18 April 2012
Math & Science ranking – country by country
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Education; Examinations.
A LITTLE DATED, BUT AN INTERESTING INFOGRAPHIC ANYWAY. I’m not much for exams and tests, but admittedly, in the real world they do count for some things (but certainly not for everything). Asian countries on the whole showed the most improvement. If you’re looking for Malaysia, see under ‘Least Improved.’
I suppose one can make a case that test scores for math and science means nothing since not every kid is going to be a mathematician or scientist. Anyone knows how homeschoolers are doing in these subjects?
10 March 2010
Options in Malaysian education
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Malaysian schools.
The Nutgraph is running a 4-part series on education in the country. The third installment by Deborah Loh which comes out today examines the growing interest in homeschooling. You’ll find comments by the usual suspects, meaning KV Soon of Family Place, and yours truly, as well as Hafizah who runs the Malaysia Homeschool Unite forum.
Of particular note is a comment by the education director-general, and both KV and my response to him:
(T)he government has no intention of recognising home schooling, says education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Md Dom. “It’s just a minority of people doing it. There are also other political aspects to consider like racial harmony. When children home-school, they miss the socialisation process of mixing with different races,” he tells The Nut Graph.
But Soon and Tan rubbish claims that home-schooled children are poorly socialised. Home school families often get together for educational activities and field trips where their children interact. Additionally, Tan questions whether racial harmony in public schools has been achieved. “Society has become more polarised after so many years of ‘socialising’ in regular schools,” he observes.
Read the rest here.
In the first installment, writer Koh Lay Chin looks at the number of parents sending their kids to private schools as indicative of growing disenchantment with Malaysia’s public education (but of course!) and asks what in the present system caused the shift:
For certain, the statistics indicate that a significant number of Malaysians seem to be losing faith in Malaysia’s public school system.
For instance, there is clearly growing demand for private education. The number of private kindergartens, for example, went up from 263,307 in 2004 to 668,287 in just two years, according to statistics from the Education Ministry’s Private Education Department.
Enrolment in international schools, meanwhile, rose from 5,069 students in 2000 to 8,341 the following year.
And within seven years, the number of students enrolled in private primary schools nationwide increased more than 22% from 7,234 students in 2000 to 16,190. [Read the rest here]
The second installment comments on the popularity of Chinese medium schools among Malaysian parents, and even among those who are non-Chinese. The article quotes Chinese educationist Dr Kua Kia Soong who said:
“[The increased interest in Chinese-medium schools] is more of an embarrassment to the government because it aims to attract all races to the national schools but more and more Malay and Indian [Malaysians] are going to Chinese schools.” [Read the rest here]
The series has been an interesting read not just for what it says about the declining appeal of public education in the country (we know that), but about how life always finds a way! For what it’s worth, it does appear to mirror something I had previously posted entitled, Between a Rock and a Hard Place which surveyed present options for unhappy parents with school-going kids.
Parents are seeking out options – whether private or chinese-medium schools, or homeschool – and indeed, options are out there either by default or by design. While we hope that our government will ‘do something’ about the state of affairs in our schools, we need to know that governments can’t do everything, and shouldn’t do everything. Careful, there be dragons, going down that road. Besides, as a commentator wrote, “for the moment and probably the next twenty years, a bulk of our government servants are not going to be able to meet quickly the demands of society.” With things the way they are, this will include most if not all our government institutions.
Make sure to visit The Nutgraph and follow the series. And yes, do add your 2-sen to the discussion.
7 February 2010
Malaysian education in the corner
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Malaysian schools.
A letter to Malaysiakini by someone who addressed himself/herself as Angry Parent despairs over the way education is going in Malaysia. The point in the letter is the policy reversal relating to the teaching of Science and Math in English. Six years after its implementation, these two subjects will now be taught (again) in Bahasa Malaysia beginning in 2011. The language row has been intensely fought by proponents on both sides of the fence. But as this parent explains, advocates of “a near-monolingual educational system in Malaysia will eventually paint themselves and the entire country into a corner.”
Arguing for BM, the Government pointed to less than sterling performance among students in rural constituencies who struggle with English, even as other politicians, academicians, and nationalists, decry the use of English as a medium of instruction a betrayal of culture. (Here are 2 arguments for BM – here and here).Angry Parent writes that English as the language of choice in the global arena as well as in the fields of science and technology underscores its relevance and importance for Malaysian students, and more urgently, the country’s future too.
Although the English language lags behind with an estimated 1.3 billion speakers, it has the widest distribution covering 54 countries within the British Commonwealth across all six inhabited continents, in the US and is widely utilised within the European Union, particularly in the Scandinavian countries.
