Need to re-look policies
THE drop in student enrolment at private higher education institutions (IPTS) and in private skills training institutes (ILKS) is alarming.
This will have a critical effect on the country’s economy, said Gabungan Institut Kemahiran Swasta Bumiputera chairman Nordin Abdul Malek.
“International and local students in IPTS have reduced by 40% and 32% respectively, since 2016.
“Economically, the 172,000 international students the country had in 2016, were able to contribute approximately RM32bil during their course of studies, while local students contribute roughly RM18bil.
“This is significant to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP),” he said in a statement.
Among the reasons for the drop in international students, Nordin said, include entry permit issues; while the drop among local students include their failure to fulfil SPM requirements and a reduction in National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans.
He cited sources from various IPTS and ILKS associations.
Nordin also said students in private Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions have dropped by 30% from 2017.
“Many of these students come from the B40 (low-income) group .
“Besides providing skills training opportunities, they are capable of generating an economic value of RM407mil each year,” he added.
He cited reasons such as bureaucratic red tape involving the Human Resources Ministry’s Department of Skills Development (JPK) accreditation system and the Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK) loan management financing process, for the drop.
With at least 20,000 trainees leaving the skills industry, Nordin said the situation is expected to worsen this year, if no effective and realistic action is taken immediately.
“The weakness in the implementation of various TVET policies will cause employers and investors to lose confidence in the development of Malaysia’s human capital.
“With no new framework and solutions to overcome the problem, parents and even public TVET institutions like vocational colleges are feeling disheartened.
“The government, through the Economic Action Council, needs to look into the economic impact these issues have on the country, if not addressed,” he added.
Recently, during the Malaysian TVET Forum 2019, Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said that the TVET curriculum will soon simulate actual workplace situations.
The learning modules, known as “Problem, Project, Production”, are intended to engage students with real world tasks.
These are some of the measures that will be implemented soon, he said, to strengthen and improve the TVET delivery implementation.
Education Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Amin Senin said last month that the ministry wanted to reform TVET programmes in the country.
Dr Amin said that this was why several TVET programmes were halted for awhile to give time for the Malaysian Qualifications Agency and JPK to evaluate its curriculum, to ensure TVET meets the quality benchmark set by the government and industrial needs.
He was responding to claims that certain TVET programmes have been discontinued.
Suggesting ways the government can overcome the issues plaguing IPTS and ILKS, Nordin called on the government to listen to the institutions’ grievances themselves.
“Invite representatives from these institutions to be part of the Economic Action Council, create a working cabinet committee to organise and coordinate both institutions as these involve various ministries, and provide a clear direction to public and private partnership concepts to avoid overlapping,” he said. —