Tuesday, November 6, 2007

CHAPTER 8: DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN MALAYSIA

Overview:

In this chapter, we shall

• The characteristics of the early education system in Malaysia

- before British

- during British Colonial rule

• The implications and effects of the various educational reports on the development of the national education

- Razak Report 1956

- Rahman Talib Report 1960

- Education Ordinance 1967

- Cabinet Committee Report 1979

- Education Act 1995 and 1996

• The characteristics of the current education program

- smart school

- information and communication technology

- distance learning

Key Terms

• Pre- Independence

• Early Independence

• Razak Report

• Rahman Talib report

• Education Ordinance

• Cabinet Committee Report

• Education Act

• Smart school

• Distance learning/Open university

• Information and Communication Technology

Further Reading

Ministry of Education Malaysia.(2001). Education in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
Majdalany,G. & Guiney, S. 1999. Implementing distance learning in urban schools. No. 150.
Rowntree,D. (1998). Exploring Open and Distance Learning. London: Kogan Press Ltd. Schlosser, C.A. & Anderson, M.L. 1997. Distance education: review of the literature. Washington : Association for educational Communications and
Sherry,L. 1996. Issues in distance learning. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1(4): 337 – 365.
http://www.unesco.org/webworld/infoethics_2/eng/papers/paper_23.htm.
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/courses/ed253a/dk/GLOBPM.htm

Suggested Input

1.0 Pre-Independence

1.1 Prior to attaining independence from the British colonial rule in 1957, there was an absence of uniformity in the provision of formal education in Malaysia. There was separate schools with different media of instruction, curricula, methods and standards for children of the various ethnic groups that is Malays, Chinese and Indians.

1.2 Two types of schools emerged : the English medium and the vernacular schools. English medium schools, established by the then British government, individuals and missionary societies, provided a western education for a mixed urban population. Education was not free..

1.3 Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools were set up by their respective communities. Free education was provided in the Malay vernacular schools which were established by the government

1.4 Secondary education was only available in English government and mission schools as well as in independent Chinese schools. Malay medium and Tamil medium education were limited to the primary level.

1.5 Under British colonial rule, higher education in Malaya was dictated by the British policy of producing the necessary personnel for the Malayan Civil Service with senior posts reserved for and filled by the Europeans. The first institution of higher education was not established until 1905 when King Edward Vll College of Medicine was founded in Singapore. The second institution was the Raffles College which was established in 1928. These two colleges developed side by side until 1949 when they were amalgamated to constitute the former University of Malaya in Singapore.

1.6 The upsurge of nationalism and desire for self-government resulted in the setting up of two Committees, popularly known as the Barnes (1950) and Fenn-Wu (1951) to look into the problems of and recommend improvements to Malay and Chinese education. As an outcome of these two Committees, the Education Ordinance of 1952 was passed but it did not produce the desired changes in the system. As a result, a special committee was set up in 1956 to work out a policy based upon the decision to make Malay the national language whilst preserving the languages and cultures of the other domiciled races of the Federation of Malaya. The recommendations of the Committee contained in the Report of the Education Committee 1956, commonly referred to as the Razak Report, formed the basis of the Education Ordinance of 1957, which laid the foundation for the national education policy.

2.0 Post Independence 1957-1960

2.1 The post independence era is the period during which the foundation of the national education system was laid. The early years was a period of post –war reconstruction and the nation had to contend with the communist insurgence until 1960s.

2.2 The ultimate objective of the education policy as stipulated in the Razak report was to bring together all races by progressively and gradually making the Malay language the main medium of instruction. Chinese and Tamil would continue to be the media of instruction as the primary level in the vernacular schools.

2.3 In 1960, a Review Committee looked into the implementation of the recommendations made by the Razak Report of 1957. The findings of this Committee, commonly referred to as the Rahman Talib Report, confirmed the soundness of educational policy as laid down by the Razak Report and its general acceptance by the public. The recommendations of these two reports became the integral components of the Education Act 1961. In January 1976, the Act was extended to the states of Sabah and Sarawak, which had been incorporated into the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

2.4 The two most important tasks facing the new nation since independence were education for unity and universal education. The process of consolidating the diverse school system into a cohesive national educational system, with the National Language as the main medium of instruction, was initiated during this period.

2.5 In 1957, all existing primary schools were converted to national and national type-schools. Malay medium primary schools were renamed national national-type primary schools. Whilst Malay was the medium of instruction in national-schools, the medium of instruction in national type schools were English and the vernacular languages. The national language was made a compulsory subject in these national-type schools.

