Jumping into the trivial with both feet

The controversy over the switch from white school shoes to black is overshadowing education issues that deserve more attention and discussion.

WHICH education story interests you the most? a) Lighter school bags. b) Making national schools as good as international schools.

c) More space for art, music and literature in the classroom.

d) Transport Ministry to sell special number plates to alumni of public universities.

e) Schoolchildren to wear black shoes instead of white from next year.

f ) Restoring academic freedom in universities.

g) Students to spend fewer years in school before furthering their studies.

h) Returning the teaching profession to the teachers by not burdening them with non-teaching duties.

Based on the controversy it has generated over the last few days, many Malaysians would pick (e).

On July 19, the media reported that Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik announced that students would wear black shoes to school next year.

The ruling, he said during a question-and-answer session on education organised by Sinar Harian, was prompted by parents.

The announcement captured the imagination of many Malaysians. They probably could relate to it as many wore white shoes when they were/are in school.

When I read that story on The Star Online with the headline “Students to wear black shoes next year, vows Dr Maszlee”, I knew that it would be a big story.

My first thought was whether I would need to buy black shoes for Apsara, my 10-year-old daughter, next year. I wondered if brand X (the white shoes she wears to school) has black shoes. She wears that particular brand as it supports her ankles well.

“Does (brand X) have black shoes?” I asked my wife Vera. “Yes,” she said.

Problem solved, I thought. Like some Malaysians, I thought it would be good news for Apsara as she would not need to clean her white shoes next year.

And that would make my life easier because it is easier to make the government abolish GST (goods and services tax) than to get her to clean her shoes.

That was the extent of my thoughts on the black shoe ruling. I had other things to think about. For example, absent MPs; the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) issue; Liverpool’s Alisson, the world’s most expensive goalkeeper; and what’s for dinner.

But I could not avoid the chatter on school shoes on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. It was as if Malaysians had been sucked into a black hole filled with questions, jokes or anecdotes on white and black shoes.

On Facebook, friends wrote that the ruling was a “lazy” solution. They argued that Malaysian students wore white shoes so that they had to keep it clean and this was a way to demonstrate personal hygiene, standards and discipline.

On Twitter, they tweeted that parents would have to spend extra to buy new black shoes for their kids.

On WhatsApp, people with no experience in the shoe business commented, “What will happen to the millions of white shoes in the market?”

Some also questioned why Dr Maszlee was more interested in trivial matters such as black shoes instead of focusing on reforming the education system.

Many did not realise that the Education Minister spoke on other topics during the two-hour question-and-answer session. He spoke for only 30 seconds on the black shoe ruling. The rest of the time, he brought up the other topics that are listed on my multiple-choice question above.

But these topics – except on the Education Ministry agreeing with the Transport Ministry to sell special number plates to alumni of public universities to generate additional funding for the institutions – did not gain much traction.

Heavy bags? The Star Online reported on this too.

For me, it was a non-issue. Right now, Apsara’s bag is not that heavy. She’ll survive although she has complained that it is heavy for her to carry it to the classroom, which is on the third floor.

Making national schools as good as international schools is a topic that I would have been interested in. But I did not read about it in the media reports on the question-andanswer session.

On Wednesday, I attended the launch of the #AnakAnakMalaysia 2018 campaign at the Eco Ardence Sales Gallery in Setia Alam, Selangor. I chatted with one of the #AnakAnakMalaysia influencers, Syed Sadiq Albar, the co-founder of Projek57 (a movement of hope).

(#AnakAnakMalaysia Walk is a collaboration between property developer Eco World Development Group Bhd and Star Media Group. The walk will be held at 6.30am on Sept 2.)

We discussed the Pakatan Harapan government and the conversation went from the black shoes to the quality of national schools

Both of us agreed that our experience studying in national schools was character-building and that we wished the current standard of education, compared to how it was during our time, was better.

There were other important topics that the Education Minister brought up during his session. Unfortunately, what he said for only 30 seconds consumed many Malaysians.

That’s how it is in Malaysia. Sometimes, trivial or shallow matters overtake matang (mature) issues such as the quality of our national schools.

Luckily, I don’t delve into trivial matters.

Talking about school, why doesn’t the Education Minister compel students to wear pink shoes? Apsara would love it.