The first month of the year arrived and brought with it the start of a new school year.

Since education plays a vital role in the upbringing of children, a good question to pose at the start of this new decade is what the country has achieved in terms of primary and secondary education and where do we go from here.

Over the past few decades, the education system of the country has continued to evolve, with each new education minister bringing a new method that they hoped would change the quality of education for the better.

However, considering the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 results, the fact stands that Malaysia has not improved much.

The truth is Malaysia scored way below average for Reading, Mathematics and Science. What has become of us?

In a letter published in a local English daily in July 2018 written by Ivan Huang Hung Ji titled, “We need to reform the education system”, he notes three critical issues with the local school system.

• Square pegs in round holes

The education system running for the past decades didn’t take into consideration the different kinds of intelligence that children can have.

Huang shares that as opposed to nurturing creativity and individualism, the current system revolves around meeting the needs of the industries, forcing children to compete instead of cultivating a love for learning.

Parents send their children to school, to tuition centres and for extra classes throwing them into the rat race, in a way, teaching them that success is only about achievements.

• Overworked teachers

Although this issue has been ongoing and mentioned time and time again, there is still much room for improvement. Teachers these days have to do more administrative work rather than actual teaching, making it not only harder for them to improve their teaching skills but also to concentrate on students who may require additional help.

• Promoting an atmosphere of fear

Another issue with the education system is the promotion of an environment that encourages the “fear of failure, fear of humiliation and fear of disapproval.”

Such an environment not only destroys a child’s love of learning, but may also squash any curiosity they may have, thus moulding adults who live and think within a box.

What happens when they grow up in an environment such as this? They become a society that tolerates rather than takes necessary steps to make the changes they wish to see in the world.

The purpose of education is to liberate, yet local students have been groomed by a system that sows seeds of fear within them, so that by the time they are adults, fear has become part of their daily lives.

Ask yourselves, how many of you are afraid to communicate your opinion for fear of being judged or sounding stupid?

It is only when an individual overcomes this fear to vocalise their opinions and have the confidence to stick by them, are they truly liberated from the ropes that bind them.

Changes for the better?

“Looking at the past must only be a means of understanding more clearly what and who they are so that they can more wisely build the future,” Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire wrote in “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”.

In a recent article titled “Time for real change for Malaysian education” by lawyer and activist Siti Kasim published by a local English daily this year, she said, “We must halt this downward slide of epic proportions in Malaysian education.”

It is time that Malaysian parents look at the bigger picture and stop sticking their heads so high up in the clouds that they don’t recognise the reality of the current situation.

Last year, the education ministry made the move of abolishing the segregation of upper secondary students into the arts or science streams. Instead, students will get the opportunity to study the subjects they desire.

In addition, on Jan 2 this year, Dr Mazlee Malik stepped down as Education minister, with his resignation taking effect the very next day.

The education portfolio is considered by many as one of the most important within the cabinet. Decisions made here can either make or break the future of Malaysia. With so many changes happening, one can only hope for a better education system in the future.

And with the future in mind, many parents opt to send their children to international and private schools.

Not only is the education system of a higher standard but these schools have dedicated teachers who encourage innovation and growth in students. Not to mention the fact that these schools nurture all the values that the current education system lacks.

The article was written by Rosemarie Jeremiah. SchoolAdvisor.my provides information on private and international schools, extra-curricular activities as well as other education-related topics in Malaysia.