Putting our students first
THE latest global PISA scores which saw Malaysia recording the biggest drop in the region have once again put the spotlight on the quality of the national education system.

The scores — which focus on reading, mathematics and science — aren’t necessarily the only international benchmarks, but many concur that Malaysia’s education system has regressed tremendously.

This is concerning because of the deep negative impact on human capital and research development, the very things that ensure the economy keeps growing and the country moves forward in innovation and creativity.

What will happen when our labour force is no longer able to compete with its Asean counterparts which have been pouring in efforts to improve their respective education systems?

Although the Philippines and Cambodia were at the bottom of the latest PISA figures, both countries saw improvements in all three segments.

Indonesia and Thailand, however, regressed by 4.09% and 4.36% respectively. Malaysia’s score dropped the most within the region — by 6.26% from 431 in 2018 to 404 in 2022.

Malaysia’s education quality has regressed for a number of reasons. Politics, for one, has had a huge negative impact.

“There’s been too much focus on irrelevant things in the last decade, too many leadership changes, and each new minister with his or her own agenda,” laments a senior educationist whose sentiment is shared by many.

Political tool

This has resulted in many consecutive flip-flops and inconsistencies such as the one related to the primary language used in schools.

In 2003, then Prime Minister (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad suggested using English to teach math and science, with the aim of improving the standard of English among students. It was also because many terms used in these subjects came from the English language.

However, six years later, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was Education Minister then, decided otherwise, declaring that using English in these subjects was not helping to improve the quality of English among students.

Observers say this was a political tactic to get back rural Malay votes which had dwindled.

In 2016, there was another change. The Dual Language Programme or DLP — which allows schools the choice to teach math and science subjects in English — was introduced.

Today, there are concerns that the DLP is slowly being phased out.

In November, Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim claimed that there appeared to be an attempt by “unseen hands to whittle DLP down”.

Parents whose children have been learning these subjects in English now fear that reverting to the Malay language will disrupt their studies and cause them to lose out in a global competitive world where English is vital. But even with the DLP, there are issues.

Some teachers do not possess the English proficiency to teach. With a lot of the teachers coming from the national school system, it’s a Catch-22.

Despite all the brouhaha, the country was surprisingly ranked the third-highest in English proficiency across Asia after Singapore and the Philippines in the latest Education First English Proficiency Index.

The commendable ranking does not reflect the true picture, especially among Malaysia’s young. Many employers say that generally, local graduates are not proficient enough in English to compete with their peers globally.

Critics say recent changes in the academic calendar have also had a negative impact as they caused disruptions to the entire teaching and learning process. While the pandemic has largely been blamed for these changes, they say more thought should have been put into the process.

The student quality in countries like Singapore is relatively consistent because much emphasis is given to teacher recruitment and development. Malaysia too must not just fill vacancies but recruit those with potential to be top quality educators.

That’s not to say all our teachers lack quality. However, according to an article by independent think-tank EMIR Research, there is a “notable” gap between Malaysia and countries that have successful education systems such as Finland and Singapore.

"Teachers often hold dual PhDs, one in education and one in their respective teaching fields, allowing them to adeptly experiment with best-suited methods while addressing local idiosyncrasies,” it says.

The country’s Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025) claims it “sets clear targets that need to be achieved in terms of quality, equity and access within 13 years.” It says: “There are five outcomes that this blueprint aspires for the Malaysian education system as a whole: Access, quality, equity, unity and efficiency.”

We are at the tail-end of this comprehensive blueprint but have we achieved the target? The results speak for themselves.

Course of action

All is not lost, though. Calls are loud and clear for less political interference so that good policies are implemented and will bear fruit.

The current Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek must keep her eye on the ball and focus on things that matter like teacher quality, curriculum as well as language and skill programmes.

Those in authority must stop the blame game as our students are indeed not on par with their regional counterparts. Instead, they should assume responsibility for past mistakes and seek fresh ideas.

While it is true to a certain extent that good students will always be good no matter what, it is imperative that the right tools and environment are afforded to all so that everyone has an opportunity to excel.

What this means is that the responsibility of ensuring a good early education falls on the shoulders of the national education system. It must be remembered that private and international schools are not available to everyone.

Issues such as inequalities in terms of city schools versus rural schools, the great digital divide, differences in language abilities and so on will always remain, but these should not be used as excuses to not improve the quality of education at our national schools.

The priority must be the students as they will form the bulk of human capital in the future.

This article first appeared in Star Biz7 weekly edition.
Star Biz7,Education,human capital,PISA,digital divide,Malaysia Education Blueprint,Dual Language Programme,labour,mathematics,science,English
The priority in improving the quality of education at our national schools must be the students as they will form the bulk of human capital in the future.