Muda Proposes Revamp Of Education System Needs Based Quotas

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Muda has suggested that the education system be revamped into a system that goes from kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12), with a single entry exam for university enrolment.
Its president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman stated that for decades, education experts in the country have urged the government to consider implementing the method due to the abundance of pre-university programmes.
“We have STPM, matriculations, A-Levels, O-Levels, diplomas, and many more options for students to enrol after SPM that have very different evaluations.
“Hence why we have these experts telling us that we need to adopt the K-12 system where the students will only sit for one entry exam to enrol into university,” he told a press conference at the Muda headquarters in Petaling Jaya today.
Additionally, Syed Saddiq (above) recommended the establishment of a special committee in Parliament to allow the system to be discussed and enacted in the near future.
K-12 system
The K-12 education system refers to the comprehensive educational structure that covers kindergarten to 12th grade in many countries, including the United States and South Korea.
Children from ages five and six will begin their formal education in kindergarten, which progresses to elementary school (grades 1 to 5), middle school (grades 6 to 8), and then high school (grades 9 to 12).
Throughout the grades, they will begin with fundamental subjects such as reading and mathematics, to being introduced to broader ranges of education and then embark on individual specialisations that align with their future careers.
Under the system, students typically graduate at 18 after sitting for a standardised university or college admission test similar to the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) in the United States.
‘Current system often abused’
The Muar MP acknowledged public concerns surrounding the system as it may clash with the bumiputera quota in higher education institutions.
Therefore, Syed Saddiq reiterated a suggestion to the government to transit the quota into a needs-based one which would emphasise underprivileged students’ background rather than their race or religion.
Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman during the press conference todayHe noted that while a majority of the poor are Malays and bumiputera, he highlighted that the ethnic-based approach is unbalanced and was often abused by the privileged.
“Even Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim himself said that ‘cronies’ benefit from the system rather than the poor Malays.
“I can assure you that a needs-based education system will not cast aside the underprivileged students in Sabah and Sarawak or those who came to study in the city from struggling households.
“It is unfair to put an urban student in the same line as someone who comes from a poor family,” he added.
Syed Saddiq emphasised that achieving this effort required bipartisan politics, stating that the matter of unequal education opportunities was something lawmakers from all stances should prioritise.
Prior to the suggestions, Syed Saddiq mentioned that Muda decided to address the situation after the prime minister stated yesterday that the bumiputera quota in education could not be abolished.
PM Anwar IbrahimDuring a dialogue session at Kolej Matrikulasi Pulau Pinang in Kepala Batas, Anwar said that if the quota was scrapped, it would risk Pakatan Harapan and BN losing in all of the coming elections.
Anwar insisted that he would personally instruct for the resolution of individual appeals by non-Malays, but to advocate for the system’s abolishment would “ignite turmoil in this country”.
Previously, when launching the “Ekonomi Madani”, Anwar said the government will create more opportunities for Malaysians of all ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds fairly by establishing scholarships and having boarding school placements that will prioritise low-income groups.
Push TVET
Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq also urged the government to push technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes into the line of sight for students.
He stated that due to the “fetishisation” of universities, TVET programmes have lower enrolments and expressed concern that the number of students will decrease annually.
“The government spends RM8 billion each year on TVET but the enrolment is still lower than 50 percent.
“Students who are in TVET will have greater employment skills and are even given monthly allowances but we are unwilling to think outside the box,” he added. - Mkini

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