THE education sector has yet to fully resume for physical classes, particularly at the higher education level, ever since Malaysia’s first movement-control order (MCO) was enforced in mid-March.

And, the second conditional MCO that has been imposed on four states/areas – in Sabah, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya – beginning three weeks ago, is not helping either, as the affected education sector moved again from physical classes back to online classes, affecting millions of pupils and students.

After seven months, both the Education and Higher Education Ministries have yet to make preparations for the new norm, except to make the transition from physical classrooms to the virtual space.

With the cancellation of official examinations, namely the Ujian Pencapaian Sekokah Rendah (UPSR) and Form 3 Assessment (PT3) in mid-April, the Education Ministry has yet to issue a guideline for the affected pupils.

Let’s not forget here that, for the past decade, billions of ringgit were spent on seminars, workshops and consultancy activities involving thousands of stakeholders, including education experts, and, in the process, generated a fair number of policy papers to pave the way for Malaysian education to move away from benchmarking examination-oriented evaluation methods to a holistic education approach.

It is, therefore, unforgivable that the Education Ministry is dragging its feet in offering solutions and guidelines within an appropriate timeframe.

Furthermore, it has no idea how to dictate and implement the necessary changes, ranging from those involving the syllabus, teaching and learning methods, to assessment at every level of education.

Due to the extremely centralised Malaysian education system, state and district Education Departments have no authority to plan their own learning and assessment methods, let alone policies in schools.

With schools being ordered to close, it will be interesting to see what the Education Ministry’s proposal for assessments, particularly for benchmark examinations such as the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), if the closure of schools are to be prolonged for weeks. More crucially is, when will the ministry present its new guidelines?

Let us remind the ministry that, gambling on time and merely hoping that the pandemic will go away within weeks, is probably more wishful thinking than the “Migrate-to-Mars” project. Officers must be held accountable and be courageous in deciding on their next move with clear directives.

Recently, the Higher Education Ministry announced that the government will allocate RM24 million for internet assistance to 320,396 university students from the B40 household to ensure that they will not be left behind in online learning due to measures to contain Covid-19.

Its minister, Noraini Ahmad, said the collaboration between telcos and YTL Foundation and Lembaga Tabung Haji has distributed 225,784 SIM cards to such students, whilst the remaining 94,612 students will receive cash for the purpose of purchasing internet data plans.

While the ministry considers this a good move, there are two factors it must be cautious about.

First, like other countries in the world, the imbalance of infrastructure across Malaysia is a harsh reality. The viral YouTube video of Sabahan student Veveonah Mosibin having to climb up a tree for better internet connectivity still echoes in many minds. How can the ministry ensure that internet coverage is sufficient and can cater to everyone’s needs?

Secondly, are the SIM cards coming from a preferred telco service provider or a combination of providers through a deliberate transparent tender process?

Wouldn’t it be a better option if the ministry offered an internet data plan voucher, so that students can redeem internet subscription from any service provider that offers better network coverage in their hometowns? Surely, this option offers better efficacy and ensures more sincerity in helping students while, at the same time, avoiding possible allegations of preferred purchase contracts and a conflict of interest.

So, here is my suggestion to both ministries: they must be brave and utilise the opportunities in these Covid-19 times to realise the long-term policy goal of the decentralisation of Malaysian education. Please, put them into action, rather than letting the vision sit idle in the glossy education blueprint.

Last but not least, let’s remember that equitable access to high-quality education cannot be achieved without accountable authorities. – November 2, 2020.

* Chong Kok Boon is a member of Agora Society. He is a self-declared Peter Pan who advocates science in forging a more democratic and humane society.

* 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.