Making Form Six education more attractive

Plan in place: Last month, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said initiatives to enhance Form Six ­education are being finalised.

FORM Six education (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia or STPM), once the coveted pathway to enter local public universities, has lost its lustre amid the variety of alternative pathways that are available to students now.

Local private universities and branch campuses of foreign higher education institutions are now offering new opportunities to pursue a degree or diploma. There are also international schools that offer A-level and IGSCE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) examination for those who are planning to study overseas.

And then there is the matriculation programme, a one-year pre-university preparatory course conducted by the Education Ministry. The programme, where 90% of the places are reserved for bumiputra students, has become more popular since it was introduced in the 1990s.

Comparisons between matriculation and Form 6 education reveal the underlying reasons for the latter losing its attractiveness. Matriculation is a one-year course compared to the 18 months of Form Six education. It also provides easier passage to local public universities, and students learn in a college-style environment. In contrast, most Form 6 classes are taught in schools, which do not exude a pre-university environment or campus culture. Matriculation students also enjoy a semester cost-of-living allowance.

Hoping to make Form Six education more attractive, the government has drawn up the Form Six Education Development Plan 2024 to 2030, a strategy that includes the introduction of Premium Form 6 Colleges, revamping the curriculum and exploring a new financial incentive in the form of monthly cost-of-living allowance to students and teachers.

But taking cognisance of the current diminishing interest in STPM, the plan could prove to be a costly venture. For example, the development expenditure to build a new college is huge, and there is the downside risk that it may end up being a white elephant.

An in-depth feasibility study should be done to determine the viability of the plan. The existing Form 6 College in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya is a good place to gather information on the development and operating costs, including the salaries and allowance of teaching staff, the current teacher-student ratio, and the projected intake of new students into Form Six pre-university colleges.

Instead of building new campuses, the Education Ministry could explore the idea of “outsourcing” the teaching of STPM students to local public universities. The outsourcing option would provide a campus environment for the students, exposing them to a different style of teaching, learning and assessments.

DATUK WEE BENG EE

Tumpat, Kelantan