Increasing pre-school enrolment

Friday January 14, 2011

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/1/14/nation/7775678&sec=nation

 

INCREASING pre-school enrolment is a key initiative of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP)’s Education National Key Results Area (NKRA).

By 2012, pre-school enrolment nationwide is aimed to reach 87% and by 2020, it is the government’s intention to raise that number to a ‘near universal’ enrollment of 97%.

A national committee on pre-school education under the Education Ministry, with a pre-school division will govern all pre-school providers.

The permanent committee members will include the Education director-general, heads of major government pre-school providers such as Community Development Department (Kemas) and National Unity and Integration Department (JPNIN), as well as the head of the private education division of the ministry.

Among the issues the committee would oversee are curriculum, qualification requirements, training and evaluation.

The National Pre-School Curriculum Standard (NPCS) has been developed to ensure the level of standard and consistency among the schools.

It incorporates the principles of holistic education and includes activities to promote understanding among the different races.

Targeted training programmes will also be offered to both teacher and teacher assistants to improve the skills of approximately 30,000 existing and new staff by 2012.

For newly-hired teachers and teacher assistants, the minimum qualification requirements will be elevated to graduate and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level respectively.

The roadmap also recommends that children aged four could be enrolled for pre-school classes when they are available in 2012, as such classes have a positive impact on their long-term development.

A total of RM 10.88 million fee assistance has been given to 24,179 preschoolers in private pre-schools for the first time to encourage enrolment of children into pre-schools.

In 2010, Malaysia opened the largest number of pre-schools in its entire history – 1,500 pre-schools nationwide (both public and private).

Sabah, Sarawak exceed NKRA targets

Friday January 14, 2011

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/1/14/nation/7775483&sec=nation

 

MEETING the 2010 NKRA targets for pre-school education – with time to spare – was a boost for the Government, but what stood out was the success in Sabah and Sarawak.

Education deputy director-general (Education Operations) Datuk Noor Rezan Bapoo Hashim (pic) said that having an impact on the two states had long been an agenda of the ministry and the masterstroke was a partnership between the ministry and the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC).

Noor Rezan said that effective operations in the two states required a lot of in-depth knowledge of the local terrain and communities and the SEDC, through its subsidiary SeDidik, was already involved in pre-school initiatives.

“Building a pre-school which is made of concrete would cost us a few hundred thousand ringgit but SeDidik builds them for around RM80,000,” she said.

“The pre-schools may be made out of wood but they suffice.

“Why reinvent the wheel when SeDidik is already there?” Noor Rezan asked.

The ministry has since roped SeDidik into its efforts and 12 more pre-schools will be built, with the budget coming from the ministry.

Noor Rezan added that the ministry would assist in training pre-school teachers and supplying the National Pre-School Curriculum Standards (NPCS).

“The most important thing is that the local children will have a preschool education.

“Children who attend pre-school have a head start over their peers.

“We cannot afford to deprive children in the kampung and rural areas of this opportunity,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Sabak Bernam district is slated to receive three additional pre-school classes.

The Education Ministry will set up each class in three separate national schools to give more children the opportunity to receive an early childhood education.

Sabak Bernam district education officer Samsiah Jamaluddin said late last year that three schools have been identified for the establishment of pre-school classes.

They were Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Majmur, Seko­lah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Lam Hua and SK Sungai Leman, Sekinchan.

According to Samsiah, the additional classes would increase the number of pre-school classes from the current 58 to 61 approaching 2011, and would be available for children aged four and five.

The enrolment of children aged four and five is part of the initiative under the GTP’s Education NKRA to ensure that every child is not left out from receiving early education.

Ensuring quality education

Friday January 14, 2011

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/1/14/nation/7775472&sec=nation

By JOSHUA FOONG
joshuafoong@thestar.com.my

 

ABOUT 21,000 private pre-school teachers will be fully trained by 2012 to enhance and ensure greater professionalism and teaching quality in pre-schools.

The reason: for the first time in Malaysian history, there are more than 50,000 students in pre-schools throughout the country.

Beginning November last year, the first batch of 7,000 teachers have commenced training at various teachers training institutes (IPG), public tertiary institutions (IPTA) and private tertiary institutions (IPTS).

The 7,000 teachers include those in private pre-schools and those teaching in government pre-schools operated by the Department of National Unity and Integration (JPNIN).

