ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Regent of Johor has called for a national education reform by making changes to the syllabi of subjects that are no longer relevant to ensure that the next generation will remain competitive.
Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said the Federal Government should take more proactive measures to improve the quality, system and facilities of education.
“An important change that needs to be made is to update the syllabi of subjects that are no longer relevant.
“If this cannot be done at the national level, let Johor become the first state to change the syllabi in our schools,” he decreed when opening the third term of the 15th state assembly sitting in Kota Iskandar here yesterday.
It is also his first state assembly opening speech as Regent of Johor.
According to Tunku Ismail, he has always stressed the importance of quality education for the people.
“Quality education is the basis of a developed state. It will help to solve various issues and bring more job opportunities to the next generation,” he said.
He also highlighted a recent World Bank report as well as the country’s substandard performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) in his speech.
Malaysia’s achievements in the international assessment “Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study” and Pisa have yet to reach the top three positions as desired in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025.
“If we do not face these realities, then we should not complain when our next generation is less competitive compared with their peers.
“New and proactive initiatives are needed to equip youths to face upcoming challenges,” said Tunku Ismail, who is also the Johor Crown Prince.
He hoped that in years to come, every Johorean student would graduate from a higher education institution and not just stop at the secondary school level.
“The state needs more technology-savvy students and those who are exposed to ever-changing technology trends.
“It is my priority to ensure that all the Bangsa Johor people have food on the table, a place to stay, and access to quality education for their children, besides access to basic amenities and good healthcare services,” he told the state legislative assembly.
When Tunku Ismail was a guest on the Keluar Sekejap podcast in October last year, he told hosts Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan that quality education for the next generation is something that is close to his heart.
Tunku Ismail also said the Causeway in Johor Baru and the Second Link near here are important bridges to cross the border into Singapore for work as well as for Singaporeans to visit the state.
“Lately, upgrades have been conducted at the Customs, immigration and quarantine complexes at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (at the Causeway) and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (Second Link), but there are still many shortcomings that need to be addressed.
“I want to see these issues solved without compromise,” he added.
Tunku Ismail also thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Federal Government for selecting Johor to implement the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and Special Financial Zone (SFZ).
Besides significantly boosting Johor’s economic growth, he is confident that Johor and Singapore’s ties would be further strengthened through the initiatives.
He urged the state’s civil servants to do their part in ensuring that the JS-SEZ, SFZ and other related projects are implemented efficiently and on schedule.
He hoped this would help Johor transform into one of the main economic hubs in the region by 2030.
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