test scores in mathematics and science among 15-year-olds in 76 countries,
shows that Malaysia is languishing at 52nd, way below top-ranked Singapore,
Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
Our
students were out-performed by Vietnam (12), Thailand (47), Kazakhstan and Iran
(51). In Asean, Malaysia only ranked higher than Indonesia (69).
In March,
deputy prime minister and education minister Muhyiddin Yassin said he was
shocked by Malaysia’s poor results in international education assessments and
admitted that the standards were not good enough.
He said
the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (Preschool to Secondary) and the
Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education) were designed to
improve the system, stressing that time was needed to see the changes.
The truth
is, we don’t have the luxury of time and patience is wearing thin.
We
inherited a solid education system after independence, just as Singapore did.
But over the past three decades, successive ministers of education have made a
mess of tinkering with the system, mostly for political motives.
Earlier
this month, Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar suggested
that Malaysia emulate Singapore’s education system with English as the sole
medium of instruction.
Urging
the people to be open-minded about the proposal, he said Singapore’s
single-stream education system had not only helped to foster unity in the
republic but also created a prosperous society.
It is
still not too late to bring back the era of racial harmony and unity
experienced by people of my generation, who are products of English schools
during the 60s and 70s.
As the
Johor Sultan has pointed out, there would always be a gap between the races in
the country if our education system continues to be based on race and language,
not to mention the increasing influence of religion.
But in
spite of the weaknesses in the system, it is heartening to see committed
parent-teacher associations and non-governmental organisations pushing
fervently to get situations improved.
Last
Saturday, I was at Sunway University where groups of eager teenagers were taking
part in a Young Inventor Challenge, organised by the Association of Science,
Technology and Innovation (ASTI), an NGO of volunteers who have been mentoring
and encouraging students to excel in science.
ASTI is
led by the unassuming Dr Mohamed Yunus Mohamed Yasin, who is credited with
bringing about change in the attitude towards science and maths in Tamil
schools across the country.
I
wouldn’t have known about the quiet science revolution if not for blogger Syed
Akbar Ali’s recent post about what Dr Yunus and his group of dedicated friends
have been doing over the past 12 years.
As a
result of participating in ASTI’s Science Fair for Young Children, Tamil
schools are scoring top grades for science and maths in the UPSR.
Last
year, SRJK (Tamil) Taman Tun Aminah, Johor Baru, emerged as the top school for
the UPSR with 43 pupils scoring straight 7As while others scored 7Bs.
They are
making headlines abroad too. In March, three students of SJK(T) Ramakrishna,
Penang, beat 300 contestants from all over the world to win first prize at the
35th Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition.
Durgashini
Srijayan, Kumurthashri Ponniah and Sugheson Ganeson won the gold medal under
the Excellent Youth Science Creation category of the contest for their
invention of an eco-friendly thermo container.
In
October last year, SJK (T) Kulim’s R. Prevena, V Susheetha and former student
R. Rasyikash won the Double Gold Award at the British Invention Show in London
for their energy-saving drinks-dispensing machine.
Building
on the successes of the science fairs, ASTI started the Young Inventors
Challenge, which is open to all secondary schools, three years ago.
From the
initial 19, the number of schools has since increased to almost 200, including
a team from Singapore.
ASTI also
organises Creative and Critical Thinking Camps designed for primary schools up
to tertiary level, and the ASTI Innovation Community Award to recognise the
contributions of individuals or groups using science and technology for
beneficial projects.
It also
works with Germany’s Goethe Institute in organising the annual Science Film
Fest to produce documentaries and teaching films about science.
And it
has been doing all these with an annual budget of 800,000 ringgit, raised
largely from well-wishers, including its 400 volunteers.
Dr Yunus’
philosophy is simple: “Stop complaining, get involved. As patriots, we can help
the country do well too.”
M. Veera
Pandiyan
The Star
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
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