Malaysia needs education leadership that is dynamic, courageous and truly understands the country’s education issues, say academicians
by AUFA MARDHIAH / pic MUHD AMIN NAHARUL
THE government has made adjustments to the education system to make it accessible and produce quality students.
However, parents frequently complain that their children end up as test subjects for the constant revamp of the system.
Education and Human Capital Cluster of the National Council of Professors (MPN) secretary Dr Anuar Ahmad said the government’s budget for improving the national development system is “just nice”.
Despite being insufficient, the government’s Budget 2023, which is the largest to date, reflects the government’s commitment and interest in the education sector.
According to Anuar, the most fundamental step for the govt to take is to implement a decentralised education system (pic: Bernama)
However, he pointed out several flaws within the national education system.
“Firstly, Malaysia needs education leadership that is dynamic, courageous and truly understands the country’s education issues, as well as being able to see what priorities should be implemented.
“The most basic thing is to implement a decentralised education system,” he told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR).
Under a centralised education system, he explained that all decisions must be made at the core, which slows down the process of educational progress because everyone is frightened to make dynamic judgements that are relevant to the context and local needs.
Previously Malaysia practised an exam-based education system, which required a large amount of syllabus to be covered (pic: Muhd Amin Naharul/TMR)
“For example, during the recent heatwave, schools did not stop activities outside the classroom despite knowing the danger, but only did so after receiving instructions from the Education Ministry (MoE).
“This practice of centralisation has caused us to face a lot of disadvantages compared to countries that practise a decentralised system allowing teachers, principals and parents to manage schools in their respective areas and do the best for their children,” he said.
Anuar also pointed out that the curriculum is too compact and difficult to the point of demotivating children to learn, as evidenced by nearly 50% of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) graduates refusing to continue their studies at the to continue their studies at the higher education level.
This situation proves that difficult and unpleasant learning leaves students with educational trauma.
“Not many students are interested in the pure science stream in Form 4 and 5 because it is too difficult. Currently, only 19% of Malaysian students are in the science stream. If this number continues to drop, we will have a shortage of graduates in the field of science and technology,” he added.
Other issues he emphasised include the unclear assessment system, which affects the ability to measure student capability; as well as poor school infrastructures, which are unsatisfactory to the point of being unsafe for students and teachers.
“In Malaysia, there is only one teacher to assess a classroom of up to 45 students, in comparison to developed countries where there are only 20 to 25 students per classroom with an assistant teacher,” he said.
In terms of syllabus, Anuar said previously Malaysia practised an exam-based education system, which required a large amount of syllabus to be covered.
However, when Malaysia shifted its examination system to a classroom-based assessment system, it transitioned from a heavy syllabus to an activity-based syllabus.
“The purpose of the exam is to assess students’ mastery of the syllabus. With an activity-based curriculum, it becomes challenging to cover a vast and compact syllabus because our focus is on evaluating students’ achievement in terms of activities, skills, problem-solving ability and cooperation with peers, among other parameters.
“Therefore, the syllabus should be reduced and the activities in the classroom should be increased. In other countries which practise classroom-based assessment, they have a less compact curriculum but many activities are done in the classroom,” he told TMR.
Yasmin stresses the importance of state education departments assessing school workload and not adding extra burden on teachers (Pic courtesy of City University)
On the other hand, City University Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies dean Prof Datuk Dr Yasmin Hussain emphasised more on how and what can the implementers do to reduce the gap in Malaysia’s education system.
“Those at the state education departments need to monitor and assess what is done by the school and not to put extra burden on the teachers,” she told TMR.
Despite the government’s effort to further enhance and improve the education system, the first South-East Asian Minister of Education Organisation Special Education (SeaMeo SEN) director highlighted several suggestions that needed to be reviewed.
She said school buildings in rural areas need upgrading or to be totally demolished and replaced with a new one; school buildings in urban areas, too, need to be looked into due to the increase of student numbers; the syllabus need reviewing especially for Standard 1, 2 and 3 since there is no more examination; project-based learning, digital learning and inquiry-based learning should be blended, among others.
Supporting Anuar’s point regarding a decentralised system, Yasmin mentioned that Japan leaves it up to the teacher’s creativity to deliver the syllabus.
Improving Basic Needs
Anuar emphasised the importance of several fundamental aspects, including the need for highly skilled leaders in the education sector. These leaders should possess a deep understanding of the concepts, principles and philosophy of education that cater to all communities. This encompasses various disciplines such as sociology, philosophy and assessment concepts.
They must also dare to take risks to make changes that are believed to be good for students.
He added that teachers must be trained to keep up with the time and they must no longer be burdened with things unrelated to teaching such as clerical desk work.