2.6 English and Chinese secondary schools were converted to national-type secondary schools. Such schools became fully assisted schools. In 1968, the process of conversion of English medium national type schools into national schools began in stages with the teaching of five subjects in Bahasa Melayu in Standards 1-3.

2.7 1958 marked the beginning of Malay medium secondary education. Malay medium secondary classes were started as an annex in English secondary schools. These classes eventually developed into national secondary schools.

2.8 The Language Institute was established in 1958 to train Malay Language specialist teachers. The Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka was founded in 1956 to produce textbooks and reference books in the National Language.

2.9 The entrance examination into secondary school, the Malayan Secondary Schools Examination, was abolished in 1964 and universal education was extended from six to nine years in Peninsular Malaysia. This examination was abolished in Sarawak in 1974 and in Sabah in 1977.

2.10 Curricular reforms focused on reviewing the existing syllabuses and designing a common content curriculum with a Malaysian outlook. Common content examinations were implemented in all schools.

2.11 A comprehensive education system of the lower secondary education was introduced in 1965. Technical and vocational education was given an impetus with the establishment of the Technical and Vocational Education Division in 1964.

3.0 Educational Development 1970-1980

3.1 Social and economic issues shaped the development of education from the seventies to the 1990. Racial harmony and eradicating economic imbalances in the society were crucial to sustained development, stability and progress. This is the period of the New Economic Policy, which is a socio-economic policy to achieve national unity and development by focusing on eradicating poverty and restructuring the Malaysian society to eliminate the identification of race with economic function and geographical location.

3.2 The medium of instruction of instruction was converted in stages beginning in 1970 and by 1983 it became the medium of instruction at the tertiary level. Today Bahasa Melayu is the medium of instruction in all national schools and it is compulsory subject in Chinese and Tamil Schools. English is taught as a second language.

3.3 In 1980, the Malaysian Certificate of Education examination was conducted in Bahasa Malaysia only. In 1970, English ceased to be the medium of instruction in primary teacher education programmers.

3.4 The administrative machinery of the education system was expanded and improved to enable the government to implement the two pronged strategies of the New Economic Policy using education as a vehicle. The Curriculum Development Centre was established in 1973 to evaluate, review and develop the school curriculum in line with national goals.

3.5 In 1979, Cabinet Committee Report recommended new approaches and strategies to further consolidate, strengthen and expand the national system of education. In 1980s several recommendations of this Review Committee were implemented to bring about greater democratization in educational opportunities and reduce the imbalances between the rural and urban areas.

3.6 A major reform was in the introduction of the New Primary School Curriculum in 1983 and by 1989 the Integrated Secondary School Curriculum was implemented. The national philosophy of education was formulated of education1988 which further reinforced the direction and goals of education in Malaysia.

4.0 Educational Development 1990-2000

4.1 The last decade of the twentieth century witnessed unprecedent and accelerated change at a pace that has never been experienced before. Advances in information communication technology(ICT) have hastened the pace of globalization and the trend is irreversible.

4.2 Vision 2020 initiated in the early 1990s may be perceived as Malaysia ‘s first step into the Information Age and a globalize world. To enable Malaysia make the quantum leap towards an industrialized nation status and eventually into a knowledge economy, the country needs to build a world class education system.

4.3 1996 saw the change when the Education Act 1961 replaced by the Education Act 1996 to regulate the expansion of education. Of paramount importance was the enactment of the Private Higher Education Institutions Act 1996 which made provision for the establishment of privately run tertiary institutions.

4.4 The last decade of the twentieth century has witnessed concerted quantitative and qualitative developments in primary, secondary and tertiary education. re is an increased access to tertiary education with the setting up of public and private universities, university colleges, matriculation colleges, community colleges, private colleges as well as foreign university branch campuses.

4.5 To ensure greater access to education and basic education for all, children were assured eleven years of school after 1997 when most students were promoted to the upper secondary after sitting for the lower secondary assessment examination. The curriculum was continuously reviewed and updated to incorporate thinking skills with greater emphasis on science and technology. It was during this stage that saw the emergence of the smart school concept and the introduction of computer literacy in the schools and in teacher training.

4.6 The launching of a training program for school heads and the setting up of a university for teachers, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in 1997. The diploma level pre-service teacher training program was introduced. Another development is the introduction of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia(STPM) Open Certification examinations.

