Education quality matters more than quotas

I AM writing in response to the Education Minister’s recent remarks linking the continuation of the quota system for the matriculation programme with the existence of unequal job opportunities for bumiputras in the private sector. Various parties have already given their comments and feedback on his remarks but I would like to add my perspective as an employer.

If the problem is with language (the minister claimed that some companies required job applicants to have a knowledge of Mandarin), then it’s not just about the Chinese language but about language skills in general.

The poor language skills of our graduates have long been lamented by employers, and the root of the problem goes way deeper and further than this current issue.

Many young people now have poor language skills, so much so that it is surprising how some of them could have been admitted into university in the first place.

The cause of poor language mastery among students comes down to the education standards of the teachers.

At a rural public school I was visiting, I once came across a Form One teacher who was not able to speak to me in English at all – and he was supposed to teach English!

And then there is the issue of the quality of education materials and passing requirements.

The standard has dropped so much now that it is reported secondary school students here are going through a syllabus that is equivalent to what primary school students in Singapore go through. And then we glorify their straight A results.

So even if the matriculation quota is fair for all to begin with, employers will most likely still be stuck with a workforce that has poor language skills, regardless of which language. What has to change to begin with is improving education quality and standards.

A CONCERNED EMPLOYER Kuala Lumpur