Out of the number, 3,439 have been trained by 10 IPTS and private training centres whilst the remaining pre-school teachers will be trained IPG and IPTA.

The upskilling of these pre-school teachers is required as currently, 93% of existing teachers do not have certificates and in professionalism of early childcare education (ECCE) and the Education Ministry has pointed out a need to build the professionalism in early childhood education.

“This is also the first time the training of private pre-school teachers is being funded by the government,” said Datuk Asariah Mior Shaharuddin, the deputy director-general of the Education Ministry’s Teacher Professional Development Sector .

“The idea,” she pointed out, “is to make teacher training more professional and competitive to ensure quality. Pre-school education cannot be taken for granted.

“Building a strong educational foundation for our children is top priority for us, and we are doing everything we can to raise the quality of pre-school teaching and the standard of our teachers nationwide.”

Currently, the minimum qualification for a pre-school teacher is a diploma in ECCE, Asariah said.

“This is not good enough considering the gargantuan task of shaping and providing a solid foundation for our children, often regarded as the future pillars of society,” she said.

“It’s a fantastic start though and we will be looking into requiring future pre-school teachers to be qualified graduates in ECCE.”

Asariah said by engaging the private sector to be involved in pre-school teacher training would mean liberalising teacher training as the government has never been involved in doing this in the past.

“The sheer volume of the pre-school teachers that we have to train means we have to leverage on the resources of the private sector to ensure all the pre-school teachers are properly trained,” she said.

Late last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that pre-school teachers training will be a joint collaboration by the Education Ministry with nine institutions namely SEGI College, DiKA College, Taj International College, Institute Teknologi Info-Sains Mahir, MCS College, Institut Perkembangan Awal Kanak-kanak, Kolej Uniti, Thames Technology, Iras Mewah and Institut Megatech to conduct pre-school teacher training in 10 Malaysian states.

The training programmes, part of the new developments and Entry Points Projects (EPP) under the country’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), have completed pre-school teacher training in 10 Malaysian states in December 2010.

The Ministry had requested for various IPTS to put their bids to train pre-school teachers online using the e-Perolehan mechanism.

UP dimensi baru pendidikan tinggi negara

Jumaat , 14 Januari 2011

http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/UPdimensibarupendidikantingginegara/Article

Oleh Dr Zaini Ujang

Hasil akademia bukan sekadar segulung ijazah tetapi menjangkaui aspek mengaplikasi ilmu

KONSEP Universiti Penyelidikan (UP) berteraskan keusahawanan inovasi semakin ghairah dibincangkan dalam komuniti akademik kebelakangan ini. Pada asasnya konsep ini berkaitan dengan pembangunan ilmu bersepadu, berpaksi manfaat langsung, lebih dinamik, tidak terlalu bergantung kepada akademia konvensional.

Secara khususnya, konsep ini lanjutan daripada perkembangan universiti moden. Tahap pertama ialah penawaran program diploma dan ijazah sarjana muda, dan ijazah sarjana secara kerja kursus. Tahap kedua ialah penawaran pengajian peringkat pasca siswazah, disusuli tahap ketiga iaitu UP.

Ketika ini lima universiti tempatan berstatus UP iaitu USM, UKM, UPM, UTM dan UM dengan penumpuan kepada program penyelidikan peringkat tinggi, iaitu PhD dan pasca kedoktoran.

Tahap keempat adalah aplikasi ilmu secara praktikal menerusi pembabitan dan perkongsian pintar dengan pelbagai pihak di luar komuniti akademik, terutama pembuat dasar dan peneraju industri.

Kemuncaknya, tahap kelima adalah apa yang saya ungkapkan sebagai ‘UP berteraskan keusahawanan inovasi’ sebagaimana univer-siti ternama MIT, Harvard, Stanford dan Cambridge yang bergerak seiring atau mendahului perkembangan idea, dasar negara, konsep pembangunan, harta intelek, penghasilan graduan berkualiti sehinggalah menjana nilai baru, sama ada idea, kekayaan atau perkhidmatan berkualiti.

