KUCHING, Feb 19: The Malaysian education system badly needs an overhaul, says political pundit Dato Peter Minos.
Minos opined there is also a need to bring back the usage of English into the curriculum to enable Malaysia to participate and gain globally.
Apart from that, he said, focus should also be emphasise on science and technology, information technology (IT), knowledge on innovation, creativity, and productivity, including cutting down subjects that are not educational or not improving the younger generation’s skills and expertise.
“I have confidence in Sarawak in the field of education and skill-giving, but not in the federal side.
“In Sarawak, we get English back to some extent,” he said in a statement today.
He cited Yayasan Sarawak’s (Sarawak Foundation) role in Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus and Curtin University Malaysia as an example of efforts to improve and modernised Sarawak’s education system.
According to Minos, Yayasan Sarawak has set up excellent international schools and skill centres, with the intention of producing graduates who can think and analyse, as well as are creative and productive.
“We cannot rely and put much hope on the federal side on education, which is pretty out of sync, outdated, and too much controlled and manipulated by politics and politicians.
“Our future lies in many ways on our thinking, skilled and properly educated youngsters. Yes we do because they are in fact our future,” he added.
Minos also said he agreed with Sarawak Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee’s remark that the Malaysian education system is not at par with that of Singapore and Japan.
He said the economic progress and success of both Japan and Singapore far outstrip Malaysia’s and that has been due in large part of the education, expertise and skills of their people.
“All of us know that our tiny neighbour Singapore has undergone rapid modernisation and economic rise in the last 50 years, and we know how they educate their people in English with a great focus on science and technology and modern subjects like IT, innovation, creativity, and analytical thinking.
“Sorry to say, and from my own observation, many Malaysian university graduates cannot even write good letters in English, making mistakes all over.
“Many of them always say, “I do not know,” when asked about current affairs and issues in matters of life, as if their acquired knowledge is truly limited and they are unwilling to read and be aware of what real life is all about,” he lamented. — DayakDaily
