Najib: M’sian education system must change

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian students are too passive and the education system must change to challenge and encourage them to be more curious, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that Malaysian minds were just not inquisitive and challenged enough.

“Our education system must change. Our children are just not curious enough. They must be curious about the world. They must ask questions,” he said.

“Malaysians are very good at rote learning. They spend hours learning,” he said, adding that society too was often passive sometimes out of a sense of respect for the other especially if he or she was more senior.

Najib pointed out that every society that is open to learning and knowledge flourished while those that closed up went into decay.

He, therefore, called for an intellectual renaissance in the country and wanted this to start at universities where the minds of students could be opened up and liberated.

He said Malaysian universities had beautiful physical infrastructure and excellent communications centres that were huge and rather expensive to maintain.

However, he noted that the “intellectual infrastructure” was lacking.

He said that more openness and a greater infusion of knowledge would create a stronger society.

“The whole paradigm shift must start in schools,” he said, adding that schools should make students curious and inquisitive.

Touching on an example, he said, he was struck by a question at his daughter’s university that asked if the Cold War had ended, a question which even he would have difficulty answering.

“You can’t find the answer in text books. There is no right or wrong. It depends on your power of reasoning and how you articulate your ideas. This is the (thinking) younger generation that we must propagate,” he said in his opening speech at the Seminar on Creating a Blue Ocean in Education and Training Sectors.

He said Malaysians should look at where they were today, where they would like to be in the future and find a way to get there.

“That to me is our challenge. I’m optimistic we will get there,” he added.

At another function on early education and ‘Each Child is a Gem of the Nation’ (Permata), Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the government had recently approved the Permata curriculum and programme for children ages four and below and there would be a national roll out of the programme next year.

He said RM200mil had been set aside under the 2009 Budget for child early education (from age one to six), adding that the Permata curriculum would be made mandatory for private centres.

Najib said there were 8,814 kindergartens in the country, most of which were privately run.

He also noted that as of 2007, only 10% or 3.1mil children in that age group attended day care centres, which was far below the 80% in developed countries.

He said the government recognised that the first four years of a child’s life were formative years and that 90% of rapid brain development happened during these early years and hence there was a need for a holistic type of early education.

Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor is the chairman of the Permata committee.

In her speech, Rosmah said, over the last 18 months, they had set up 14 Permata centres all over the country for a total of 380 children with 80 teachers, all with a minimum of a diploma education.

She said Permata was planning to set up another centre in an Indian majority area with the help of Wanita MIC.

She was also in favour of Najib’s suggestion that parents sending their kids to the Permata centre should sign a Aku Janji (I Promise) letter that they would at least spend four hours a month participating in the child’s early education.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/11/13/nation/20081113182638&sec=nation

How To Learn Bahasa Malaysia?

Or rather, how to learn Bahasa Malaysia as a standard language instead of being contented speaking the very easy Creole Malay?

The first step is to assess your motive. While it is not my business to query the purity of your motive, bear in mind that purer motive is the more powerful motivation in learning a language. For example, a desire to communicate Malay-speaking people is a motivation that lasts longer than...flirting.

Next, work on your qualities as a learner:

Adaptability--Learning Bahasa Malaysia implies learning the Malay and Malaysian culture which is not synonymous with monetary gain, prestige and super power. Do you have an open mind? Are you willing to show interest in the food, music and life-style of the Malaysians? can you accept them just the way they are?

Humility--Children have no problem with this quality. For an adult, this may be a challenge as the book How to Learn a Foreign Language points out:"When you are new to the language, you must be willing to speak like-and in the respects, be treated like a child...You have to shed some of your own self-
importance and your worries about dignity if you really want to make progress ."

That includes facing the inevitable prospect of other people laughing at your mistakes...just laugh along with them.

Reasonableness--Set reasonable goals for yourself. Don't compare your progress with that of others. Don't force yourself to read books claiming to teach Bahasa Malaysia but bore you stiff or you can never understand with your great IQ. If you don't have the potential to pass for a native speaker, concentrate on communicating clearly.

Patience--It can take a long time to learn Bahasa Malaysia. Adult learners have to put aside time from their busy schedules to study only to notice a lot of inconsistencies. Well, look at it this way, scholars are still sorting things out and everyone is still waiting.

Now, we can talk about the basic learning methods:

Set aside time to study-The good news is regular short periods of time to study is more effective than irregular large chunks of time. Take word lists with you and have a look a them whenever you have a few minutes to spare or paste the list on your bathroom door.

Practise, practise, practise--You cannot learn to swim just by reading, you have to get into the water. So it is with learning Bahasa Malaysia. Interact with people whenever you can.

Put yourself in Malaysia-The best place to absorb the flavour of language, if your circumstances allow you to do so. If not, try to get radio, TV and video programmes in Bahasa Malaysia.

Caution: At times you maybe struggling along at the same level without much improvement. Don't give up. Reflect on your goals, progress and expectations. Don't be shy to ask friends to help and speak to you in Bahasa Malaysia on a regular basis.

When you reach a stage where you can understand Malaysian jokes, you will know it's worth the effort.