UP berteraskan keusahawanan inovasi perlu difahami daripada segi suasana kerja dan ekosistem intelektual menggalakkan semangat dan minda keusahawanan. Dengan kata lain, minda keusahawanan inovasi perlu difahami dalam konteks berkerja sebagai komuniti akademik untuk berkhidmat secara lebih proaktif, kreatif dan berdaya saing menggunakan seluruh sumber tanpa terlalu bergantung kepada geran atau bantuan luar.
Ini termasuk penyediaan program akademik yang menggalakkan interaksi langsung dengan persekitaran kerja, mauduk penyelidikan yang menyediakan asas pemikiran dan penyelesaian kepada masalah semasa secara lebih inovatif.

Dari segi pengurusan universiti pula, minda keusahawanan inovasi membabitkan perkongsian pintar untuk mendapatkan pembiayaan projek pembangunan akademik, biarpun tidak mendapat pembiayaan langsung menerusi dana awam. Keusahawanan inovasi dalam konteks kampus pula membabitkan menyediakan suasana serta kemudahan pembelajaran yang menumpu kepada budaya ilmu yang meriah, ceria dan mesra inovasi.

Secara amnya, faktor kejayaan kritikal (CSF) untuk UP keusahawanan inovasi ialah ‘akademia baru’ iaitu kerangka baru dalam konteks universiti moden yang tidak terbelenggu dengan ‘disiplin akademik’ terlalu mengkhusus demi mempertahankan ciri ilmiah sehingga menenggelamkan keindahan dan makna ilmu.

Akademia baru seharusnya membawa dimensi dan penyegaran kepada penghayatan ilmu, tidak menanggapi ilmu sebagai ‘komoditi’ atau ‘kaedah’ mencapai matlamat jangka pendek terutama menerusi proses pensijilan semata-mata. Ilmu seharusnya dilihat sebagai kesepaduan sehingga memungkinkan ahli ilmu mencapai tahap hikmah.

Konsep kesepaduan ilmu ini selari dengan falsafah pendidikan negara. Itulah juga falsafah ilmu beberapa universiti awam seperti UTM dan UIAM. Kaedah penghayatan ilmu dalam akademia baru banyak kelainan, tidak lagi terikat kepada interaksi satu hala antara mahasiswa dan aktiviti dalam dewan kuliah. Minda keusahawanan inovasi dipupuk dalam semua bidang ilmu, tidak hanya dalam bidang pengajian perniagaan atau ekonomi.

Hasil akademia baru bukan sekadar segulung sijil akademik dan kepakaran dalam sesuatu bidang. Malah menjangkau aspek aplikasi ilmu. Bagi graduan bidang kejuruteraan dan sains gunaan misalnya, hasil ilmu juga dalam bentuk model perniagaan, modal, jaringan dan budaya kerja.

Model perniagaan diperoleh ketika menjalankan pelbagai projek ilmiah berbentuk keusahawanan inovasi yang boleh dikembangkan sehingga mampu menjana dana besar untuk dijadikan modal selepas tamat pengajian. Hal ini saya bincangkan dengan panjang lebar dalam buku terbaru berjudul Menjana Minda Kreatif dan Inovatif.

Persoalannya, apakah komuniti akademik tempatan bersedia melakukan lonjakan minda membina akademia baru? Apakah akademia baru akan sekali lagi mengubah corak pembangunan ilmiah sebagaimana era pasca Perang Dunia Kedua supaya lebih relevan dengan persekitaran global untuk terus menyerlah dalam ekonomi inovasi?

Penulis ialah Naib Canselor Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)

 

Budaya senior-junior di sekolah patut hapus

14 Januari 2011, Jumaat

http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/Budayasenior-juniordisekolahpatuthapus/Article

MERUJUK berita utama muka depan Berita Harian 12 Januari lalu, mengenai seorang remaja, Mohd Syazwan Johari yang retak lutut kiri akibat didera senior.

Saya berpendapat mereka yang membuli mangsa ialah golongan yang termakan dengan budaya lapuk senior-junior yang tidak relevan dan menunjukkan betapa bodohnya pemikiran ini.

Seperti yang kita sering dengar dalam laporan berita sebelum ini, tidak kira sama ada di sekolah atau di institusi pengajian tinggi (IPT), ramai junior menjadi mangsa senior yang begitu taksub dengan senioriti mereka.

