Minister urges public varsities to lift restrictions to boost debate
PUTRAJAYA: There will be no restriction on educational programmes, debates, forums or discourse at public universities, said Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik.
He urged university vice-chancellors and their deputies to not impose restrictions as higher education institutions were supposed to be intellectual places.
“The university is an open intellectual field and there should no longer be a restriction on educational programmes.
“The restriction had caused some programmes to be cancelled at the eleventh hour,” he said at the ministry’s Iftar programme at SMK Presint 11 here yesterday.
He said to make public universities an open environment, restrictions at entrances would be prohibited.
“All restrictions must be lifted as we want to stop that kind of environment here, and be more like the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge.”
Maszlee said the ministry had given the authority to teachers to launch initiatives to reduce the weight of pupils’ schoolbags.
“The ministry will launch a committee to look into ways to reduce the textbook burden on students.”
He said the ministry planned to empower students at religious schools with entrepreneurial learning.
“This is to ensure that students do not focus only on religion.
“It will give an added value to the schools and nurture entrepreneurship among students.”
He said the ministry carried out a new project involving technical and vocational education and training for students at religious schools held at community colleges.