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Education in
Malaysia: Are we
producing the right
human capital?
Dr. Mazalan Kamis
MDI
Bilik Mesyuarat Utama A
Aras 6, Blok B6, UPE
30th April 2008.
Introduction
• Objective of presentation:
Objective of presentation:
• Preview the national aspiration on human capital
• Discuss common practices within the education
system
• Present issues relate to these practices
• Focus:
Focus: Education during the formative
Education during the formative
years (i.e before university)
• Disclaimer: Presentation is focus on ‘issues’
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26/05/2008
9MP: K‐economy requires knowledgeable, skilled
& innovative human capital
knowledge Is our education
system capable of
system capable of
producing the right
human capital?
Manufacturing
Agrarian
A i
Education System
Reform: Did we meet the objective?
Issues & Problems
Nat Ed.
Philosophy
KBSM
KBSR
Implementation
70s 80s 90s 00s …
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On a positive note…
•More teacher trainers having higher degree (Masters & PhD)
•More teachers are qualified with basic degree
Primary Schools (2006)
Teacher Trainers
168,588
22,806
1996
Basic
Non‐Degree
Masters
M Secondary Career ladder?
Secondary Schools (2006)
Schools (2006)
PhD
There are only 28
20,613
DG54 and 52 DG 52
2004 out of 346,673
117,117 teachers
Non‐Degree & Untrained
Source: KPM, 2006 Basic
But old practices remain…
Espouse Conformity Teacher Centered Demand Obedience
Conformity
We exhibit many of the practices common to Asia…
We practice… teaching & learning styles that is Teacher Centred
(Hi
(Hierarchical), Rote Learning, Conformity (Conservation & Reproduction of
hi l) R L i C f i (C i &R d i f
Knowlegde),Not to Question (Obedient, Timid, Quiet).
Source: J.K. Wong, International Education Journal Vol 4, No 4, 2004
Educational Research Conference 2003 Special Issue
Although some practices may be cultural and probably
harder to change, but there are others that are not…
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…we impose so many restrictions during
the formative years
…after enduring years of regimentation in stifling environment, how can
we expect students to suddenly become active, creative, innovative and
more open when they reach the tertiary level or once they enter the job
market?
We are not addressing stage of
development of children …
Primary (M’sia) – Yr 1 Elementary (US) – G1
SSyahmi
h i Grade 1
G d 1
Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri
Mon ‐ Fri
1 Science
1 Attendance/Homebase
2 Science
2 Walk to Read
3 P.Seni BM Math BM
3 Reading Core
4 P.Seni BM Math BM
4 Math
5 Muzik English Muzik Science BM
5 Lunch/Recess
6 BM E nglish Agama BM
6 SSR/Story/Testing
7 BM Science Agama English English
7 Specials
R E H A T
8 Soc Studies/Science
8 English Math BM Agama Muzik
9 Writing Workshop/
9 English Math BM Agama Muzik
Handwriting
10 Math Health English P.Jas Agama
11 subjects, 9 teachers
Physical, emotional, intellectual, & social
Starts 12 30pm, Ends 6 30pm:
development need of a child is often
neglected in practice in our system
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Continue…
Lower Secondary – M’sia (Form 1) Middle school – US (Grade 7)
Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri
Syamil, Grade 7 (Normal) Shakir, Grade 7 (ESL)
1 Assmbly PJas English Science Science
Mon ‐ Fri Mon ‐ Fri
2 Geog PJas English Science Science
1 HomeBase 1 HomeBase
3 Sivik Sejarah BM Math BM
2 Exp. Math 2 Earth Science
4 Math Sejarah BM Math BM
3 English 3 Soc studies
R E H A T
4 Health 4 Health
5 S i
Science E li h
English A
Agama E li h
English K Hid
K.Hidup
5 Soc Studies 5 Exp Reading
6 Agama K.Hidup Agama English P.Seni
6 Lunch 6 Lunch
7 Agama K.Hidup Math Geog P.Seni
7 Study Hall 7 Earth Sc Lab
8 BM PK Math Geog
8 PE 8 Exp Math PE
9 BM Sivik Sejarah PK
9 French 9 Technology
10 Scienc e 10 English
12 subjects, 12 teachers
6 Subjects, 6 Subjects,
Starts 7 30pm, Ends 2 30pm:
6 Teachers 6 Teachers
Class timetable in Malaysian school:
Class timetable in Malaysian school:
– does not consider differential needs of students at various stage of development
– focus on content rather than skill/competency development
– complicated & overwhelming – harder to create ‘interest/passion’ to learning
– does not promote meaningful interactions between student & teachers &
subjects (i.e Touch&Go)
We ‘stream’ students
according to
‘achievement’…
Unfortunately, ‘streaming’
does not give the individuals
equal opportunity to grow…
In the pursuit of excellence (read: ‘string of
A’s), we systematically discriminate a large
proportion of our school children …
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We treat the majority ‘unfairly’…
The majority who make up the bulk of our human capital are
in Day Schools. These schools get less funding, tend to have
more crowded classroom, have poorer facilities….
more crowded classroom, have poorer facilities….