“These basic issues must be resolved before we talk about more advanced ones such as providing high-tech infrastructure facilities and the digitalisation of schools,” he said.
Yasmin also highlighted the importance of several measures to be considered. These include involving all stakeholders in the education system; ensuring equitable access to education for students with special needs; implementing early interventions for children with special needs; reducing reliance on textbooks and workbooks; expanding opportunities for technical and vocational education and training (TVET), particularly for students who may not achieve high grades; enabling private universities to accept teachers and students through Persons with Disabilities (PwD) scholarship incentives; revising teachers’ overall performance every five years with annual appraisals; and more.
Maintaining high standards and obtaining recognised accreditations is a challenge for private institutions, says Mushtak
Changes in Higher Education
Vice Chancellors Council for Private Universities (VCCPU) chairman Prof Mushtak Al-Atabi said higher education reform is vital for the progress and development of any nation.
In Malaysia, he highlighted funding and resource allocation, curriculum and pedagogy, as well as quality assurance and accreditation enhancements as critical issues needing the government’s immediate attention.
“Firstly, the government must prioritise addressing the challenge of insufficient funding and resource allocation in higher education. The increase in allocation of 0.7% in Budget 2022 for higher education compared to 2021 is not enough.
“Linking the funding to the students’ outcomes (employability) for both public and private institutions will allow institutions to increase investment in needed areas to enhance infrastructure, update equipment and technology, and provide research grants,” he said to TMR.
He said adequate and focused funding will also help attract and retain highly qualified faculty members, who play a pivotal role in delivering quality education, and will enable institutions to provide a conducive learning environment and keep pace with global advancements in education and research.
Secondly, he said reforming the curriculum and pedagogical approaches in Malaysian higher education is crucial to align programmes with industry requirements and foster critical thinking skills.
“The government can promote interdisciplinary education, incorporating practical skills, entrepreneurship and problem-solving abilities. Enhancing authentic outcome-based education can ensure that graduates possess the necessary competencies demanded by the ever-changing job market.
“Moreover, embracing innovative teaching methodologies, such as active learning and technology integration, can enhance student engagement and learning outcomes,” he added.
He also suggested that the government prioritise improving quality assurance and accreditation mechanisms in higher education institutions.
Establishing a standardised, agile and transparent accreditation process will ensure that educational standards are consistently met across all institutions without jeopardising the need to act fast to respond to technological and societal changes.
“Strengthening authentic quality assurance measures will enhance the credibility and reputation of Malaysia’s higher education, both domestically and internationally, attracting more students and fostering collaboration with reputable international institutions,” he told TMR.
Challenges that private higher education institutions are currently facing include financial constraints, attracting and retaining quality academic staff, aligning with industry needs, ensuring quality assurance and accreditation, as well as adapting to the demands of online education.
“Financial constraints are a pressing issue for private higher education institutions that heavily depend on student tuition fees to operate. Limited access to financial resources hampers their ability to invest in faculty development, infrastructure improvement and research initiatives, hindering their overall competitiveness.
“Private institutions must find ways to offer competitive compensation packages and create a conducive academic environment that fosters professional growth and job satisfaction to attract and retain high-quality academic staff,” he said, adding that it would also help if professors in both public and private universities receive similar tax treatment.
On the other hand, public universities are often able to offer better pay and benefits, including a better taxation structure for pay packages and fewer administrative requirements leading to a brain drain of talented educators from the private sector.
“Furthermore, private institutions must continually update their curricula to incorporate industry-relevant skills and knowledge, establish collaborations with industry partners and provide students with practical training opportunities.
“Maintaining high standards and obtaining recognised accreditations is also a challenge for private institutions. They need to invest in robust quality assurance mechanisms, establish internal quality assessment processes and seek accreditation from reputable bodies to ensure the credibility and recognition of degrees awarded to them.
“The shift to online learning presented significant technological and infrastructural hurdles for institutions that were ill-prepared. Moving forward, private institutions need to enhance their digital infrastructure, invest in faculty training for online pedagogy and develop robust student support services to ensure a seamless learning experience, both in-person and online,” he added.
Malaysia’s Aim for the Education System
Anuar said there was no conversation on quality education due to Malaysia only providing basic education for children until 2013 with the Education Development Plan 2013-2025 which discussed implementing quality education.
“The government wants to build a quality education system but does not give an explanation or objective about what that means. It is subjective and unclear, so it is difficult for us to reach our goals,” he added.
“MoE needs to make an explanation or define the meaning of the quality education system that it intends and has clear indicators for schools and teachers.
“The definition of quality must be objective, achievable and measurable, and we can know whether a school has reached the level of quality or not because they are measured based on the conditions, characteristics and indicators developed by MoE,” he concluded.
- This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition