KUALA LUMPUR: There should be no "backdoor" way for entry into public universities, but instead one standardised method for all students, say educationists.
Educationist Professor Datuk Dr Noraini Idris said all students should take the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination as it has a longer learning period compared to matriculation and students could complete several project modules.
“There is no need for a backdoor method but one based on merit for all, like what is being implemented in Singapore and Finland.
“At the same time, improvements must be made to teaching and learning methods starting from pre-school to higher education. The government should change the system, ” she said.
On Monday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad admitted that the matriculation programme was a "backdoor" method to help low-performing Malays enter local public universities.
Malaysians of other races have earlier urged that the 10 per cent intake for non-Bumiputera students be increased when straight A non-Malay students could not secure places for matriculation.
“We decided to have matriculation classes because we found Malays did not take Higher School Certificate and cannot enter university. So we provided a backdoor for them. It was entirely meant as a backdoor for the Malays,” Dr Mahathir had explained.
The Higher School Certificate is now called STPM and taken by Form Six students.
Management and education consultant Dr Ranjit Singh Malhi said the quality of the education in the country has declined over the years as students were taking the easy way to enter public higher learning institutions.
He said the students needed to be highly skilled and well-educated.
“They will definitely not take STPM, A-levels, certificate and diploma programmes if they have a backdoor way to get into universities.
“The education quality in schools and universities has declined over the last two decades as we are not practicing or emphasising meritocracy.We now have less than competent teachers teaching students who should not be in the universities at all.
“The end result is that we have a large number of unemployed graduates. Why are they unemployed? Because they lack source skills, they cannot even communicate, cannot even think hence, they cannot find jobs.
“It is high time that we do what is right before it is too late. We do not want to have poorly-skilled doctors, lawyers, judges, teachers and engineers in the future."
Academician Dr Chong Kee Chok said the current system would create two classes of students.
“I believe it creates social tension between those who entered via the ‘frontdoor’ and those who entered through the back. It also encourages the weak students to opt for soft subjects.
"Schools and universities should have more intensive tutorial support, more class time and specialist teachers in specific subjects."
Last month, the cabinet agreed to increase student intake into the pre-university matriculation programme to 40,000 from the present 25,000. However, the 90 per cent quota for Malays/Bumiputera would be retained. Keilmuan Nasional chairman Zambri Mohd Isa said the matriculation programme was helpful for poor Bumiputera students.
He added that those days, it was not easy to take STPM as only a few schools offered it.
Hence, matriculation was introduced to help Bumiputera students continue their studies at local universities.
“It’s a way to help poor Bumiputera students. Matriculation has hostels and facilities for these students.
“There were not many diploma and private colleges back then. Bumiputera students did not have the money to pay for tuition fees. Those days, they also could not take STPM because of limited space.