Education Ministry wants to enhance quality of learning, teaching in IPTs

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry wants to enhance the quality of learning and teaching in institutions of higher learning ( IPTs) in the country, rather than focusing on their rankings.

Its Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching said the Pakatan Harapan government wanted to see quality lecturers, graduates, curriculum design and efficiency in managing costs in a more sustainable ecosystem.

TheEducationMinistrybelieves that ranking was important but not the primary goal of an IPT.

“On the other hand, the aspect that is being seriously considered by the ministry is to enhance value-based and humanitarian qualities through elements of affection, happiness and respect for each other,” he said at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He was responding to a question by Teh Kok Lim (PH-Taiping) who wanted to know about the efforts taken to improve the position of major local universities at the international level.

However, according to him, the ministry will continue to strengthen the position of public universities at the international level by increasing partnership and collaboration programmes with the world’s leading institutions through matching grant schemes for research.

In addition, he said the ministry would continue to strengthen promotional efforts to increase the enrolment of international students between government to government, negotiations are ongoing with the government and universities abroad as well as collaboration between the EducationMinistry andembassies in other countries to facilitate the entry of international students.

As of June 30, there are 173,768 international students in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Teo in reply to a supplementary question by Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus ( PHHulu Langat) said the Education Ministry will study offering Jawi as an elective subject in Form 3 Assessment ( PT3) and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia ( SPM) examinations to empower the writing (Jawi) as national heritage. — Bernama