Thorough study needed before having streamless schools

IN FEBRUARY this year, Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik announced that streamless schools are the way forward.

He said this was among the suggestions received from the National Education Policy review committee.

Maszlee also said that students will not be put into Science and Arts (streams) anymore.

“In a new curriculum we will implement, we will not only emphasise Science, but also Arts (and culture) because knowledge is one; it cannot be compartmentalised and should be integrated instead,” he said.

Many reacted to this statement positively and negatively.

In the Industrial Age, rote learning was the general mode of learning and children were expected to be trained for the demands of industries, which needed people to work, taking orders and following instruction. Only those who dared to be different escaped this sort of education. However, in the present era a uniformed system that fits all is not practical anymore.

Today, we need people who are dreamers and those who can use their imagination to get to mars and beyond. The practice has already begun in other countries such as Japan and Norway.

Having taught in schools and in a higher learning institution, I couldn’t agree more with the notion of providing opportunities for learners to discover for themselves their interests both in the Arts and the Sciences.

Most of my students who completed their secondary education in a particular stream were lost most of the time about choosing the right course and career. It is important for schools to teach children to explore their strengths and weaknesses in a safe, supportive environment. All children deserve that.

All said and done, it is important that we don’t rush into implementing this dream of our Education Minister.

There are many things to be considered before making this dream a reality. Lots of planning need to be carried out in implementing this correctly to fulfil the desire of our National Education Philosophy, that is to create a holistic person.

The streamless curriculum should only be introduced in Form Four after students have gone through the common standardised syllabus until Form Three. This is to ensure that all students get the same basic education. Therefore, the ministry must ensure that every school sets up a department for every subject or course offered, offer subjects in every area and ensure that this new system does not encounter an early death.

In setting up the respective departments, the right and best person must be chosen to lead so as to ensure all the programmes are carried out efficiently and effectively. There must be science departments (biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, technology, etc) arts and design departments (language, literature, history, fashion, photography, etc) and other skill-based departments (cooking, carpentry, sports, etc) set up to cater to the needs of all students with different interests.

The syllabus for every course should be designed comprehensively to meet the courses offered in the higher learning institutions or the current job market. This will ensure that students get to further their studies in the courses they are interested in or join the job market if they don’t wish to further their studies.

Students should be allowed to choose the courses they are interested in after they have completed their Form Three. Online registration of courses should be done like in the universities before the school opens for the new term. This will help each department to plan their intake and academic calendar well.

Lastly, everyone including the ministry, parents, students, teachers and especially the politicians, must be patient with the success of this streamless system.

It must not be replaced when a new education minister or new government takes over. It is really essential that the people concerned do not rush into this matter before giving it a thorough and meticulous consideration.

PETER & MARY FRANCIS

UiTM Perak