5.0 Education Ordinance 1952

5.1 Features of this policy:

- to promote a National School system by the gradual introduction of the English Language into Malay vernacular schools and Malay Language and English Language into Chinese and Tamil Vernacular schools.

- To maintain the existing English medium National type schools

- To develop vocational secondary schools

6.0 The Report of the Education Committee 1956 (Razak Report)

6.1 Major Recommendations:

- orientation to a Malayan outlook by the introduction of common content syllabuses and time tables for all schools.

- The national language (Malay Language) to be the main medium of instruction in all schools

- The national language and the English Language to be compulsory subjects for all primary and secondary schools

- Conversion of existing primary schools to National schools (Malay medium) and National-type schools (English, Chinese or Tamil medium)

- The establishment of one types of National Secondary school open to all races using common content syllabuses, with a flexible curriculum

7.0 Rahman Talib Report (1960) and Education Act 1961

7.1 Major recommendations:

- universal free primary education

- automatic promotion up to Form III

- enhancement of Technical and Vocational education

- setting up of the Federal Inspectorate of schools

- introduction of Bahasa Malaysia, the National language as the main medium of instruction

- An examination system which uses only two main languages that is, Bahasa Malaysia and English Language

- Expansion of teacher training program

- Provision of Religious and Moral Education

8.0 Report of Cabinet Committee 1979

8.1 Major recommendations:

- emphasis is given to the basic education of 3Rs- reading, writing and arithmetic

- emphasis is given to spiritual education and required disciplinary elements

- emphasis is given to a curriculum tailored to Malaysia

- two mainstreams of secondary level of education, academic and vocational

- the opportunity to extend schooling from 9 years to 11 years

- well managed plan for educational management to enhance the overall quality of education

9.0 Education Act 1995

9.1 Main recommendations:

- the national education system is designed to produce world class quality education to achieve the country’s aspirations

- the National Philosophy of Education is the basis for the National Principles of Education

- the duration for primary education is 5 – 7 years

- pre-education education is part of the national education system

- improved technical and polytechnic education

- provisions are made for the monitoring of private education

10.0 Open and Distance Learning

10.1 An open learning system is one which the restrictions placed on students are under constant review and removed wherever possible. It incorporates the widest range of teaching strategies, in particular those using independent and individualized learning

10.2 Open learning: arrangements to enable people to learn at the time, place and pace which satisfies their circumstances and requirements. The emphasis is on opening up opportunities by overcoming barriers that result from geographical isolation, personal or work commitments or conventional courses structures which have often prevented people from gaining access to the training they need.

10.3 Distance learning can be defined as an instruction and learning practice utilizing technology and involving students and teachers who are separated by time and space. It can occur between schools, between schools and colleges and universities and even within school buildings and districts.

10.4 Distance learning first emerged as a concept in the nineteenth century, when it was characterized as a correspondence course. It reappeared as the open universities of the 1970s and then as the video tape, broadcast, satellite and cable productions of the 1980s. Today, distance education refers to the use of audio, video and computer video conferencing technologies as delivery modes.

10.5 Distance learning is learning while at a distance from one’s teacher-usually with the help of pre-recorded, packaged learning materials. The learners are separated from their teachers in time and space but are still being guided by them.

10.6 Distance learning encourages students to be creative, to participate actively in their own learning, to experience others and to prepare for the kind of world that they will enter as adults. Further, computer learning activities that employ multiple interactive media encourage active listening, focused attention, and the ability to work independently.

11.0 Information Communication and Technology

11.1 ICT is defined as any computer-based resources, networked and stand alone, including both hardware and software, currently available as teaching and learning resources.

11.2 Examples include tailored multimedia teaching packages; information sources such as the internet ; data management tools such as word-processing , software or spreadsheets.

11.3 The ability to use ICT effectively and appropriately is now seen as essential to allow learners to acquire and exploit information within every sphere of human activity. The school curriculum already reflects the perceived value and importance of developing ICT literacy and information literacy in all students.. IT is integrated into the curriculum.

11.4 Changes in the perception of what constitutes a ‘learning environment’ have been highlighted in a number of recent developments which seek to exploit the potential of ICT. Today libraries in higher education have developed and exploited a networked environment.

11.5 Successful integration into the curriculum depends on teachers being convinced of the relevance of ICT as a means of providing access to a richer range of resources for themselves and students. This emphasis must be on using appropriate technologies to enhance and support effective learning. Teachers need to be able to exploit modern information sources for themselves as continuing learners even when they are teachers.

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