3
8000
7000
6000
5000 Day School 1
Day Hostel 1
4000
Residential 2
3000
2000 Student/class
ratio
1000
Source:
0 1. BPPDP KPM, 2003
2. BPPDP KPM, 2006
Avg Cost/Head
3. Own Observation
We are unable to provide best environment for
learning to many…
• A short term measure to address overcrowding, now nearly
40% of Sec School are Double Session Schools (DSS)
• Learning environment in DSS is simply not conducive for
effective teaching & learning (changing session classroom
effective teaching & learning (changing session, classroom
arrangement, heat & humid etc)
Secondary School Primary School
40% 12%
(774) (871)
Single Session
Double Session
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…they suffer and become ‘casualties’ that we
tend to ignore.
• Children opt out (i.e dropout) of education earlier than they
should;
Rural: 1.2% Primary >>> 16.7% Secondary
Urban: 1.9% Primary >>> 9.3% Secondary
• Or, become ‘casualties’ at a later stage…
There are ~ 3x more students failing ALL Every year, more than 30 000 students
subjects than those getting all A’s in SPM ‘graduating’ from SPM with only D’s, E’s & F’s
3000 34020
(2006)
2500
31703
2000 (2005)
(2005)
1500 32025
(2004)
1000
500 33089
(2003)
0
All A's 2003 2004 2005 2006
All F's Source: KPM, 2007
And, most unfortunately, we neglect
(i.e trivialize) the ‘heart’ of education
Take teachers
(time attention
(time, attention
etc) away
Install
‘reform’ Teachers
initiative Teaching & Lost Focus
Learning
Students not Students get
performing neglected
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Teachers have to find ways to show
effectiveness
• Teaching for exam rather than for
student’s personal development
d ’ ld l
• Target is to finish syllabus rather
than inculcating the right
skills/competencies/ values
• Institutional
Institutional ‘excellence’
excellence becomes
becomes
obsession
Focus has shifted to institution
Organisasi MOTO/VISI/ Matlamat etc
SMS7 Bangi Sek CEMERLANG, Warga GEMILANG
PPDKuala Menuju Ke Arah Sek CEMERLANG, GEMILANG,
Langat TERBILANG
SMP Seremban Kualiti Teras KeCEMERLANGan
Celebrating Early Success Syndrome
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Should we be surprised when …
…the much‐needed reforms in education, to strengthen Malaysia's human
capital, were not effectively implemented, although good ideas were touted.
Quality of education is middling and there is no
Investors want confidence, and effective policy implementation (Welsh, B., SEA
improving trend
Studies, John Hopkins University, 2008)
(Shahid Yusuf & Kaoru Nabeshima: WB, Feb 2008)
GCR Ranking
Higher
THES Ranking
UM UKM UPM
06 192 182 292
07 246 309 364
HDI QES QMSc QPS QMS
Malaysia
Singapore Source: WEF, 2007 Source:
Thailand timehighereducation.co.uk
No wonder that…
• Innovation capability in Malaysia is weak
– Number
Number of people engaged in research was small (12,800 in 2004)
of people engaged in research was small (12 800 in 2004)
– Domestic patent grants dominated by foreign residents (98%).
– USPTO patents: 131 in 2006, bulk of them assigned to foreign
affiliates.
Source: Shahid Yusuf and Kaoru Nabeshima: Knowledge
Deepening and Industrial Change in Malaysia, Feb 2008
• The
The lackadaisical attitude towards education …is
lackadaisical attitude towards education is
creating a class of marginalized and disenfranchised
Malaysian, these are people who cannot even
compete with illegal Indonesian or Bangladeshi
workers for jobs.
Malaysian Business, August 2007
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Are we…
…more successful at
creating failures?
…molding the right
foundation for our
human capital to
support k‐economy?
Conclusion
• A
A radical overhaul of the Malaysian education system
radical overhaul of the Malaysian education system
is urgently needed to produce the right human
capital for the country to move towards knowledge‐
based economy and to face greater challenges in the
future.
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26/05/2008
Imbas Kembali:1970an…
• Masalah
» Terlalu akademik
» Terlalu padat
» Umum bukan asas
» Tiada kaitan antara subjek dll
» Saiz kelas besar
» Murid lemah tercicir
» Ujian untuk ukur kecapaian tidak untuk cari kelemahan
• Penyelesaian…penggubalan
P l i b l dan
d pelaksanaan
l k KBSR
Appendix
Pre‐Primary
y
15000
Is funding
10000 an issue?
5000
Tertiary 0 Primary
Figures in USD (PPP in 2002)/student; Source: KPM, 2007
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