Let’s examine our education system

RECENTLY, there was a suggestion by the Education Ministry to do away with exams for Year One to Three students. The ministry wants feedback on this from parents and primary school teachers.

I taught at a government secondary school for 35 years and, upon retirement 12 years ago, I have been attached to a private school.

From my experience, I believe all schools, be they government or private, hold at least four examinations in a year. There are two monthly examinations, one in March and the other in August, on top of the mid-year and the yearend examinations. The monthly examinations focus more on the core subjects and take up a week each; the mid-year and year-end examinations cover all subjects including Music, Physical Education, Health Education, Art and Manipulative Skills. This will require at least two weeks.

Most schools will do a quick revision a week before each examination and then set aside another week for going over the corrections after the papers have been marked for each examination. So in total there is no teaching for a minimum of 14 weeks (70 school days).

A normal school year consists of 43 weeks (215 school days). About 20 days are taken off for public and festive holidays. That leaves 195 schools days. With 70 days taken for examinations, we are left with 125 school days for teaching and learning. How do parents and the Education Ministry expect teachers to finish a syllabus meant for 195 days in 125 days?

Most parents, especially those whose children are in private schools, feel good seeing the grades and value for money, not realising the quality might not be as high as they think because there is no comparison from outside. And teachers, in turn, are happy when parents are satisfied.

We have been so indoctrinated into this system over the years that we are not prepared to accept change.

Another point: Parents clamour over the quality of a school. On so many occasions during my years as a teacher, parents have approached me to ask if the school I am teaching at is good. To be very honest, after 46 years I still don’t understand the question. What is a good school?

When my daughters started primary school many of my friends told me that, being a teacher, I should get them a good school. I just replied that if a child wants to excel even a class held under a tree would produce the desired results because I believed in my children and not the school. If all parents have faith in their children, I am very confident they will excel.

A third point: The UPSR is by far the most important examination in the country. Parents harass their children and the school with extra classes after school and during school holidays and tuition at various centres. But where do you go after UPSR?

I blame the Education Ministry for classifying schools as elite schools, cluster schools, and control schools. Parents fight hard to get their children into one of these schools. I know a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur admits only students who got straight As at the UPSR. If any parent found out how many straight A students this school produces at the other public exams, like PT 3 and SPM – well, the results would speak for themselves.

My fourth point: The syllabus is designed around the number of school days so there should be no necessity to have extra classes on weekends or during school holidays. People have done research on the optimum number of school days and the duration for each teaching period for primary (30 minutes), secondary (40 minutes) and college/ university (one hour).

Double periods are not advised unless its for Art, ICT and Science. Mathematics should never be a double period. Instead, mathematics should be taught every day to produce the desired results. Holidays are meant for resting the brains of both students and teachers alike. Burdening students and teachers with extra classes and depriving them of well-deserved rest will only produce negative results.

Another point: The Education Ministry should look into the increase in private and international schools. Why are parents – especially non-Malays – shying away from national schools? From my experience, national school heads are turning their schools into religious schools, and this is frightening away non-Malays. Secondly, the command of English in national schools is alarmingly bad.

Which brings me to my final point: Make all schools the same. All students should go to the school nearest their homes. This will also ease traffic as parents will no longer be crossing the city to get their children to schools of their choice.

Finally, my appeal to all parents is, please do not rob your children of the joy of growing up. Childhood comes only once. Enjoy the joy of watching your children grow up.

ARUNANDY Kuala Lumpur