Malaysia's Education System Not Supportive Of Science - Scientist

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- While science and technology are critical to produce creative thinkers to attain the country's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2020, the education system is not supportive.

Newly-conferred Professor Emeritus Datuk Mohamed Abdul Majid noted that Malaysia still lagged behind developed countries in science and technology.

As a result, he said, the education and higher education ministries should study the school curriculum to raise the quality of education.

"In science, we are below the world average, meaning that we are, in no way, catching up with the advanced countries.

"We have to develop, if we are indeed to become a fully-developed nation by 2020," he told Bernama in an interview.

The 61-year-old scientist and educator for the past 35 years was conferred Professor Emeritus by Universiti Malaya yesterday.

"At the moment, our education system is not supporting the development of science and technology".

"When you are talking about science and technology, you are talking about people who can think, people who have intellectual power, logical thinking, critical thinking and creativity," said Mohamed, who is now attached to the Science Faculty of Brunei Darussalam University.

He said students must have the courage and freedom to acquire more knowledge and not just rely on local textbooks.

"We have got workbooks where you have to answer exactly, the answer that is given by the teacher on the book," he said, adding that the school curriculum must allow students to think and express themselves.

"This is what is happening in many other countries like Singapore, United States, South Korea, which allow the students to have freedom of expression, so there is a lot of creativity among the students (there)," said Mohamed.

He also suggested that teachers be well paid so that they could give the best to their students.

"We want teachers who are very well-qualified, only then can we expect to get very good students".

"I am suggesting that they have better salary scale, promotion prospects and better status," he said.