Wan is an ordinary Malaysian who observes idiosyncrasies in Bahasa Malaysia and is currently uploading them to http://www.bahasa-malaysia-simple-fun.com where you can learn Bahasa Malaysia free online, please visit http://www.bahasa-malaysia-simple-fun.com/malaysia_today.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wan_Yee

Finding the Right College

Finding the right college is very difficult for many people. They are not sure whether they should choose a school because their friends are going to it, or because it is closer to home. However, all of these reasons are pointless! Here are a few reasons that make sense on which university is better for you.

The first reason that you should pick one school over another is if it has a lower cost of tuition. If the college is willing to give you more financial aid, you should take it. However, if they are not giving you an equal educational experience as another place, you may want to reconsider taking them up on their offer.

The second reason you should consider one college over another is if it is closer to home. For people who live close to a college, it can be much cheaper to live at home instead of at the school. Room and board can cost as much as twelve thousand dollars or more depending upon the school. Living at home is free, at least to you. You will also not be paying student loans on food that you ate twenty years ago!

The third reason you should consider going to one school instead of another is if it specializes in your major. There is something to be said for attending a university that specializes in your major. They may be able to open up more doors and give you further information than another school would.

Finding the right college is not easy, so make sure that you take your time and look at all of your options. Do not worry if the school is not love at first sight, some schools may take a while to get used to.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Todd_Day

Malaysia - An Open Destination For Foreign Students

There are many countries that are offering academic programs to international students. Countries like the United States, Australia, France, Spain and many other developed nations are not exerting much effort to lure foreign students to study in their universities, but apparently, more foreign students decide to enrol in them.

Some other countries are even making initiatives to lure and convince foreign students into enrolling in their universities. These countries hope to make the activity a form of indirect boost to tourism figures and revenues. Thinking about this, foreign students are still tourists in their own way. They still have allowances to spend and they relay the beauty they observe in their host country to friends and families they have in their homelands.

Malaysia is one of the countries that aim to convince more foreign students to enrol in their universities. The country promotes the advantage of getting college and masters degrees at its academic institutions. Malaysia openly invites foreign students to try out enrolling and studying locally.

There are many reasons why studying in Malaysia is attractive to foreign students. The government of Malaysia claims that most universities are public, meaning the institutions can be considered as research universities. There are also private universities, but Malaysia ensures that the quality of education offered in public institutions is as good.

Many foreign students enrolling in Malaysia come from the Middle East. As such, it is said that these foreign students do not see significant differences in the culture because being a Muslim country Malaysia is similar in most respects. A third reason is that the country is considered as a safe nation to be in because there is not much of a terrorist threat.

Ultimately, studying in Malaysia is affordable. Tuition fees are cheaper and practical compared to matriculation fees charged by universities in other countries.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Sanders

Garden International School Malaysia

Bringing Out the Best in Our Children
Garden International School is Malaysia’s largest private international school, with more than 50 years of history providing British-style education to the expatriate community in Malaysia. Catering for children from nursery level (age 3+) all the way up to A Levels (age 18+), GIS has a main campus in Kuala Lumpur and a small campus in Kuantan with a total of over 1,700 students that hail from 58 different countries.

Known for its high standards of education and stringent operational practices, GIS is one of the 200 international schools worldwide who have received full accreditation by the Council of International Schools (CIS) (formerly known as the European Council of International Schools/ECIS). GIS has also been awarded the international standard of ISO 9001:2000.

The School bases its curriculum on the National Curriculum of England with modifications made to meet local requirements. The English system provides a broad education and enables pupils to move to any other English-speaking country without suffering any educational disadvantage. Indeed, their education should be enhanced by the time spent in Malaysia's multi-cultural environment.

The curriculum is divided into several major stages:

1. The Foundation Programme provided by the Early Years Department

2. Key stage 1 (Year 1 to 2)

3. Key stage 2 (Year 3 to 6)

4. Key stage 3 (Year 7 to 9)

5. Key Stage 4 (Year 10 to 11)

6. The Sixth Form (Year 12 to 13)

Key Stages 1 and 2 are provided in the Primary School and Key Stages 3, 4 and the Sixth Form by the Secondary School. Over the years, GIS has kept an excellent record of academic success with impressive numbers of straight A’s achieved each year. These results have enabled GIS students to gain entry into top universities throughout the world, including Oxford and Cambridge.

The fully qualified and highly experienced teaching staff teach subjects which incorporate skills that students can apply in dealing with real life situations such as tackling mathematical and scientific concepts through problem solving, questioning, experimenting and observing.

GIS students are well prepared for future academic and working environment. From kindergarten level, they are taught to use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) hardware and software confidently. They are trained to use ICT facilities purposefully to communicate and handle information, which supports problem solving, recording and expressive work. The main campus at Bukit Kiara has 500 networked computers with Internet facilities and projection display facilities.

The school places emphasis on the Arts as well as the more traditional curriculum and has just completed the construction of an Arts Centre with outstanding facilities for Art, Music, Drama and Modern Languages. Specialist rooms are also used for teaching different subjects in different faculties.

