20,000 Year Six pupils can’t read or write well

It is heartening to know that the Education Ministry through its CDC (Curriculum Development Corporation) is attempting to tackle the literacy issue involving Primary 6 students. While, I think intensive teaching over a period of time a be good, continued efforts in early detection, intervention and support for students with learning disability is more important.

As I was writing this blog, I wanted to find out what were the activities carried out by the Ministry of Education (Malaysia) so far. I found out that in a article reported in the Dyslexia Association of Singapore a pilot program was suppose to have started by the Jabatan Pendidikan Khas which was to be implemented in 30 different schools nationwide by June. A check on the MOE website and the KPK wepsite - showed nothing of such an initiative. I wonder what happened. If anyone reading this knows anything about this initiative, please let me know.

I hope this news article is not just another reason to have someone's pictures or names appear in the newspaper [see article below] but a serious effort to ensure that students with learning disabilities are not left out.

KV

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Source: www.thestar.com.my


20,000 Year Six pupils can’t read or write well

Mahzan: ‘Such pupils are at risk of dropping out’

Monday October 23, 2006
20,000 Year Six pupils can’t read or write well
By KAREN CHAPMAN

PUTRAJAYA: About 20,000 Year Six pupils in schools have been identified as lacking in basic literacy skills and are currently undergoing an intensive two-month programme to help them. The number represents about 4% of 12-year-olds in schools who, after six years of primary schooling, are either very weak in reading and writing, maths or both.

“We are taking the matter seriously as such pupils are at risk of dropping out of the school system and can face a hard time continuing with their education or pursuing a career,” said Curriculum Development Centre (CDC) director Mahzan Bakar. He told The Star that the pupils were selected by their teachers based on their observation and the performance of the children in tests.

The intensive programme for them was conducted immediately after the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) in September and they will sit for an evaluation test on Nov 15 to see how much they have learnt. In August, Education Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Ahamad Sipon announced that those yet to master basic literacy skills would receive help under the “Three Rs (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic) Programme” (Protim).

Mahzan said the CDC worked with teachers to create two modules to help the pupils in both national and national-type schools – one on reading and writing, and the other on arithmetic. “Protim is carried out full-time during school hours. The classes are small to ensure these pupils receive individual attention.”

In general, most schools have fewer than 10 pupils who have yet to grasp these basic skills, he added.

“Not all the identified pupils will have to sit in for these intensive classes. Some who have already grasped arithmetic skills would only need to attend reading and writing classes or vice versa while others who lack these three skills will attend the whole session,” he said an interview after a visit together with The Star to SK Sungai Ramal Dalam to observe a Protim class.

Asked why some pupils had yet to grasp the basic skills, Mahzan said some of them could have learning difficulties that had not been diagnosed.
He said Protim which would become an annual programme, just like the Early Intervention Class Programme for Reading and Writing (KIA2M) introduced in April this year for Year One pupils.
The ministry introduced KIA2M to ensure Year One pupils would not go through each level of primary schooling without being able to read and write.

That Time fo the Year Again - the THES World University Ranking 2005

This time, University Malaysia (UM) not only did not improve its overall ranking, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has gotten a better ranking than UM! As usual the politicians will have the first say but I think Professor Emeritus Datuk Khoo Kay Kim pointed out several points (below) which I think needs some serious consideration :

There is now overemphasis on the need for graduates to get
jobs. We are not encouraging them to be self-employed.
Universities are asked to produce employable graduates, not those
who can stand on their own feet or make critical decisions. If this is
the case, we will not be able to compete with Western countries.
Over the years, we have also adopted a different philosophy. Now
there is a tendency not to fail a student. If we produce graduates
who are half-educated, what will they be able to do outside?
In the early days of UM, only about 25 per cent of students would
pass, now it is almost 100 per cent. Of the 30 students who made
up the first batch of UM’s engineering course, only five passed.

Full article if the interview is currently available at http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Monday/National/20061016084710/Article/index_html

This statement this about the decline in standard and the passing level that has gone down got me thinking about the causes of this decline. While politicians argue over funding, argue over the method the THES used in its evaluation, etc. My thought is simple....."garbage in, garbage out" - The quality of the students entering local universitiies is are fed in from our schools - where there from 7 years ols (Primary 1) are basically "spoon-fed", not thought to think and above all very exam orientated.

Perhaps it is time we look at (seriously look at) the entire primary and secondary education system. Our Minister of Education has promised us "blueprint" for education reform. Sometime in July 2006 Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein stated that an ambitious and mammoth Education Blueprint "is a step away from being unveiled". I have not seen it anywhere.

The objective of the Blueprint is to meet the goals highlighted in the 9th Malaysia Plan - rejuvenate national schools, reduce the knowledge gap between rural and urban areas, strengthen the quality of the curriculum and uplift the teaching profession. On top of that the Ministry wants to ensure that "there are no more dropouts, students who cannot read, write or count, and those who have no information technology and communication (ICT) skills."

In the recent National Budget announcements, I have shared my thoughts in FamilyPlace - perhaps it is time for our Honourable Minister to spend more time look indepth into our education system and spend less time waving kris' and engage in unnecessary, non-education related activities.