In fact, English is often the language of choice used in proceedings and documentation within the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), based in Geneva. English is not only advancing in the world of science and technology, it is also gaining momentum in countries where English is not even a national language.
The progressive evolution of international trade, ICT and education has changed this world into a border-less one. Partisans who continue to advocate a near-monolingual educational system in Malaysia will eventually paint themselves and the entire country into a corner.Is it any wonder that so many of our local university graduates are not employable or marketable because most of them are monolingual? Many of these so-called educationists themselves are not employable in the private sector, nor are they prominent leaders in the world of science and technology.
To be a developed country, one needs a world-class educational system. Not one that is determined by partisan politics.
Angry Parent gives more examples of the published use of English in the sciences, tech tools and devices (including e Readers that make English medium books even more accessible), the continuing brain drain of the country’s young and brightest, and highlights what Malaysian students stand to lose.
In addition, online courses and reference materials are blooming on the Internet. Most of them are in English. Leading technical institutions, such as, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made a wide range of lectures by its teaching staff freely available over the Internet through its OpenCourseWare (OCW) programme.
The Public Library of Science (PLoS), a non-profit organisation of scientists and physicians committed to making the world’s scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource, is publishing papers covering biology, medicine, computational biology, genetics, pathogens and tropical diseases which are, likewise, freely available through its website.
Other leading institutions, such as the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) are joining hands with MIT in this effort. They have even set up channels on YouTube. College students around the world can now experience and access world-class lectures from MIT, UCB and CMU, minus the fees, from YouTube.
Angry Parent concludes:
Therefore, is it any wonder that our ‘brain drain’ is literally irreversible, the multimedia super- corridor remains nothing more than a real-estate project and our biotechnology park and ‘rubber city’ remain a far-fetched dream.
In taking one step forward, the country has taken two steps backward. And for all this, we have our short-term thinking politicians to thank for.
Well, the Government has decided and there is no turning back. You can read the whole letter by Angry Parent here.
10 December 2009
Between a rock and a hard place
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Malaysian schools.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY about the depressing state of education in the country that hasn’t already been said? Despite all kinds of reports decrying the social costs of shortsighted education policies, Malaysia’s descent down the educational ladder is still leaving families both bewildered and infuriated.
Gains in other countries have left the nation’s schools and institutions of higher learning way behind (read what one opposition leader said about Malaysia’s TIMSS 2007 ranking)while flip-flop politicians and nationalist interest groups squabble over English as a medium of instruction, affirmative action, and racial quotas. Even de facto Pakatan leader Anwar Ibrahim has been quoted saying he’s not in favour of English as a medium of instruction in schools:
“This issue has become a controversy for far too long. We consider this policy a betrayal of Bahasa Melayu as our official language. But how we do it should be decided by educationists and with consideration towards the national education policy. This includes not forcing our children to pass English as a compulsory subject in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) as this will result in many students, especially in rural areas, to fail.”
Meanwhile, the merit of a single-stream educational system is once again being touted as the magic wand to stop the rot and promote unity. That’s bitter medicine for a lot of parents. No one is holding their breath of course. But what options do parents have in Malaysia’s blighted educational landscape? Here’s an overview of some hard choices:
National schools
These are government schools that have been largely abandoned by non-Malays due in part to allegations of institutionalised racial and religious tendencies. According to a report, 93% of Malays attend national schools, 90% of Chinese attend Chinese vernacular schools, and 70% of Indians attend Tamil vernacular schools. Some 5 million Malaysians are in national schools (primary and secondary), but the absence of a significant number of non-Malay children in the classroom is telling. Race and religion notwithstanding, a lot of parents will tell you with a straight face that if national schools were any good there would be no reasons to leave.
Vernacular schools
More than 100,000 Indian children are taught in 525 Tamil schools according to 2007 figures. Many are in deplorable condition, and some classes were even held in warehouses and under trees, says Selangor state executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar.
On the other hand Chinese vernacular schools are thriving and bursting at their seams. Often seen as a vanguard of Chinese culture, these schools are popular among Malaysian Chinese and an increasing number of non-Chinese too (60,000 at the last count). DAP leader Lim Kit Siang wrote in 2006 that Chinese primary school enrollment had more than doubled to 636,124 since Independence. These schools enjoy minimal government handouts but admirably, the Chinese community raises millions every year to keep their schools afloat. There is an undiminished surge in admissions to these schools due to their perceived educational excellence and discipline, contributing to a critical shortage of classrooms.
