Aim towards 21st century learning

Education Ministry secretarygeneral Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad, who was previously National Security Council secretary, talks to Tharanya Arumugam about his new portfolio, his vision and his plans to raise the education quality to churn out graduates who are ready for the real world

Question: What are the plans to strengthen the education system?

Answer: I want to modernise and transform the education sector, to aim towards 21st century learning and to put Malaysia on par with developed nations.

To achieve this, we have to look at our education system and identify its flaws and weaknesses.

However, this does not mean that we are weak, only that we need to make changes to be more competent and soar upwards.

We have a good master plan, the Malaysia Education Blueprint 20132025 that will serve as a basis and act as a guideline in the implementation of our national education system.

For example, taking into consideration industrial needs, we have placed emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related programmes and leveraged on technical and vocational education training.

However, more needs to be done. I am in discussion with the education minister and a team of professionals in the ministry to study ways to revamp the education system.

We are looking at the possibility of children starting primary school at 6 years old and shortening the duration of the secondary school to four years, among others.

This would allow more time for students to explore technical professions and save money for the government. I will also study the efficiency and effectiveness of the subjects being taught in schools.

Question: What are your thoughts on the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 and what aspects must be given emphasis to achieve the targeted goals?

Answer: The Education Blueprint is on the right track. What we have achieved from the first wave (20132015) is an indication that our country’s education system is improving.

Joint efforts by all parties in the ministry is one of the main steps to ensure the success of the next wave, particularly in terms of the quality of students.

It is crucial that all the staff in the ministry work hand in hand to implement the guidelines and plans of the blueprint.

However, we must be realistic with our goals.

Question: You may face hurdles in carrying out new implementations. Can you tell us about those challenges?

Answer: Our team thinks ahead in terms of carrying out plans and ways to implement them.

However, we do face hindrance in implementing our plans not just within the ministry, but also from the agencies involved.

Any change introduced will receive criticisms. It is not an easy task to alter the mindsets of the staff, teachers, students and parents to accept the change towards modernising education.

Question: Do you have any critical issue that you wish to address? Answer: School development and safety will be my primary focus. This issue is critical and requires more attention. From time to time, we hear about accidents taking place in schools.

There are 10,180 schools nationwide, and 80 per cent of them are more than 20 years old. Hence, proper maintenance must be implemented.

We need to look at the wiring, building conditions and facilities, among others.

Accidents involving students outside the school compound should be the community’s responsibility as well, not solely the school’s.

Question: The Education Ministry is not just facing academicrelated issues, but social issues as well, such as accidents at schools, gangsterism and bullying among students. What measures can be taken to tackle these?

Answer: The responsibility to address social issues does not solely lie with the ministry, it needs joint effort. Parents and the community have to ensure an issue would not turn polemic.

People tend to make “news” viral without validating its authenticity. For example,

Netizens spread false information of a boy who was supposedly bullied into cutting his tongue, when in fact it was the boy himself who did it.

Hence, not everything that we read online is true. Students need to learn how to differentiate between authentic and fake news.

Question: In terms of disciplining students, what method do you think should be employed that would be acceptable to both parents and teachers?

Answer: The headmaster or principal is responsible for disciplining students. This is stated under the Education Rules (School Discipline) 1959. Punishment, either in the form of advice, warning, caning, suspension or expulsion, is given based on the severity of misconduct by students.

However, prior to being punished, the school must carry out a thorough investigation into the matter and allow the students to explain.

The school counsellor should also play a role in helping students identify problems and cope with them.

I want to stress that parents should not immediately blame teachers when confronted with disciplinary issues. The mentality and attitude need to be changed.

Question: The ministry’s Transformation of Vocational Education programme since 2012 has produced skilled and semiskilled workers for the country. What are the other plans in the pipeline to enhance the programme so that the people do not look down on vocational education? Answer: We are working towards improving the vocational education system to ensure it is on par with mainstream education.

This will provide the public equal access to education that is of international standards and quality as stated in the education blueprint.

This transformation is crucial to meet the needs of the industry and the nation’s demand for a highly skilled workforce.

The quality of vocational education has to be improved to ensure the talents produced not only meet the demands of the industry, but are also able to think creatively and innovatively, and generate wealth for the country.

Question: Speaking of integrity, what measures will be taken to ensure all personnel of the ministry are free from abuse of power and corruption?

Answer: This integrity issue is important for any public servant. Therefore, I would like to stress that if I come across any form of misconduct, I will not hesitate to take action.

Question: What are your hopes and expectations?

Answer: I hope that all the staff of the ministry, be it at schools, district or state education offices, would carry out their responsibilities diligently for the betterment of education in the country.