Majority of teachers not proficient in English

GEORGE TOWN: It has been revealed that two-thirds of 70,000 English teachers in the country failed to reach a proficient English level.

Education Ministry deputy director-general Datuk Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said it was one of the two major findings of a survey which required the teachers to sit for the Cambridge Placement Test.

“When we did the initial profiling of the English teachers in Malaysia, we found that two-thirds of the teachers did not meet the proficiency level,” said Dr Khair, who was one of the speakers at a forum held at the G Hotel here on Monday.

The forum titled “English Proficiency: Does the Education System Support the Needs of the Workplace?” was held in conjunction with The Star’s English For More Opportunities initiative.

Dr Khair was one of the four panellists at the forum, which was moderated by former Education Ministry deputy director-general Datuk Noor Rezan Bapoo Hashim.

Dr Khair added that the other major finding of the survey was that two in three students failed to meet the basics in English proficiency.

“This was based on the comparison of the students’ results in SPM English and Cambridge 1119 standards,” he said, adding that the survey was conducted among 13,000 students.

Dr Khair said the survey was an initial review done prior to the Preliminary Report Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Sept 11.

In relation to the curriculum and teaching in line with the strengthening of the English language, he said there were various initiatives with various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Malaysia.

“We also have English Teaching Assistant programmes as well as contract teachers employed to teach the language.”

National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) Penang branch chairman Ng Weng Tutt said the union lauded the proposal in the blueprint for the upskilling of teachers.

“The upskilling of teachers is in the right direction. After five years, teachers need to be sent for courses.

“We want the Government to upgrade all teachers, and not only from a certain group, from time to time, and also to send them for training.

“The NUTP wants the Government to have more well-trained teachers to teach English and English literature in schools,” he said.

Ng also said the union urges all parties, especially NGOs, to place equal emphasis on all languages.

“We support what the Government has proposed in the blueprint but there is still room for improvement.

“We are getting feedback from teachers before they are brought up to the Education Ministry,” he said.

TheStar

8:53 AM | Posted in English, Terkini | Read More »

Blueprint emphasises mastery in two languages

GEORGE TOWN: The exclusion of the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) from the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 should not be an issue as the programme was already scheduled to end in 2021.

Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said the ministry had already decided to implement the Upholding Bahasa Malaysia and Strengthening English (MBMMBI) programme.

He said that furthermore, the importance of mastering both English and Malay had already been listed in the blueprint.

Dr Mohd Puad was commenting on the disappointment expressed by several NGOs that PPSMI was not included in the blueprint.

PPSMI will be phased out in primary schools by 2016 and 2021 in secondary schools.

Dr Mohd Puad also said the ministry’s decision to proceed with MBMMBI was right because according to a Unesco study, pupils were able to master knowledge easier if taught in their mother tongue.

“During the recent Commonwealth Education Ministers Conference in Mauritius, the countries also took a stand that the medium for primary education should be the native language.”

8:07 AM | Posted in English, Terkini | Read More »

Teachers need to be polished

PETALING JAYA: Teachers believe the Education Ministry needs to harness existing talent in the teaching force.

Secondary school teacher Abel Cheah Sze Wei, 25, said this could be done through raising incentives for high-performing teachers as well as increasing the level of support and mentorship for newer teachers.

He said having a stringent selection process for potential teachers would also raise the quality of teaching in schools.

He was commenting on one of the 11 major initiatives in the Malaysia Education Blueprint to make teaching a profession of choice by ensuring that only the top 30% of graduates are recruited.

Abel said Malaysia could learn from Finland which had invested to improve teacher quality.

“It makes sense to recruit the best and brightest to teach in any society, because teaching is the act of passing on a society's culture and knowledge to the next generation,” he said.

His mother Ruth Cheah Kah Yok, a school principal, said the ministry should hire the “cream of the crop”.

“Teachers are now handsomely paid. I hope young achievers would consider this profession because it is rewarding as you can have an impact on the next generation,” she said.

Private school teacher Joanne Ho Xue Li, 25, said the ministry should test-run the initiatives before implementing them to ensure a smooth transition.

Her 69-year-old father Ho Oon Tian, who is a retired school principal, said reducing paperwork would allow teachers to focus on their main task of teaching.

“Those teaching play a big role in inspiring the young ones to become educators, too.”

8:05 AM | Posted in English, Terkini | Read More »

PM launches bold education blueprint for excellence

KUALA LUMPUR: The “frank and bold” Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 faces up to weaknesses in the education system and pushes for excellence among teachers and students.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the weaknesses in the present education system had to be acknowledged, and Malaysians could not be in denial, if the country is to move forward.

Alluding to the dismal performance of Malaysian students in the bottom one-third in international assessments, the Prime Minister said the education system had to be revamped to produce thinking and innovative students to meet future needs.

“In the new economy, the thrust is knowledge, innovation and technology. Our system must meet these needs. We must prepare our children for jobs that are yet to exist,” he said at the launch of the blueprint's preliminary report here yesterday.

Visionary plan: Najib and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin showing the blueprint during its launch at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

For a competitive edge, Malaysians should be bilingual, if not multilingual, Najib said, adding that this was because they lived in a multicultural environment.

“After 55 years, every Malaysian must be able to speak Bahasa Malaysia ... this is not a political but national issue.

“English is a reality ... (it is) not a zero sum game but an asset if we can speak English well,” he said.

He added that English Literature could improve proficiency in the language and students should build up their reading in stages.

The Prime Minister urged everyone to pick up three languages.

“We need that competitive edge. We can leverage on our multiracial component. Why lose that advantage? We should be pragmatic,” he told a packed hall at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre with over 2,000 people in attendance, including Cabinet ministers, MPs, educationists, non-governmental organisation representatives, teachers and students.

