Hear the voices of the students

I REFER to “Moral studies need a review” ( The Star, Dec 21), written by a student in Kuala Lumpur. As we all know, students are the future of a country. However, more often than not, our voices are not heard.

I believe that all students have opinions about the country’s education system and therefore, they should be allowed to state their opinions about every change that is made in our education system. After all, we are the ones who are going to benefit from this system.

In a famous TED talk, Bill Gates said that even great teachers can get better with smart feedback from their students, and with these teachers, the students will undoubtedly improve rapidly.

Nevertheless, this phenomenon rarely happens in Malaysia. There are a few problems here, and the main problem is that the students are not brave enough.

Perhaps not all teachers react positively when their students comment on them and usually what will happen to the students is that their respective teachers will dislike them. None of the students would like to have that happen to them.

Maybe most people think that our opinions are foolish – for example, requesting fewer hours of schooling, less homework and simpler exams.

However, that is not right. Perhaps there is a group of students who think this way, but not all do.

Many students want to improve the system but they are not given the chance.

On par with the Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG), a students association should be inaugurated. This is a solution to the problem.

Members from the association would, obviously, be the students while representatives from the association would communicate with the representatives of PIBG and discuss solutions for school problems. Feedback from students could therefore be forwarded to the teachers.

Our feedback should be listened to by the Government as well. This will definitely improve the system, which will be modified to better suit students from all strata of society.

Meanwhile, I also have an opinion about the recent government announcement that students will not be sorted according to their results anymore, which will take effect in 2019.

This may sound good to some, but I believe that the majority will not benefit. One of the ways we students improve is by discussions with people at the same level.

Indeed, some students may blunder in an exam which results in them dropping to a lower class, but with effort, everyone will improve despite the environment.

I have seen some parents complaining that their children could not focus after they dropped to lower classes, but it is ironic that even before, the students did not perform well in better classes.

Therefore, the parents should not complain about this. It is the result of their children’s efforts.

Another problem is that the competition between the students is gone.

As one of the top educational nations, China is known for its intense competition in examinations.

Students here will lose their motivation as they might think that exams are less important now, and that they should only focus on the main examinations.

Besides, I sometimes think that holistic development required by the Government would be too much for some students.

In terms of attitudes and morals of students that is understandable. However, the involvement of students in co-curriculum activities is less understandable.

With the enforcement of HOTS questions, which is good, the students require more time for studies and a majority of them will be joining tuition.

I have seen many students who have to rush to their tuition centres immediately after their co-curriculum activities, which are at 4.30, and stay until nearly 9 or 10 at night.

After tuition, the students have to rush home, bathe and complete the homework from school. They have to sleep late at midnight or even 1 and wake up, at the latest, at 6.30 in the morning the next day.

For me, this daily routine is pathetic. The students are deprived of rest which, according to multiple studies, is one of the important factors in improving the students’ academic results, and entertainment, which will result in depression among the students.

Therefore, the students should be given free will to join co-curriculum activities.

These are just some of my thoughts about the current education system.

I am not sure if any action is to be taken after the students’ opinions are out, but at least I want to share the students’ feelings with the public.

The students should definitely be given more chances to speak in this free country.

ANOTHER STUDENT Kuala Lumpur