The poor academic standards of university students and unemployed graduates are often lamented. But what is done to solve them? Almost nothing, and worse still, most things that are done focus on improving the state of university education.
There is nothing with fixing our admittedly far from perfect tertiary education system. But what's the point of focusing on the apex when the base itself is in tatters? Our primary and secondary schools are generally inadequate when it comes to preparing students for the rigours of academia. (As an aside, it's questionable that all students are cut out for academia in the first place — university education should be for those who are intellectually capable, not for any Tom, Dick and Harry.)
For example, I am willing to bet that we could cut down the number of unemployed graduates and abysmally performing university students if only we either reformed education at the primary school level or provided tuition for them. The present higher education system admits just about anyone (specifically, almost any Malay) who applies, so if it's going to do that, the focus should be on improving the quality of applicants — and we need to go back to basics for that.
Study habits, as consequence says, are also set in primary school. If students become used to rote memorisation and reliance on tuition and workbooks at that stage, they will never be used to doing the real intellectual work that a university education requires, nor will they be prepared for the kind of skills required to cope with daily life.
In secondary school, I remember that many of my classmates copied their coursework reports and essays from friends and relatives who had written similar such works before. Was it because these people were dumb? No — it was because they had become used to not having to deal with any sort of such work in primary school, and furthermore, because they knew they could get away with it.
Our education system is in dire need of reform. And this reform is most badly needed at the base of the education system — the primary and secondary school levels. It is no good to have a brilliant higher education system, but to have primary schools only capable of churning out mindless zombies unprepared for either daily or university life.
20/07/10
There is nothing with fixing our admittedly far from perfect tertiary education system. But what's the point of focusing on the apex when the base itself is in tatters? Our primary and secondary schools are generally inadequate when it comes to preparing students for the rigours of academia. (As an aside, it's questionable that all students are cut out for academia in the first place — university education should be for those who are intellectually capable, not for any Tom, Dick and Harry.)
For example, I am willing to bet that we could cut down the number of unemployed graduates and abysmally performing university students if only we either reformed education at the primary school level or provided tuition for them. The present higher education system admits just about anyone (specifically, almost any Malay) who applies, so if it's going to do that, the focus should be on improving the quality of applicants — and we need to go back to basics for that.
Study habits, as consequence says, are also set in primary school. If students become used to rote memorisation and reliance on tuition and workbooks at that stage, they will never be used to doing the real intellectual work that a university education requires, nor will they be prepared for the kind of skills required to cope with daily life.
In secondary school, I remember that many of my classmates copied their coursework reports and essays from friends and relatives who had written similar such works before. Was it because these people were dumb? No — it was because they had become used to not having to deal with any sort of such work in primary school, and furthermore, because they knew they could get away with it.
Our education system is in dire need of reform. And this reform is most badly needed at the base of the education system — the primary and secondary school levels. It is no good to have a brilliant higher education system, but to have primary schools only capable of churning out mindless zombies unprepared for either daily or university life.
20/07/10
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