Letter to Malaysiakini.com
Author: Timothy Cheng
Source: http://malaysiakini.com/letters/93388
I have undergone primary and secondary education in Chinese schools in PJ, undertook matriculation and am now a medical student in Universiti Malaya.
I must say I totally agree with some who point out the need for our education to go back to the basics. I believe focusing on university students alone is the wrong approach as the vital years in one's life are the schooling days. Have we not heard of the Malay proverb, melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya?
It is futile to change mentalities and mindsets of university students; we should instead be focusing on to shaping and moulding the young ones for the betterment of this nation.
Comment: Of course government not only aim starting with the young ones, however the education actually start from home.
The main problem with schools in Malaysia is that students are spoon-fed everything, especially during their schooling days. From my perspective, this results in university students being unable to think for themselves and ending up having to rely on ‘lecture notes’ to pass exams.
Comment: That's not the main problem. Not everyone are brilliant as you are which can survive without spoon fed. Not everyone has the same chance like you having tuition class after school. Our education is the best suiting with the current situation. As i said earlier, we evolving. People are getting aware that they now need to be independent. And also i think most of our teacher nowdays, are not spoon feeding too much to the students.
When asked to speak up in public, we end up stammering in embarrassment; summarising from a standard textbook is a pain because everything was handed out to us during school; out of textbook questions give us a problem because all we were taught to do in school was to just memorise.
Comment: I don't think you're trying to brought up 'memorising text book' as a problem. The problem is we have a mindset of EXAM. I do think that your curriculum in University Of Malaya was also exam oriented. If you think of having memorising textbook only the main problem, that's why the important of attending Classes come in. We use the text book as our reference. Our teacher will helping us by creating an environment that will make us understand what we read. I dont think that memorising is the only part of learning, except for those who are MANIAC BOOK WORM that only stays in room and dont go for weekends movies.
Subjects like ‘Moral Education’ have only served to worsen the situation as students are just required to swallow a set of ‘good values’ and regurgitate them out during examinations, hoping that it will fit the answer scheme. Speaking as the grandson of someone who was directly involved in proposing the subject of ‘Moral Education’, I daresay that this was not part of the original objectives or learning outcomes.
Comment: I do agree on somepart. However without moral education, where will people get info about moral? From your family? as i said earlier, we are not the same. Many of us didn't have any proper moral education. Even their family might have social problem. Thus, like 'tak nak' campaign, we give an exposure to them so that they have sufficient knowledge about what they shouldn't do. Think about it if no education at all about moral.
The ‘History’ (Sejarah) subject in secondary schools also needs a revamp as students hardly learn anything about world history. Questions are phrased in such a way that force students to blindly memorise and rewrite.At this rate, we are merely producing ‘computers’; not a new generation to lead Malaysia one day.
Comment: I agree we are not practising a good way in learning Sejarah. Hope to have a major changes in delivering sejarah subject.
The other issue is the usage of English in the education system. From the recent UPSR results, it is clear that students are ready to change to English as the medium of instruction. In this day and age, learning English is as necessary as the air with breathe. How is the next generation expected to lead Malaysia in this wave of globalisation with superpowers around the world using English as their main language?
Comment:I do agree. Government with education ministry is trying hard to make it a realistic of using English as the main subject for Science and Maths. Our reference mostly in English. However there are some people who dont want their children to become globalise and all of them are MALAY. They dont want their child benefits of learning english. Even teachers are having problem teaching in english. But i do feels, 10 years from now, they will see the importants of English when people are marching forward, they dont want to be at the back isn't it?
Don't get me wrong, however. I have nothing against the Malay language and in fact have obtained an A1 for Malay in SPM and used to wear the baju kebangsaan every Friday during matriculation.
Comment: I dont get you wrong, and if you dont talk about it, it never pass through on my mind. But your next words really makes me feels irritating. What do you means getting A1 for Malay in SPM and baju kebangsaan every Friday? It doesn't make sense at all.
Therefore, I feel that the only method that would not only improve and enhance our education system but also unite races in Malaysia would be to teach all three main languages in all schools - Malay, Mandarin and English.
Comment: 2 Main languange is fine for me. No needs for mandarin.If the chinese got it, the INDIANS also want it. Thus, just use Bahasa Malaysia as a medium to unite the races.
At the first glance this may sound absurd, but it is better than using only one language to unite us (like Britain or China or any other country) as we would have endless debates about it. Looking around me at my course-mates, I see that we are not divided by race but by the language we speak. Even during mealtimes we sit according to our medium of communication. This is because we find talking to someone in an unfamiliar language too uncomfortable.
Comment:What debates? we have no debate at all. Look around us, we dont practice our NATIONAL LANGUAGE. Bahasa Malaysia. that's the problem. And i do think the important of using National Languange to unite us all like in Indonesia.
Being a Chinese with a good grasp of the Malay language, I have less problems. A Malay junior I know speaks fluent Mandarin and has no problems mixing around with her Chinese friends.
Comment: I do not have problems and even LESS problem than yours, mixing with chinese and indians using BM and also English. Mandarin for most of Malays is just an additional languange that are good to have.
If anything were to reunite Malaysia, it would not be the number of times we sing the national anthem; nor the hype of Merdeka celebrations; nor the symbol of the flag, the Twin Towers, etc but the language we speak. Unless we find common ground in this area, we will be forever swimming against the tide of racial harmony.
Comment:Thats why i said back to our NATIONAL LANGUAGE - Bahasa Malaysia. Is that a problem to you?
There is so much to be done to realign and refocus the Malaysian education system, not only in providing better education but more importantly, for the sake of this nation’s future. There are so many in the general public that are equipped with experience and the knowledge to help, but how many letters, complaints and suggestions have gone unheard by the ministry?
Comment:I will guarantee you, they are listening to you and most of them they are trying to practice it (if suitable) and if not they will give answer. ur education is flexible. As i said earlier, we are evolving and evolving takes time. We cant simply do immediately such change that will ultimately make our education worst. Our previous Minister of Education have long ago thinking of better education and Current Minister is now still keep thinking the best way. However Changes need to be made base on our 'PERLEMBAGAAN'. That's the purpose we all keep saying KELUHURAN PERLEMBAGAAN.
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