Najib Supports Homeschooling?

It is heartening to read in the Star that our Deputy Prime Minister believes that:

'There should be an intellectual renaissance to open up and liberate the minds of students, and this should start in the universities, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“Our education system must chan­ge. Our children are just not curious enough. They must be curious about the world. They must ask questions,” the Deputy Prime Minis­­ter said.

In a separate report, the Vanakkham Malaysia reported:

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has called on universities to focus more on developing the "intellectual infrastructure" and not just physical infrastructure to make them "a centre of learning of the liberated and inquisitive minds."

Saying that he did not subscribe to the idea of emphasising on physical infrastructures, the deputy prime minister said, universities should move towards an era of intellectual renaissance.

"You got to have not just a university but a quality university, where it is really a centre of learning of the liberated, open and inquisitive minds," he said.

Speaking at the opening of a one-day seminar on "Creating A Blue Ocean in Education and Training Sectors" here today, Najib also called for "a whole paradigm shift" in the country's education system, starting from primary school.

"Our education system must change, the paradigm must change," said Najib at the seminar which was jointly organised by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) and Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities (MAPCU).

"Malaysians are very good at rote learning; they learn very well and they are studious. They spend long hours learning but they are not inquisitive enough.

(emphasis the author's)

I read this as a clear support and encouragement for homeschooling and alternative education. Homeschooling is not about the physical infrastructure, it is about the emotional and intellectual infrastructure. I may also add spiritual infrastructure as well. It is about a more holistic learning environment and it definitely represents a "paradigm shift".

I hope he means what he says and make every effort tomove political will to make the change.

Perhaps, it is time to Learn Beyond Schooling!