Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Prof Teo Kok Seong urged the Federal Government to have a special allocation in the 2017 Budget for industry experts to study and pinpoint ways to bridge the gap between the education system and requirements of the work sector.
“The special allocation should be used to find out what exactly the work sector needs and tailor the syllabus in schools and universities to the requirements.
“Our education system needs to engage with industry players.”
In the past, education experts and employers had said the education ministry’s poor policies had resulted in a high number of unemployed graduates whose qualifications do not satisfy the needs of the job market.
He was asked by FMT to respond on the changes he would like to see in the 2017 Budget . He was also asked on his wish list for the Oct 21 Budget.
Teo said the budget should target making national schools as the number one choice for parents of all races and ethnic groups, in line with the aspirations of the National Education Blueprint (2021 to 2025).
“Not much has been done so far,” he added.
In previous reports, Teo had said more Malay parents were sending their children to Chinese vernacular schools as parents believed the quality of teachers and the study ethics were a lot better than in national schools.
Teo proposed for the Federal Government to allocate money to rebuild rundown schools in semi urban and rural areas.
“The budget should look at ways to create a conducive environment for all school children in semi urban and rural areas. Everyone knows the buildings are in a deplorable condition. It is an urgent issue that needs to be looked into.”
Teo said another area that needs attention is Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET), as Malaysia plans to be a developed nation by 2020.
“For us to achieve that, we need skilled workers badly to avoid losing out in various industries. The government has to allocate more for TVET.”
Malaysia is facing a severe shortage in skilled workers in logistics, manufacturing and agriculture, forcing employers to rely on foreigners.
Big industries hoping to propel the economy, in terms of exports and imports, are facing challenges due to the lack of skilled workers.
Teo said the budget should be able to give opportunities to all youths wanting to work in skilled jobs in the technical and vocational sector. By doing so, they will be able to fulfil their potential.
Higher education institutions had their budget slashed by RM2.4 billion from RM15.78 billion in 2015 to RM13.37 billion for the year 2016.
Meanwhile, the National Parent-Teacher Association is hoping the allowances for book vouchers will remain and teachers will be given sabbatical leave to undergo training in the subjects they are teaching.
“We are hoping there are no budget cuts. Education is the key to move the country forward,” said the association’s chairman, Prof Dr Ali Hassan.
He hoped for special allocations for Science, Maths and English coaching and a bursary for students from poor families living in hostels.
Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said his ministry needs a bigger allocation to build new schools all over the country.
“We need money to repair existing schools and build new schools,” he told FMT in a text message.