HOLISTIC EDUCATION
THE Education Ministry is to be commended for offering bursaries to top scorers of the 2014 SPM examination. Those who have scored 9A+ and above are automatically awarded a bursary. They need not have to apply or to go for any interview.
The bursary is strictly a recognition and reward for scholastic achievement. The bursary It allows the recipients to pursue an STPM/A-Level/Foundation/Matriculation/IA (International Baccalaureate) course in any of the designated colleges/universities/institutes/schools. Besides paying the tuition fees, the bursary also provides a monthly subsistence allowance.
All these are very well and good. Nevertheless, the bursary can be made more benevolent if it is also made available toto cater for another group of achievers such as . What about those students who have excelled in co-curricular activities throughout their school years but just missed the 9A+ requirement?
Besides their studies, these students have devoted much time and energy in the pursuit of their passions and have brought accolades both to themselves and their schools. Are co-curricular activities and achievements given any recognition? at all? Doesn’t our National Education Philosophy emphasize emphasise on the holistic and wholesome development of a child? What impact would the way these bursaries are awarded now have on the ministry’s campaign on “One Student, One Sports” or “One Student, One Co-Curricular Activity”? Certainly, we do not want to see students dropping all their sports/co-curricular activities to rush to tuition centres once again to chase that all important A+.
A system or mechanism can be worked out to quantify or score achievements in co-curricular activities. From leadership positions held in school clubs, societies, boards and houses, to winnings in championships and competitions at national/state/district levels, a graduated scale of scores can be determined. A grand total can then be derived to depict the overall co-curricular achievement of a student.
For these co-curricular high achievers, the academic threshold could be, say, all As (A+, A, A- inclusive) or a minimum of 5A+, to be eligible for bursary consideration. They need to submit an application for the bursary and the Education Ministry does the final selection.
I urge the Education ministry to also award bursaries to co-curricular high achievers who have also scored sufficiently well in SPM. Failing to do so may have a negative impact on the ministry’s intention to develop students holistically and wholesomely.
It is not even too late to initiate the process today so as to benefit the 2014 SPM students who are co-curricular achievers and who have also scored sufficiently well in their study subjects.
Liong Kam Chong,
Seremban, Negri Sembilan