All primary and secondary students are encouraged to partake in some of the 100 school co-curricular activities such as Sport Activities, Debating, Model Construction, Ten Pin Bowling, Majorette Dance, Horse Riding and Golf to name a few. Besides a football field, an indoor Sports Hall, a Gymnasium and two Covered All-purpose Court, an all-weather court provides additional facilities for tennis and basketball.

Students of the school take part in both Malaysian based and overseas sporting, artistic, cultural and exchange activities such as FOBISSEA (Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia) Games, ISAKL (International Schools Association of Kuala Lumpur) events, Model United Nations, The International Award, Interact and school exchanges.

GIS also offers a comprehensive English as Additional Language (EAL) programme with specialist classes for students who are learning English. Students on the EAL programme not only have classes in English but also have lessons in all other subject areas.

For more information on Garden International School, visit the website at www.gardenschool.edu.my or for enquiries, contact the school at:

Address: 16 Jalan Kiara 3, Off Jalan Bukit Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Telephone: 603-6209 6888

Fax: 603-6201 2468

E-mail: admissions@gardenschool.edu.my

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.

Reform Education System to Foster Unity among Young Malaysians

HOPE TO SEE MULTIRACIAL STUDENTS SIT TOGETHER IN ONE SCHOOL

We Malaysian are predominantly divided by politics and education. Although there are a lot of factors we can assume as threat to our unity, but in my opinion education and politics are the most influential aspect. Before this, I have written before about politics, but this time I’m going to elaborate how education divided us and how education can bond the Malaysian as one again.

Let me start from primary education, the role of vernacular schools are undeniable, however the schools are not relevant for current and future Malaysia. As we know the gaps between races are far more worrying. We must bring one system which only with national schools. Vernacular schools abolished and the Tamil and Mandarin must made compulsory. This will make our education system become competent.

All races combined in National schools striving towards one direction and vision. Schools students won’t think about the difference of race when they still in the primary school when they mix together in one surrounding as BANGSA MALAYSIA. So the style will continue to secondary schools, Universities and so in their life. Now what’s happening in school? The majority of the students from vernacular schools continue their relation only with their friends that they have from primary schools. And even the new buddy they approach also among same race. Similar things happen in universities and even in working environments.

UNITY CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH REFORMATION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Since independent, we are witnessing, there are a lot of NGOs, individual and nevertheless party politics are claiming that they are championing the vernacular schools. In our nation, a lot of struggles to develop these vernacular schools and some politician even politicking this issue for their personal benefit. They have forgotten that it’s their responsibility to upgrade the schools. I think we don’t need such politicians to defend our schools, they fooling the people and the people also being cheated again and again in many occasions.

Rather than struggling for nothing and finally we lost everything. We must ready to change and to be changed. Please be brave enough to make some reformation in our nation. If we carry on with the same school system, we not only lost national unity but also our Tamil language and Tamil schools. Lets we do some calculation. Currently, Tamil school students in Malaysia is more than 110 000, the number of schools is 523. In 10 years time the number of students will increase tremendously may be around 150 000. Just calculate in 20 years time, we will have around 200 000 pupils with only 523 schools.

Tamil school’s condition not allows such number of students. Even now also we are facing massive problems such as lack of classrooms, basic amenities and some schools even no roof to protect the students from sun and rain. Although these upsetting situations continue to pressure Tamil schools from continuously in defending Tamil, but it doesn’t work effectively. Most of the parents want their children to study in conducive environments.

And even some of the parents couldn’t send their children since the nearest Tamil school packed with students and closed for registration. Following the national school doesn’t mean minorities in Malaysia has given up their effort. Malaysian Indians right not under threat if we tolerate in this matter, in the other hand equal rights of receiving educational facilities guaranteed. And the most significant thing is unity and relationship among our new generation improved definitely. We educated to be liberal minded since no prejudice among all group of people. We learn a lot regarding others culture and have better understanding between each other.

Some Tamil and Mandarin pundits worrying that growth of the languages under risk if vernacular schools removed, I believe with the one National schools system, Tamil and Mandarin will grow much more promisingly. As we know there are moral classes for non-Muslim students during religious class for Malays. The moral should be replaced with Tamil and Mandarin language subjects. In the other point of view, the Tamil learning students motivated to learn Tamil when Chinese students learning Mandarin by giving full commitment. Tamil learning students definitely will take their initiative too to emulate the Chinese after witnessing their spirit to learn the language.

Back to the relationship within the ethnic, role of education is really important. So lets we together give up own agenda and change our mindset to emphasis on National agenda. There are always solutions behind each problem. Don’t use the same approach to solve the same problem again and again, it won’t works. As the result, finally we get nothing for our struggle, try to accept the fact that we need to strive together upon national agenda to get equal rights and opportunity. Please brave enough to change or to be changed!

I hope no street demonstrations, no other ISA arrests, no tears, no hurts, no politics, no discrimination, and no marginalization, nothing after this. Please think smart, think for our future Malaysia, unity we can achieve through the reform of education system.

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.