SWWS all for reforms towards addressing inefficiency in delivering education optimally

KUCHING: The Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS) welcomes the announcement by the Ministry of Education about educational reforms being in the pipeline towards addressing inefficiency in delivering education optimally.

“The need for teachers to have more time to individually meet the learning needs of their pupils has never been more necessary. The impact of Covid-19 has meant a huge learning loss for our children, with Malaysia’s loss being estimated to be the highest in the region, after Myanmar, by the Asia Development Bank,” said SWWS.

As an organisation concerned for children’s well-being and having many mothers and teachers as members, SWWS president Dr Angie Garet said the society wanted concerted actions led by the Ministry of Education to ensure that every child would receive proper education.

“While the latest statement is a step in the right direction, so much more needs to be done in ensuring that no child is left behind and every child is given the help needed to restore confidence and ability after such a prolonged disruption to their education and social interactions,” said Angie.

SWWS is also one of the contributors to a recently published report entitled ‘Our Children’s Learning Loss: A Path to Post-Covid-19 School Recovery in Malaysia’, outlining various strategies to address the current challenges.

The report can be viewed at National Early Childhood Intervention Council website.

“In Sarawak, given our terrains, we would have many children who are unable to follow classes online or reach their schools to collect work set by teachers. Even those who do have access, have found it difficult to concentrate during online classes,” said SWWS.

Thus, the organisation said it was essential to assess the needs of every pupil and every school so that the necessary resources could be put in place and to further support the teachers.

“This is especially true for children in the first three years of primary school whose grasp of the 3Rs (reading, writing and arithmetics) has been affected and also for children transitioning to secondary education.”

SWWS said there was a real fear some might drop out due to poverty, as well as the fear that they could not cope.

“Teens’ feeling of failure and dropping out of school is bad for everyone. It puts them at risk of more poverty and early parenthood, and works against the state’s and country’s need for a skilled workforce to increase economic development.”

Thus, SWWS said now would be the time to act and the report sets out key strategies to reduce learning loss.

“SWWS urges the Sarawak state authorities to discuss with the Ministry of Education so that the situation here including our children with disabilities and those without documentation are addressed swiftly.

“We owe it to our children not to delay; instead, to take bold, decisive reforms,” it said.