Education minister wants 1 Malaysia camp for students

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin plans to introduce an annual 1 Malaysia camp for students to instil a sense of unity in them.

The deputy prime minister and education minister said 1 Malaysia was one of his four key performance indicators (KPI) for the Education Ministry.

“In this camp, I hope that the eight values of 1 Malaysia will be learned and planted in all the participants and therefore help push the concept of 1 Malaysia and the national education philosophy,” he told the audience at a workshop on the Education Development Master Plan (PIPP).

Muhyiddin also stressed the importance of producing quality teachers and school heads.

“A policy to place teachers who are responsive to the needs of society is a priority. School heads must also be people who are smart in interpreting, understanding the tasks given, committed and able to increase their knowledge so they can translate the education policy to daily tasks and be able to give the best education to their students,” he said.

Muhyiddin wants the education system to continue producing knowledgeable human capital who are productive, creative and innovative.

“Priority must be given to efforts to produce students who are proficient in both Malay and English language. Therefore, PIPP must realise that education is the key to achieving a Malaysian society that has integrity, morality and ethics,” he said.

He explained that it was important for the government to continue providing the necessary infrastructure because there are still remote schools which did not have electricity and clean water.

Muhyiddin said the education system must be able to produce quality students who are capable of mastering the three Qs — intellectual quotient, emotional quotient and spiritual quotient.

“This has to be the minimum requirement which is in line with the spirit of the national education philosophy,” he said.

Education success puts Malaysia 45th in UN index

Efforts to bridge the education gap between urban and rural areas have borne fruit and this is reflected in Malaysia's 45th placing among 129 countries in Unesco's Education-For-All Development Index.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Education-For-All Global Monitoring Report 2009 of which the world body is the coordinator has put Malaysia on par with several developed nations for its success in closing this education gap.

The commendable efforts are in line with Unesco's objectives, said Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister, at the opening of the fourth review conference of the national development master plan 2006-2010.

"This means that all aspects of the country's education such as access, equities and quality are at a very good level. Despite this, efforts must be doubled to enhance the level of accessibility, especially for students in rural areas and the interiors."

This is because there are about 125,000 children who still do not attend school.

"Most of them are living in outlying areas and the interior. Therefore, efforts should be intensified to ensure that these children also receive similar opportunity and are provided with equal capabilities so that they can gain access to education."

The present education sector policy should not be confined only to improving digital access but all aspects of education.

"There is nothing more sincere than working extra hard to ensure that these children get access to education," he said.

Muhyiddin called for emphasis to be given to the prime minister's vision of "1Malaysia, people first, performance now" and expanding the access for quality education.

"The 1Malaysia vision is a continuity of the Razak Report which is to make national education a vision to produce a united and knowledgeable society.

"I hope the thrust to build one nation based on 1Malaysia will continue to be given emphasis in our education planning."

Through the education system, he said an individual should at least be able to master three quotients -- intellectual, emotional and spiritual.

In producing quality teachers, Muhyiddin suggested a responsive teacher placement policy be introduced.

"Besides teachers, the quality of school leaders must also be looked into. The time has come for school leaders to be chosen not just based on seniority but also talent, dynamic leadership and quality."

Such leaders must be able to translate the national education policy in their daily routine.

He proposed extra attention be given to producing holistic students with strong proficiency in both Bahasa Malaysia and English.

He said 1Malaysia camps should be held every year.

"Through these camps, it is my hope that the eight values in 1Malaysia could be understood by participants."

Under the 2006-2010 masterplan, the ministry had targeted to implement 13,014 rural projects at a cost of RM25.2 billion. Up to December last year, 6,386 projects had been completed.

Muhyiddin said 2,348 pre-school classes had been made available for Orang Asli and Penan children.

More than 2,250 computer laboratories and 3,600 access centres will be built to benefit over 2.8 million students in rural areas.