PUTRAJAYA: Additional workbooks not approved by the education ministry are no longer allowed to be used in primary schools beginning next year.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said failure to abide the latest rule could lead disciplinary action against teachers and headmasters.
Chong said students should not be burdened by workbooks that were not part of the curriculum’s learning tools.
He said only standard four, five and six students require a workbook for each for subjects Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese, Tamil, Mathematics and Science.
“Subject teachers are not allowed to suggest unnecessary books for students to buy. Students in standard one, two and three do not need to use any workbook.
“Starting next year, the ministry will go all out to penalise teachers and headmasters who fail comply with the new rule. Penalties will range from issuing warnings to disciplinary action,” Chong told a Press conference today.
Previously the ministry sent out 12 circular since last year to remind teachers and headmasters against advising students to purchase unapproved workbooks for use in class.
Chong said additional workbooks have led to the “heavy bag phenomenon” which is prevalent in national-type Chinese schools.
“It’s a pity to see some of the students are carrying not just one, but two bags loaded with unnecessary workbooks to schools.”
The instruction to disallow such workbooks is inline with the Malaysian Education Blueprint, which is designed to promote the aspect of Higher Order Thinking Skills (Hots).
“We do not want our students to be confined to lessons and exercises in the workbooks. We no longer wants students to be exam-oriented and teachers must cultivate Hots.
"We want them to be creative and innovative. Answering questions in their workbooks alone will not help," he added.
In this light, he also advised parents to understand that there is no need to buy many books.
"There are also incidences where parents called teachers lazy because they did not require their students to many books. Parents should understand that books given by the ministry is already sufficient.
"However, parents are free to buy as many workbooks for their children to be used at home but not in school," he added.
Parent Action Group for Education founder Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim agreed that students should not be bogged down with unnecessary workbooks, especially for homework exercises.
“We need strike a balance between being in classroom and outside classroom, therefore our education system must strive to achieve the balance.
“We do not want our children’s learning experience to be examination-oriented. Just as the saying goes, ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’," she said contacted.
Azimah said overwhelming students with work could affect their mental health.
“Students can suffer from stress if they are swamped with workbook homeworks.”