Private/International schools
Say what you will about the exorbitant costs of these elite institutions; the fact is 5000 Malaysians are currently enrolled in previously out-of-bounds International schools since admission was relaxed in 2006 (40% of places in international schools are now open to locals). At least 20 new international schools are slated to open soon much to the delight of middle-class Malaysians whose frustration with the local education system are being addressed by the promise of a superior learning environment and state-of-the-art facilities. American and British-style international schools lead the pack, offering O Levels and IB, but of late Global Indian International School has opened a campus in Kuala Lumpur.
Singapore schools
Not many people are aware that some 10,000 children cross the causeway from Johor to Singapore daily for their education. Again, parents forgo free education in national schools for higher than normal fees (school fees and biennial donations in Singapore dollars) to put their children through an English medium school in Singapore where the learning culture is perceived to be superior to Malaysia’s impoverished options.
Immigrate
Move abroad, preferably to Australia or New Zealand, get PR, or burn your passport and give your children an education and a future you never had. Not to worry, you’re in good company – over 300,000 Malaysians have moved abroad since 2008. Ostensibly for the sake of their children’s education, and most certainly because they feel in their bones their own country’s inescapable collapse and they don’t want to be there when it happens. People are voting with their feet and incredible as it may seem, the powers that be are looking the other way.
Homeschool
Now, this option does not necessarily sit well with lots of parents (or educators) although reports coming in from abroad attest to educational achievements above the national average. And there’s the rub: In Malaysia, homeschooling hasn’t been around long enough (no more than 20 years old); we’re just seeing the first generation off and there’s no available research to confirm if homeschooled kids are indeed succeeding or if it’s just spin. Admittedly educating one’s child at home will make different demands on different families and I am realistic enough to see that it won’t be practical for a lot of Malaysians at this point of the country’s development. Nevertheless, I am convinced it is a rewarding option and there’s no question of homeschooling if I have to do it all over again.
Learning Centres
This is where parents who like the idea of homeschool send their children to if they can’t (or won’t) educate their children themselves. You won’t catch me calling these centres ‘homeschool’, but who am I to contradict the vendors and operators who promote these places as such? As much as I am bugged by this misnomer, I’ll grant that these learning centres are doing families a favour.
Learning Centers are a relatively new phenomenon in Malaysia and almost all are set up by or affiliated to churches (which means they do not fall under the MOE’s jurisdiction). These centers subscribe to two well-known Christian homeschool curricula – AOP or School of Tomorrow – of which AOP ones are by far the more popular. My guess is, there must be close to a hundred of these learning centers today. As far as alternative education goes, they do fill a serious need although their performance is understandably spotty (many are staffed by well-intentioned but untrained educators).
So how do you choose? Caught between a rock and a hard place are you?
As a homeschooling parent, I know what works for our family, but I appreciate it’s not an easy decision to make. I have heard parents say how they wish they could homeschool but a) they can’t afford to have one spouse stay home, or b) they’re no good with children and couldn’t possibly teach them at home all day. Others claim that theoretically homeschooling sounds great but it’s fraught with too many uncertainties.
Once a mother told me that many homeschooling families in Malaysia were ‘failing’ – their kids in limbo, resisting discipline or instruction, with a number unable to get beyond basic arithmetic or even write a half decent essay. Where the fault lies will require another post. Writing as a homeschooling parent (I am aware of my own bias), there’s no need for homeschool to fail, and every reason why it can only succeed. But there you are – decisions, decisions, decisions. How will you choose?
24 August 2009
Malaysians flocking to international schools
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Malaysian schools.
Education is big business in Malaysia. No surprises here. That parents are willing to fork out exorbitant fees to educate their children in elite international schools tells you what parents think about the local education system. And what they think is really at stake. But even that didn’t prepare me for reports that 20 more international schools are set to open their doors in the country soon.
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 – More middle-class Malaysians are enrolling their children in international schools despite long waiting lists, as parents grow increasingly frustrated with the local education system.
Up to 2006, the only Malaysians who could send their children to these schools were those who had lived abroad for at least three years, or had a foreign spouse.
An exception was those with businesses that could attract foreign direct investments for the country. These business owners were wealthy Malaysians.
Thus, there were not many local students enrolled in international schools.
But since 2006 – when the rules were relaxed and international schools were allowed to enrol up to 40 per cent Malaysians – middle-class Malaysians have started placing their children in such schools, which have increased in number, from 32 three years ago to 40 now.
The number of Malaysian students have also gone up – from 2,608 among an estimated 10,000 students, or 26 per cent, in 2006, to 5,000 among an estimated 15,000 students, or 33 per cent, in 2009.
At least 20 more international schools are scheduled to open soon, according to school operators.
One reason some parents are transferring their children to international schools is the changes in the curriculum of the national schools.
One example: the decision last month to reverse the policy of teaching maths and science in English, which had been in effect for six years.
