b3 b0rn.. c0nf0rm, b3 si|3nt .. di3

on thestar online today, an article touching on reforming the approach to our national education system postulated on the need to encourage personal development in our school-going kids.

 

Easing up on exams

PUTRAJAYA: Reducing the number of examination subjects and having a semester system are among the major changes being planned to make the education system more holistic and less focused on academic achievement. 

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said these measures were in line with the Government’s aim to reform the country’s education system. 

“We do not intend to abolish public or school-level examinations totally, but we recognise that the present assessment system needs to be looked at,” he said. 

“We hope to change teachers’, parents’, schools’ and society’s perception of examinations so that they will look at the student’s overall development.” 

Among the measures proposed are: 

• REDUCING the number of subjects in public examinations and testing only certain subjects at school level; 
• INTRODUCING a semester system instead of the current term-based school system;  
• EMPHASISING skills and abilities rather than focusing on content and achievements; 
• ENCOURAGING personal development through subjects like Art and Physical Education; and 
• IMPROVING teaching-learning methods by encouraging more project-based assignments. 

To achieve this, the curriculum and syllabus as well as teacher training would also need to be overhauled, added Hishammuddin ….

Source: TheStar Online

i have personal preference for the point i highlighted as it suddenly brought back memories of being in the principal’s room trying to justify why i still want to take up art as a subject. the teaching faculty’s main concern with us ‘art students’ is whether we’d be able to handle more than 9 subjects for SPM and adversely affecting the school’s standing academically. it took the intervention of the school’s alumni to ensure that we still have the freedom to choose the subjects we want.

look at students now - each doing > 10 subjects for their examinations - to what cost. i see my brothers struggling with their syllabus, wondering myself how i managed to survive our education system and i worry for my own kid’s experience in the future.

i hope hishamuddin’s dream and aspirations do come true and this would augur well for my children and their children.