WE need a Malaysian in body and spirit to head the Education Ministry. This is a challenge because for decades we have had ministers who represent ethnic parties. It was only a coalition in name but all the members of the ruling coalition were pushing their own ethnic agendas while tolerating the other.

We have reached a stage where on an evidence and outcome based analysis the Education Ministry will receive a poor grade when it comes to schools and even universities. We all need to be included and none of us is as smart as all of us. Education in particular needs this inclusive approach as we are enhancing human potential for the future. 

Look at all the well-meaning slogans and initiatives launched over the last three decades. Have any of them bore fruit? Even Vision 2020 is unachievable. Let us admit that what we have done is to polarise our society to such an extent that education is now so clearly on ethnic lines. Private schools have a predominant number of non-Malays as do private universities.

At one point it was emphasised that education has an important role in enhancing inter-racial goodwill and understanding. We all need to be good in Bahasa Melayu and all this has been done. Now we have khat and Jawi. What all this does is polarise our society. In the final analysis it is sad to see how the Malays are hurting themselves in a globalised interdependent world. 

Our children will live in the future and we need to prepare them for the world of tomorrow. This calls for cohesion and doing what is best by all. We have to ask those serious questions as to why countries and states that are so pious, with so much emphasis on religiosity, are also the most corrupt, be it Nigeria, Pakistan, India or Malaysia.

The government schools are presently for Malaysians who have no options but to send them for economic reasons. Many are disenchanted with the syllabus. The perception is that examinations have an emphasis on mediocrity. The passing marks in some cases are so low. The quality of teachers and the low key performance indicators that enable them to achieve low targets and yet make the grade for bonus and awards. Then we have the Mara residential schools that are only for one race just like the Chinese and Tamil schools. These three seem to perform better.

Just consider the number of students who have left the mainstream educational system and gone into even Chinese schools, not to mention the hundreds of unregistered home schools, church schools and tuition centres. Many of these home schools and church schools are just allowed to be and they provide different curriculums. To many urban parents it is anything but government schools.

Many of these students – and they number thousands – are not even part of the national education system. How are they going to integrate into the Malaysian culture? The talk now is about khat and Jawi. The students are outside these areas of concern. In fact, many parents justify their action because of such an emphasis and have lost faith in the local schools and the education system. 

Likewise there are about 160 private international schools. With their competitive fee indications they all fight for the same local students. The number of students in these schools will often comprise 80% local students and at the most 20% foreign students if you are lucky. Almost 50% of these schools are located in the Klang Valley. There are all types of rules under which international school licences are approved that no one really knows what the criteria are. Perhaps it is who you know that matters!

These schools can be seen in factory outlets, shop houses, church buildings and other units which are adapted for the purpose. They have, in some cases, crowded academic facilities but nothing else. It is these schools that are hurting the image of international schools in Malaysia. How will they produce all round well developed students if these schools do not provide extra-curricular and co-curricular activities when they do not have facilities befitting a modern international school?

On the other hand, the purpose-built schools, with investment in hundreds of millions of ringgit and meeting all the building and safety requirements needed for an international school are left competing with these unregistered setups. This is blatantly unfair. It is very difficult to secure foreign students to study in Malaysia and the Education Ministry knows the underlying reasons. Yet these schools persevere.

However from the perspective of parents their children are studying for programmes that have international recognition – an option much better than the local PT3 assessment or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia which are now perceived as mediocre. It is up to the ministry and the minister to get feedback, undertake the necessary research and take positive action. 

The education minister must have a consultative committee made up of all the different interest groups, with whom he or she vets initiative and through whom standards are continually heightened. This will help moderate politics in education. Other ministries, like the Human Resource Ministry has such regular consultations with their respective stakeholders.

My children all went to government schools and did well. This was a decade ago and I now have many parents seeking advice as to alternative options to the local curriculum. We are so engrossed with religion and religiosity that our children are brainwashed because there is very little evidence of change, moral growth or character improvement.

Education has now also become a battleground for Islamic religious expression. Say what you like as there is a reaction from others. It is not a matter of imposition but a lack of inclusion. We are all Malaysians and there must be a measure of respect and understanding. One can always dialogue prior to these issues coming out as policies.

Many feel that they are not respected and included, and you have to be part of the minority to understand such sentiments. The maturity of the majority will ensure that this is acknowledged but when the majority feel that they are right and can impose, they not only bring dishonour to themselves but lose the confidence of specific sectors.

We have to move from an emphasis on mediocrity to one of meritocracy. Yes, not all will meet these grades. Yet there are different options for students with different grades. Just send an open feedback note to teachers, parents and students who were all involved in the most recent PT3 examinations. The format was not even finalised until the last moment and schools were left wondering how to manage this appropriately.

In an environment that is top heavy and where one has to follow the dictum of one’s superiors, there is no place for accurate feedback. There is fear and as such the honest facts do not see the light of day. People stomach mediocrity and the officials in the Education Ministry will always want to show that their performance is better than the previous year.

Into the scene comes the Immigration Department, who seem to be another top down sector. The established rules that everyone should follow without at all understanding the challenges faced by school officials in employing overseas teachers. No discussion is done with the different stakeholders.

I tried to secure an appointment with the recently resigned minister and also the Private Education director. In both instances I failed. We continue to shoot ourselves in our feet and regular changes in examination formats, syllabus and priorities – all of which have a serious impact on our education system as a whole. Insecure people are not open to suggestions and they impose rules and apply fear tactics to secure both obedience and silence. That is why many opt out of the system. – January 6, 2020.

* K. Haridas reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.