SOS – Save our schools
Tunku Munawirah Putra, Fz.com
LET’S call a spade a spade. Our education system has failed. Yes, we need a drastic change to rectify its weaknesses, and yes, we and many others agree with former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s frank remark about the failure of our education system.
It is not just a matter of accepting the criticism; what matters more is what we can do at this juncture to ensure that the steps taken to improve the system will serve the greater good of all Malaysians.
The best way to ensure the success of any educational transformation must begin in the classroom. According to Dr Arran Hamilton of CfBT Education Malaysia, an education consulting firm, quoting the Ministry of Education (MOE), 70% of school reforms fail because they do not connect the “hidden wiring” in the relationship between a student and the teacher.
Effective learning takes place when the students are engaged and when they are able to construct their own meaning of the concepts taught, regardless of how the teachers or books tell them.
We also agree with Hamilton that telling the teachers what to do as a strategy for education transformation usually does not work. The MOE is on a path to repeat the same mistake of failed education transformation with many of the plans and strategies listed in the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2013-2025. The school-based assessment (PBS) and the newly revived school-based assessment for Form Three (PT3) are prime examples of the things that can go seriously wrong when not implemented properly.
Continuous professional training for teachers
The solution for an effective learning transformation suggested by Hamilton is sound, that is, it is best that the teacher receives continuous professional training in the classroom through a pedagogy coach or a mentor teacher/observer using a set pedagogical process. It is important that teachers receive feedback, guidance and advice, and are able to collaborate their experiences with others to ensure the best approach to teaching takes place.
We are of the opinion that the Trust school programme, spearheaded by Yayasan AMIR, is, at this juncture, the best hope for an effective and fast education transformation for the country. This school improvement programme matches Hamilton’s prescription.
Currently, there are 13 Trust schools in Johor, Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur. Seventeen more schools are adopting the programme this year and another 20 next year. The target set for the Trust school adoption programme is as per the MEB. The MOE plans to scale up 50 schools to become Trust schools by 2015 and 500 by 2025.
The first cohort of Trust schools — 10 schools — started in 2010. Although the Trust school programme runs for just a five-year period, some significant improvements in terms of student outcomes and teacher competency have been observed. Students are more confident and engaged in lessons.
School attendance has improved tremendously as students enjoy going to school. The rate of vandalism of school property has reduced. Teacher competency has also improved by more than 50% in their classrooms. The Trust school teachers are the ones who are far ahead in implementing PBS.