Najib added that education was a national issue and should not be politicised because “as leaders we should be brave enough to de-politicise education for the sake of our children”.

“We must not work in silos but be an integrated team to deliver real changes,” he said.

10:22 PM | Posted in English, Terkini | Read More »

Muhyiddin: Public can give input on education blueprint next month

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Education Blueprint 2012-2025 Preliminary Report will be opened for public scrutiny next month.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the ministry would invite stakeholders to give their views and seek feedback before the blueprint is presented to the Cabinet and finalised in December.

"The window of opportunity is still open for those who feel that their views should be included. The key phrase in the report is to upgrade the quality of education.

"If the proposals submitted can help improve the quality of education, we are ready to accept and incorporate them in the report," he told reporters after visiting the UPSR examination centre at SK Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah here.

The report which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Tuesday outlined 11 strategic and operational shifts to transform the country's education system.

Muhyiddin said the ministry would hold a series of briefings for all to enlighten them on the contents of the plan and priority areas.

"We will print information materials in simple language to enable the public to understand the contents of the report," he said.

Muhyiddin said the ministry would create the Education Delivery Unit to address implementation issues, manage communications with stakeholders and gather feedbacks on an ongoing basis. "As a follow-up, we might set up a monitoring committee made up of representatives of ministries, parents, and educationists to provide input and insight from time to time on what should be done and which areas needed to be given more emphasis," he added. He said all recommendations would be appraised based on educational philosophy, and whatever implemented should be practical and reasonable, and not deviate from the objective of achieving quality education.

He also asked the public to read the preliminary report before making any conclusion. Earlier, Muhyiddin, who was accompanied by Education director-general Tan Sri Abd Ghafar Mahmud and headmistress Sarimah Ahmad, inspected the UPSR examination centre.

A total of 517,139 candidates are sitting for the UPSR at 8,284 centres nationwide until Thursday.

- Bernama

10:16 PM | Posted in English, Terkini | Read More »

11 areas of reform outlined

KUALA LUMPUR: The views of about 50,000 stakeholders contributed to the making of the Malaysia Education Blueprint, the closest the Government has ever had to a referendum on educational issues.

Over the course of a year, cites the blueprint, ministry officials, teachers, principals, parents, students, and members of the public across Malaysia were engaged via interviews, focus groups, surveys, National Dialogue townhalls and roundtable discussions.

“This is the first time in the country's history that an education development plan was prepared through public discussion, over 90% of feedback received was taken into account,” Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in his speech at the launch of the preliminary report of the blueprint here on Tuesday.

The blueprint takes stock of the strengths and weaknesses of the education system and maps out strategies to achieve specific student outcomes.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said that despite the gains made in education, international assessments show that Malaysian students' achievements in reading, Mathematics and Science are still low compared to students in developed countries.

“For example, of 74 countries that participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment or Pisa 2009, Malaysian students were in the bottom third for reading, Mathematics and Science.

“We are not proud of this,” he said.

The target set is for Malaysia's performance to be at par with the international average by 2020 and to be in the top third segment in 15 years.

He added that the ministry would hold Open Days for the public to scrutinise details of the plan and offer further feedback.

The blueprint is also available online via the ministry's website at www.moe.gov.my.

“I believe that when this plan is brought to the Cabinet and finalised in December, it will be an education blueprint that is full of the rakyat's hopes and dreams,” he said.

In his speech, Muhyiddin outlined the blueprint's 11 areas of reform or “shifts” which will be implemented over the next 13 years in three phases or “waves”. They are:

> Increase access to education while improving quality to match international standards;

> Ensure that every child is proficient in both Bahasa Malaysia and English;

> Develop values-driven Malaysians and promote unity among the races;

> Transform teaching and ensure that only 30% of the top graduates are admitted into the profession;

> Ensure high-performing school leaders in every school;

> Empower district education offices, state education departments, and schools;

> Improve ICT in schools such as WiFi access;

> Transform the Education Ministry in order to deliver results;

> Involve parents, communities, and the private sector;

> Ensure student outcomes are proportional to the amount of government spending on education; and

> Increase transparency in the ministry's progress of the targets set in the blueprint.

The blueprint aims to produce students with six key attributes knowledge, thinking skills, leadership skills, bilingual proficiency, ethics and spirituality, and national identity.

Muhyiddin said the changes would be carried out in three stages: from 2013 to 2015; 2016 to 2020; and 2021 to 2025.

10:00 PM | Posted in English, Terkini | Read More »

Teaching fast becoming a choice profession

PETALING JAYA: The teaching profession is fast becoming a career of choice among fresh graduates, said Joint Teachers Unions Committee chairman Jemale Paiman.

He said there were 70,000 applications last year, although only 5,000 were needed.

“The number of applications indicates that a lot of youths were interested in becoming teachers,” he said.

Jemale said contrary to general perception that teaching was unpopular because of low pay, fresh graduate teachers actually received good salaries.

“One with a degree gets a basic salary of roughly RM2,300 and can earn up to RM2,500 with allowances,” he pointed out.

“With the new time-based promotion, teachers can enjoy faster career advancement if they perform well.

“For example, teachers who excel at the entry-level DG41 grade can be promoted to DG44 in just three to five years instead of the current eight,” added Jemale.

On top of that, Jemale said teachers sent to remote areas would also receive “hardship allowance”.

However, only the top 30% of graduates will be recruited as teachers beginning 2013 in an effort to en-hance the quality of the profession.

This is in line with the fourth shift in the new Malaysia Education Blueprint that emphasises on transforming teaching into a prestigious and elite profession.

National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng, however, said a good educational background should not be the only criterion when hiring new teachers.

“To be a teacher you must have the passion for teaching. This must go together with academic qualifications.”

9:00 PM | Posted in English, Terkini | Read More »