Saya sebagai golongan profesional, berasa amalan orientasi wajar dihentikan serta-merta kerana sesetengah senior yang pendek akal mengambil kesempatan tidak bertempat dan mengamalkan budaya gangsterisme di sekolah atau IPT.

Dalam kes sebelum ini, ada yang mati, cedera atau cacat seumur hidup gara-gara tindakan bodoh sesetengah golongan yang taksub dengan senioriti.

Tidaklah semua senior sebodoh ini tapi ada sesetengah senior yang suka mengambil kesempatan dan ini berlanjutan hingga sejak tahun pertama dan seterusnya.

Saya menyarankan Kementerian Pelajaran atau Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi agar budaya orientasi dihentikan serta-merta.
Ada banyak cara jika hendak berkenalan. Jika kita lihat di IPT, ada senior mengambil kesempatan terhadap junior dalam pelbagai aspek dan kemudian ditiru sesetengah senior di sekolah yang melihat ini sebagai peluang khas buat mereka.

Saya ingin memberi beberapa cadangan kepada Kementerian Pelajaran dan Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi, pertama ada pelbagai cara berkenalan. Untuk yang beragama Islam, buat sesi suai kenal di masjid atau surau. Sekurang-kurangnya, ada aspek agama dalam pemikiran senior dan junior ini.

Situasi persekitaran ini, menjadikan keadaan lebih baik. Bukan sampai cedera dan buli. Adalah amat memalukan apabila secara amnya yang suka membuli di sekolah dan IPT, kebetulan membabitkan remaja Melayu. Sebagai orang Islam, ini bukanlah teladan baik jika betullah hendak jadi senior yang baik.

Untuk yang bukan Islam, boleh buat di tempat khas seperti gereja, kuil dan seumpamanya. Jika hendak jadi hero, bukan hero mendera sebagai senior.

Keduanya, undang-undang perlu diwujudkan agar senior yang suka membuli atau mendera apabila mendapat laporan, terus dibuang sekolah atau IPT agar perkara mendera ini lebih ditakuti senior.

Jika senior yang berakal dan tahu erti kata senior sebenar tiada sebarang masalah, namun yang menjadi masalah senior yang berasa gah dan taksub dengan senioriti mereka padahal tiadalah sehebat manapun.

SENIOR PRIHATIN,
Selangor

Jelaskan ‘paria’ elak keliru

14 Januari 2011, Jumaat

http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2011&dt=0114&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Muka_Hadapan&pg=mh_05.htm

KUALA LUMPUR 13 Jan. – Maksud perkataan ‘paria’ dalam novel Interlok karya Sasterawan Negara, Datuk Abdullah Hussain yang didakwa menyinggung perasaan kaum India wajar diterangkan melalui glosari dengan dilampirkan dalam teks pelajar tingkatan lima itu.

Persatuan Penulis Nasional (Pena) dan Gabungan Persatuan Penulis Nasional Malaysia (Gapena) yang mencadangkan perkara itu meminta supaya dijelaskan dalam glosari itu dengan tepat maksud paria.

Presiden Pena, Mohamad Saleeh Rahamad berkata, dengan langkah itu, Gapena percaya ia dapat menerangkan bahawa perkataan paria mempunyai maksud yang jelas.

Selain itu, menurut beliau, kementerian berkaitan atau persatuan penulis juga perlu memberi penjelasan kepada para guru agar mereka faham maksud perkataan itu dan mudah untuk diperjelaskan kepada para pelajar.

“Biar para pelajar tahu bahawa perkataan itu memang wujud, jika kita menarik balik novel tersebut seolah-olah kita menafikan fakta, perkataan itu adalah fakta, tidak ada salahnya ia digunakan,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang akhbar Gapena mengenai Forum Setiakawan Malaysia-Indonesia anjuran Gapena dan Utusan Malaysia di sini, hari ini.

Sementara itu, Borhan berkata, Gapena bersama beberapa NGO akan menganjurkan satu perhimpunan memprotes tindakan pihak tertentu mempolitikkan Interlok.

Katanya, perhimpunan itu akan diadakan Sabtu ini, pukul 2.30 petang di pekarangan Rumah Gapena, Jalan Dewan Bahasa.

Perhimpunan itu bertujuan memperlihatkan kesatuan di kalangan orang Melayu menentang sebarang usaha mempolitikkan karya sastera.