Committee looking into problems plaguing TVET

PUTRAJAYA: The country ‘lost’ 147,422 students from national schools from 2006 to 2017.

The former Deputy Director General of Education Datuk Ahmad Tajudin Jab said that the figure constitutes some 30 percent of students that enrolled in Standard 1 in 2006.

He was concerned about the direction in which the students took upon leaving school as there was a possibility that they would never return to school or pursue higher education.

At the same time, the ministry found low enrolment among Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) leavers in Technical and Vocation Education Training (TVET).

The dejection felt upon failing to secure a place in public or private institutes of higher learning may be one of the reasons why some SPM leavers feel that furthering their studies after 11 years of schooling is an exercise in futility.

“How wonderful it would be if we could get those 30 percent, or at least some of them to enroll in TVET. Their interest may not be in academics and TVET could offer a better alternative,” he said when presenting a working paper at a TVET roundtable discussion recently.

The discussion, organised by the National Professors Council (MPN), was chaired by its president cum CEO Prof Datuk Dr Raduan Che Rose and was attended by over 30 participants from institutes of higher education, government departments, parent-teachers’ associations, employer associations and youth organisations.

Among the major issues identified is the involvement of too many parties in the implementation of TVET in the country.

TVET issues have become so widespread that the Pakatan Harapan government had to establish a TVET Empowerment Committee in June and appoint Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar as its chairperson.

In the Mid-Term Review of the 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK11) which was tabled recently, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said that the government was working on improving the capabilities of youth in the field of TVET.

Among the issues plaguing TVET are the overlapping education system, the certification system, the lack of funding and the uncertain future of TVET graduates.

The ministries were the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKLW), the Education Ministry (KPM), the Higher Education Ministry (now under the Education Ministry), the Human Resources Ministry, the Youth and Sports Ministry, the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, the Works Ministry and the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry (KeTTHA).