THE new education minister should continue the good policies of their predecessor instead of crafting new ones simply to bolster their image, said an educationist.

Loke Yim Pheng of the National Union of the Teaching Profession said education policies need up to 10 years to bear fruit, and changing things midstream would only add to the burden of the country’s overstretched national school system.

Constant flip-flops, such as on the teaching of science and mathematics in English (PPSMI), just worsens the problem, she told the Crisis in Education forum in Petaling Jaya last night.

“Ministers can come and go, but good policies should continue as you need a long period to see the outcome. You don’t see outcomes in five years.

“There should not be a new policy every time there is a new minister just so they can show that they have done something. They should continue and enrich the good policies.”

Among the policies that she said should be continued are the Dual Language Programme, reduction in examinations, and increased focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

Loke’s call comes as new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin chooses members of his cabinet.

During the previous Pakatan Harapan government, Maszlee Malik was both praised and criticised for the changes he brought to the Education Ministry.

The former minister was lauded for upping funding for special needs classes, registering undocumented children and repairing rundown schools.

However, he was slammed for proceeding with his predecessor’s policy on teaching Jawi to year four vernacular school pupils, as well as ending subject streams in form four.

Maszlee stepped down in January, leading to Dr Mahathir Mohamad becoming interim education minister and announcing a revival of PPSMI.

The policy, started in 2003 during Dr Mahathir’s first tenure as prime minister, was panned after a decline was recorded in students’ performance in both subjects.

Muhyiddin ended PPSMI in 2012, when he held the education portfolio. – March 4, 2020.