We cry for the lost of quality education, standards, and excellence. We lament the sliding Grades and devaluation of our "honours", our" distinctions", our "As", our very qualifications and system of education. We have a sea of unemployed graduates out there, not employable because, they lack the skills, the know-how,the expertise to hold a job, perform and live up to the responsibilities that comes with an assigned designation and salaried employment. Our young people lack language fluency, especially English, the global language. Shocking as it may seemed, some could hardly read and write well ... and they are graduans. And some quarters talk about scraping basic examinations??
We used to have the Lower Certificate of Education, the O levels, the Cambridge examinations etc...and our graduates were quality stuff We amazed our foreign counterparts with our command of English, our competence in our technical subjects and skills. We took the examinations, and the various activities that came with schooling in our stride and we did not complain of exam related stress. We flew sky high with the eagles and were eager to work hard and excel. We were of high calibre and standards and this was reflected in the many strong and capable leaders, world class professionals and business brains, we so proudly acknowledged.
Today, many of our young had to be retrained after graduating before they could hope to be employed..and that too with the UPSR and PMR ongoing. With examinations, there is at least some sort of motivation to study and some level of written knowledge and skills achieved, understanding of theories and formulas and this knowledge will stand them in good stead later on in life. These are tools to help young people become useful citizens and individuals. Without the motivation of examinations, many may not care at all, if they studied or not , if they are able to read at all. A free flow right up to the fifth form and God help them if by then they had not attain the basic level of education. It will be a free fall ......and who suffers??? Not only the young people but their aged parents, and ultimately the nation. Sure we will always have exceptions, sure we will have parents who will sent their children to private schools and even overseas but the majority cannot afford to do that. And the majority make up the people of this nation.
Perhaps it would be better to rethink the number of subjects .and what subjects . It would be better to let teachers teach and help their students more, instead of loading them with so much administrative and paper work which totally disorientates and take their focus off their actual responsibility's that is TO TEACH and EDUCATE our young.
Today, many of our young had to be retrained after graduating before they could hope to be employed..and that too with the UPSR and PMR ongoing. With examinations, there is at least some sort of motivation to study and some level of written knowledge and skills achieved, understanding of theories and formulas and this knowledge will stand them in good stead later on in life. These are tools to help young people become useful citizens and individuals. Without the motivation of examinations, many may not care at all, if they studied or not , if they are able to read at all. A free flow right up to the fifth form and God help them if by then they had not attain the basic level of education. It will be a free fall ......and who suffers??? Not only the young people but their aged parents, and ultimately the nation. Sure we will always have exceptions, sure we will have parents who will sent their children to private schools and even overseas but the majority cannot afford to do that. And the majority make up the people of this nation.
Perhaps it would be better to rethink the number of subjects .and what subjects . It would be better to let teachers teach and help their students more, instead of loading them with so much administrative and paper work which totally disorientates and take their focus off their actual responsibility's that is TO TEACH and EDUCATE our young.
Those of you who clapped and cheered when they heard this proposed plan, think again!! We do not want to cultivate a culture where our young people do not know the meaning of hard work..and the satisfaction of achievement through their own blood and sweat; .we do not want a future where our young people had it so easy they do not know how to survive on their own, let alone be a part of our nation's good substance and essence; the solid foundation which will allow this nation to stand tall , firm and proud for many generations to come.
This voice from the ground says, scrap the UPSR if you must, but replace it with an internal examination and grading system in Year Six, ....perhaps there is logic there, but PMR must stay.
This voice from the ground says, scrap the UPSR if you must, but replace it with an internal examination and grading system in Year Six, ....perhaps there is logic there, but PMR must stay.
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