Scholarships are a privilege, not a right

Azrul Mohd Khalib, Malay Mail Online

Two weeks ago, educationist Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim of the Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) came under furious criticism and mockery for her comments related to the decrease in the number of government scholarships as announced under the revised 2016 Budget. 

She urged parents not to rely on or expect public funds to pay for their children’s tertiary education, that they had to begin investing in their child’s future by saving their own money, that the government doesn’t really owe them anything when it comes to providing higher education financial support. 

Noor Azimah also emphasised that such financial assistance must cease to be seen as an opportunity by those who are better off to delegate responsibility of paying for their kids’ education to the government and the public purse. That scholarships cannot be seen as a right but a privilege.

Hard truths and blunt common sense. She is right in all these points. 

It is long overdue that we ensure that whatever higher education public financial support that is available actually goes towards those most deserving and in need, and not to those who are privileged through ethnicity and wealth. 

This recent development from the revised 2016 Budget, however frustrating and disheartening for many, should be taken as an opportunity to improve the effectiveness and coverage of these programmes. 

Let’s face it. Many of us, especially those who are Malay, have indoctrinated our kids with the notion that all they have to do is study hard, score that bucketful of As in the major exams and a government scholarship will somehow materialise like leprechaun gold at the end of the rainbow. It has created an expectation and a sense of entitlement.

But the reality is that the government doesn’t need to reward you for doing your best and excelling in your examinations. Why should it? 

What the government needs to do is keep its eye on the ball in addressing the socio-economic gap between those of the 2.7 million households who constitute the bottom 40 per cent of Malaysian society.

Financial assistance for tertiary education delivered through targeted bursaries and scholarships has a multiplier effect that impacts not only the upward social mobility of the individual students but also families and entire communities. It is a worthwhile investment, if it is done properly based on merit and in a sustainable manner.

As it is, the playing field to get these scholarships and bursaries is horribly uneven. 

Consider the fact that the grades of a student in rural Kodiang, Kedah are in direct competition with those of a student from a well-off family in a good school in Sri Hartamas or Bukit Jelutong. 

A system that places too much emphasis on straight As rather than evaluating potential and socio-economic background will inevitably be skewed towards the latter student as her or his family would be able to afford the additional classes and tutorials allowing them to achieve those necessary As. The Kodiang student sitting for the same exam would have a much tougher time with fewer resources. The system as it is today also benefits those whose families are well-connected giving them a shot at those same scholarships.

Giving a bursary or a scholarship to a student from a wealthy family takes away one less possibility for those from lower income families. The latter would gain the most from an opportunity of a tertiary education which wouldn’t be possible without the assistance. My father, the son of a farmer who planted padi and tapped rubber, was one such beneficiary and wouldn’t have been able to go to university without a study grant. 

The sad reality is that many students from low-income and rural backgrounds are being left behind and often are unable to even apply for a government scholarship, much less actually get one. This should not happen. 

A bursary by definition is a monetary award made by an institution to individuals or groups of people who are deserving but cannot afford to pay full tuition fees.

Yet every year almost without fail, we hear of deserving students from humble and disadvantaged backgrounds who have, despite odds and difficult circumstances, excelled in their studies and done well in extra curricula activities yet somehow unable to get government financial assistance. Their families are sometimes forced to take out difficult loans and mortgages to realise the dream of at least, one child being able to go to university. For some, unfortunately their dream ends there. If you want to talk about depriving students of opportunities for an education, let’s talk about that.

Another reason why this is happening is racial preference.

Few of my non-Malay friends grew up with the expectation that they would have a real opportunity to get a government scholarship. They just focused on applying for study grants and loans from private foundations and institutions.

Let’s admit that despite being funded by Malaysian taxpayers of all kinds of ethnicities, religions and creed, a racial quota or bias continues to be in operation which favours the Malay majority, seemingly irrespective of their individual socioe-conomic backgrounds. That’s how students from wealthy families living in places such as Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Damansara Heights, Mont Kiara and Bukit Jelutong are able to somehow get their local or overseas education funded by the Malaysian taxpayer. This must cease.

It is also an unfortunate reality that admissions to many of our public universities is also, despite all efforts, continuously overshadowed by race and ethnicity. 

A restriction of government bursaries and scholarships to local public universities such as what was announced in the revised budget could cause marginalisation of students if university admissions are influenced along racial lines.

What needs to be taken into consideration instead are academic merit, socio-economic background and most importantly, the potential of the student. Grading in exams is based on past performance, but admissions into university should be based on potential, on how a student may thrive with this sort of opportunity.  

Indefinite continuation of racial quotas or preferences with no end in sight understandably and rightfully causes resentment, are actually no longer needed and must be confined to the dustbin of history if we are to be a progressive and developed society. 

The modality of the higher education financial aid provided using public funds must also be revised and evaluated for its effectiveness to ensure that it is sustainable and is able to continue to provide assistance to those most deserving in the long run. After all, money is not an infinite resource.

For those who are advocating free public university education, let me say right now that there is no such thing. Higher education is costly to run and maintain. To study an undergraduate degree in Malaysia, costs an average of around RM17,000 a year in tuition fees. It costs less to do so in a public university. Nevertheless, somebody will need to foot the bill for that education, even if the student does not. And that person is the taxpayer.  

Some of the countries which have introduced free or very low tuition fees have some of the highest income tax burdens compared to that of Malaysia. Consider Germany, which recently declared all universities to now be tuition free. Their income tax is 49.3 per cent of earnings. Finland is 43.9 per cent. Sweden is 42.5 per cent. Denmark is 38.1 per cent. Until Malaysians are willing to pay that much in income tax, free university education is an unrealistic proposition. 

Let’s face it. We can’t give every student who qualifies for admission into university, a full ride scholarship covering not only tuition and university fees, but also books, accommodation, supplies, and living expenses. We just can’t afford it and honestly speaking, I don’t think we should as it would continue the culture of entitlement and dependency which has bedevilled a large segment of our society for too long.  

But what we can do is to support awarding scholarships and bursaries to those most deserving. And obviously, it cannot be for everyone. After all, it is a privilege not a right.

By all means, let’s work towards providing high quality public university education that is tuition free or have low fees like what is available in some of the European countries. But let’s be realistic about it.  Let’s also get rid of the perception that admission into these universities are tainted by racial preference, and instead emphasise on what it really should be: academic merit and potential.