Another change was when the government decided to limit the number of subjects students are allowed to take for their O-levels, compared with the unlimited number previously.
“The Education Ministry is very fickle minded, they do not know what to do most of the time with the policies,” said property agent Tan Ching Suan, 49, who is unhappy with the constant changes in the local system.
[Read the rest here]
5 August 2009
When will we ever learn
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Malaysian schools.
I didn’t want to be knocking our education system or the good teachers who are trying to make a difference, but then I caught this article in the STAR.
When will we ever learn
by Jacqueline Pereira
They say a teacher’s job is never done, but our columnist tells why she is done with teaching.
I NEVER wanted to be a teacher. Looking back now, it was a short, five-year career stint that began with a deliberately badly done entrance exam and a sulky monosyllabic interview.
I categorically stated that I did not want to teach. Yet I was accepted.
In the beginning, it all went well. The teacher training process was unexpectedly engaging. From tennis to trekking, English Literature and lesson planning, every day was an absorbing learning experience.
The assignments, though many, were creative and thought-provoking. Even better, we were located in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. With the thriving distractions the city offered in the late 1980s, college life was a party that did not end for two-and-a-half years.
Nevertheless, that first semester, my mates and I worked really hard at our coursework. All outings were put on hold while, in our cramped hostel rooms, we concentrated on passing our exams.
That was until we sat for the first paper. We simply couldn’t believe our luck. It was easy, and in the following semesters we wised up.We would sneak back into our hostels at 7am after another disco-crawl, then shower, change and dash into the halls to sit for our exams. And we graduated at the top of our class.
Thus, with armfuls of ideas, renewed enthusiasm and misguided (as I would find out later) idealism, the first few terms in a real school were very satisfying.
The makeshift library at the back of the classroom actually attracted students to read. The speak-English-only day saw students hesitantly trying out new words with their limited vocabulary. And I had a growing collection of gifts – stickers and used erasers.
So, despite not wanting to be a teacher, I greatly enjoyed the process of imparting knowledge to receptive young minds, testing their capabilities and truly appreciating the progress these students made by the end of each school year.
The teaching stint also presented me with opportunities to be creative and to experiment with teaching methods and tools to enhance the students’ learning experience.
Yet, eventually, all good intentions faded.
For a start, 80% of my coursemates could hardly speak English, let alone complete their assignments without help.
(Read the rest here)
11 July 2009
The politics of education
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Alternative education.
Malaysia flip-flops. Nationalists celebrate. Politicians reviled. Parents incensed. Children lose out (again).
So the Malaysian government scraps the teaching of Math and Science in English. After six years. Well, it was a half-hearted, fire-fighting effort to begin with.
A Straits Times columnist lamented what was typified as a well-intentioned policy doomed by haphazard implementation. “It is a lesson learnt that a half-hearted policy can do more damage than no policy at all,” the article concluded. I do feel for parents all over the country whose children are once again victimised by the the flip-flop. I’m afraid few lessons (if any) are learnt in the corridors of power.
Former NUTP secretary general N Sivasubramaniam said, “There should be a consistency in outlining the education policies of the country that should match the modern requirements of our society.”
“The wave-like changes in the education policies will only weaken the education system in the long run, like a rudderless ship lost in a sea of international job opportunities,” he added.
I have often felt that teaching Math and Science in English wasn’t the way to go if the government was really serious about improving English. Parents – especially urban ones – however rejoiced when it was first announced by outgoing PM Dr Mahathir (who it must be said was the man primarily responsible for banishing English from schools in the first place all those years ago).
To my mind, many parents were probably of the view that half a loaf was better than none, hence the jubilation - at least schools are teaching math and science in English, and aren’t these important subjects anyway?
Yet the better solution would be to bring English back as a compulsory subject in school and teach it the way we used to be taught. And bring back English Literature too, as Sim Kwang Yang suggested in Malaysiakini.
On the other hand, I think parents are asking too much of our government. Forgive my libertarian inclinations, but I do think that there should be separation of education and state. As you can see, my own views go beyond the contentious language debate and the attendant political wrangling.
But this is really where the problems arise: we want government to ‘educate’ our children. Then we react with horror when our kids turn out listless, unmotivated, lacking in language skills (not to mention the faculty for critical thinking), unable to articulate convictions, having no notion of independent thought or a spirit of self-reliance, and – most unfortunate of all – get their prejudices reinforced.
All these calls for government to stop ‘politicising’ education and do right by our children. You see, it’s all politics, and all social engineering all the time; governments do what governments do. It’s time to stop blaming government for responsibilities that rest on the shoulders of parents. If you care for your children, you might want to think about educating your own children yourself. Seriously.