Syed Akbar Ali has his takes on the education system:
To me having the STPM and the HSC within the secondary school system are a waste of time. They merely serve as obstacles to prevent students from getting a place in Government universities. The degree of complexity of the subjects taught at the STPM levels might as well be thought in the 1st year at the Universities and colleges. (I have to agree. STPM was carzy difficult)
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Until today, any Malaysian student with just an SPM can gain admission into American universities.
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The bottom line is our kids have sufficient academic credentials with their SPM to enter Universities in the United States. You do not need the STPM (or the HSC).
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In India and most other countries children start school at six years of age. Here we start school at seven years of age – thus always being one year behind. (We have condemned our kids to being a year slower than other human beings).
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Lets get our kids started in Primary 1 at six years of age. Let them take the SPM at 16 years instead of 17. And use the SPM as sufficient entry requirement for diploma and degree courses in Government universities. Just scrap the STPM.
Read the full post HERE. It’s a good one.
When non-educationists comment or make suggestions on education I cringe. When they think the numbers of As in the SPM or STPM, or whatever the exam is, is all that is needed to measure the intellect of a student, its a worry. Some how, when all that matter is the number of As in the SPM or STPM, and this is used as the determinant, the teaching process or the educational pedagogy takes a back seat. When that happens curiosity that should be the cornerstone of any student takes a dive. Studying is reduced to a formula. When there is a greater need to focus on educational pedagogy the focus appears to be politically expedient initiatives as well as discourses which have nothing to do with the learning that happens. When university graduates come out with degrees unable to write a decent sentence to save themselves, that tells you what should take priority.