A NEW approach is needed for holistic education to ensure the all-round development of the child, said a leading educationist and activists.

They said there was not enough emphasis on character building, which should start at primary school, while the national education system was fragmented into various types of schools.

There were also not enough incentives for teachers to improve themselves, for the ultimate benefit of their pupils, they said.

“It’s fundamental that we teach discipline, timeliness, cleanliness, ethics, civic consciousness, values and self-esteem as well as social skills like sharing and teamwork,” said Prof Abdul Rashid Mohamed, a professor of education at a local public university.

“Children should be compelled, for instance, to clean toilets as a way of building discipline and civic mindedness as is practised in countries such as Japan. This way, the children are given a sense of ownership of the school.

He said at the upper primary level, the pupils could be taught language, mathematics, and science.

For this to be successful, he said that instead of promoting the best teachers to administrators, the education authorities should assign such teachers to teach in primary school pupils in the crucial, formative years.

Rashid was also concerned over the school system’s exam-orientation, which dampened curiosity and creativity in the young mind. “Good exam results are not only expected by the students and teachers, but by the entire society.”

On the quality of teachers, he said there ought to be continuous professional development in tandem with the prospect of promotion as opposed to a time-based approach to promotion.

Time-based promotion was no incentive to teachers who are hard-working and resourceful, he warned.

“There should be enough incentive for teachers to improve themselves that would eventually benefit the students.”

He also called for a one-session school system that catered to the needs of pupils of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds so that those who seek knowledge of Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and Arabic would be able to accomplish that while learning to interact with one another in the same classroom.

Adapting to changes

Parent Action Group For Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Noor Azimah Rahim said the education system needed to adapt to changes in the field of learning.

“We should use devices, the internet and coding, and make the curriculum relevant to industry needs,” she said.

Changes in education policies, which have followed the succession of education ministers over the years, were part of the evolution of the learning process, she said.

One of the criticisms levelled at the Malaysian education system was that it encouraged rote learning, she said, adding that the need to regurgitate answers to test questions had caused schoolchildren to lose the ability to think and therefore solve problems.

“(But) this has been addressed with the introduction of more opportunities (to develop) higher order thinking skills (in the classroom). It is a work in progress as teachers adapt and improve.”

She agreed that the education system was too exam-oriented.

“Hence, the introduction of PT3 to involve more project-based assessments, and more. We believe the Education Ministry is considering abolishing examinations for primary 1-3.”

As for teachers being overburdened with administrative work, Azimah said these days selected teachers were assigned fewer teaching hours to do the data work.

“This is a step in the right direction and if the matter is not resolved, we believe further recommendations will be made to ensure teachers can concentrate on their core business of teaching and students become the focus.”

Problems teaching English

An education specialist  at a public university, meanwhile, expressed concern over the teaching of English in school.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, she said the KBSR (Kurikulum Bersepadu, Sekolah Rendah) and KBSM (Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah) that were implemented 40 years ago dictated that English was taught as a subject only.

Some students did not have the confidence to speak in English, let alone write in the language, she said.

And, she added, the current crop of English teachers were a product of the 40 years of KBSR and KBSM.

This was not to say that all the teachers lacked  proficiency in English but it did account for some of the problems associated with the teaching of English, including the teaching of science and mathematics in English, she said.

She said grammar and the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking were also neglected – October 16, 2018.