Total reform

BOLD, COMPREHENSIVE, TRANSPARENT: blueprint to help malaysian students realise their god-given talent

The government yesterday launched a bold plan to transform the country’s education system and bring it on a par with that of developed nations.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, when launching the Malaysia education Blueprint 2013-2025 preliminary report, said the reforms would allow Malaysian students to compete globally.

Describing the landmark blueprint as “bold, comprehensive and transparent”, he said it would help every Malaysian child realise his or her God-given talents.

The education reforms, he said, were crucial to the government’s transformation programmes to achieve developed nation status by 2020.

The report was earlier tabled by his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also education minister, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession welcomed the document, saying every member of the teaching community could now shape the direction as his or her views would be obtained within the next three-month feed back gathering period.

Najib said leaders at all levels must have the moral courage to de-politicise education and make decisions that could ensure a better future for Malaysian children and the nation, and not merely for populist intentions.

He said educational considerations were national considerations and not partisan considerations. “Our goal is to ensure that every Malaysian child can realise his God-given qualities.”

The government had always tackled education issues above politics, he said, adding that this year, the government allocated RM37 billion for education in the budget.

"This financial commitment clearly shows that the government is committed to making education a national key result area.

"We are not just looking at the quantitative aspect but also qualitative aspect, while ensuring that every ringgit collected from taxpayers is used in the best possible way to ensure that the nation and the people get value for money (in education)."

The government's hope was for each child to have the same access to quality education, regardless of his socio-economic status, ethnicity, physical ability or background, he added.

"The government will continue to work at providing the best education system for everyone. This is our responsibility. With each passing decade since independence, we have seen incomparable challenges in education.

"As a nation, we have succeeded in tackling the challenges. The early days after independence saw how we tackled illiteracy, followed by how we dealt with an agro-based economy, and then, industrialisation."

The plan, which served as a preliminary report, is expected to be endorsed by the cabinet before it is passed in Parliament in December.

In the next three months, the Education Ministry will hold open houses to enable the public to observe the plan, provide feedback and get clarifications.

Najib added that although investment and commerce were important for a country's growth, the quality of education remained the most crucial element in gauging its achievements.

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Total reform

BOLD, COMPREHENSIVE, TRANSPARENT: blueprint to help malaysian students realise their god-given talent

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