The post-SPM headache

THE Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia 2023 exams ended last month and for many school-leavers, the next phase of their educational pursuit will start soon, if they have not enrolled in private institutions already.

Having put three kids to private tertiary education, including my youngest son last year, I know that this is a testing time for parents too. Private tertiary education is not cheap and can set parents back by hundreds of thousands of ringgit per child. It doesn’t help that our ringgit has weakened considerably over the years, which affects parents whose kids are studying overseas.

As parents, we would want our children to opt for tertiary education choice that is more in line with our financial ability but we also want our children to enjoy quality education and not study in some fly-by-night institutions with dubious credentials.

Some parents are led by the nose by their children who have a commanding say on where they want to study but can be oblivious to their parents’ financial abilities, or lack of.

And some students are subjected to peer pressure, or taken in by the “glamour” of studying in certain institutions, which charge an arm and a leg just for being fanciful or for sporting posh campuses.

I have also noticed that some parents and students quickly decide on their choice without doing much research. In Malaysia, there are different tiers of tertiary institutions.

Top tier institutions have a good track record and reputation but are also known to be costly. Second tier institutions offer comparable quality education but are more affordable. It’s just that they may not be as glitzy as the top-tier ones.

There’s no need to always jump into the top tier institutions as some of the programmes may not be suitable for students. Certain institutions have strengths in certain areas and weaknesses in others.

This is why communication and research is key for both parents and students. Parents should communicate the kind of parameters they have in mind when their children select where they want to further their education.

Students should also articulate their expectations to their parents. Both sides can meet halfway and spare themselves the headache and heartache that comes with navigating the tertiary journey.

ISAAC PETERS

Subang Jaya