Economy, education and political power play

Hurrah! The ringgit is the best performing currency in the world. This is a sign that we are heading towards economic recovery; our export earnings have improved with higher commodity prices, we are attracting more foreign direct investments in our manufacturing and technology sectors, Bank Negara’s intervention and incentives for the foreign exchange market have shown positive results and the global economic factors are on our side. This is testament that Malaysia is a trading nation, and our economy depends on it.

Moving forward, how can we keep up the pace and maintain this positive economic trajectory? We certainly are not short of world-best plans and strategies to reform our economy and education, especially to support the training of skilled human resources to achieve economic growth.

However, we must recognise that there is a significant gap between what we want to achieve economically versus what we are doing in the name of reforming our education system. Though the economic and education plans on paper seem to align, how can we be assured that these plans will be implemented effectively? Given the previous track records, is it any wonder that there is scepticism about the way in which the plans are being implemented?

The government recognises that education is the driving force for talent development and economic competitiveness. But realistically, evidence on the ground and at the grassroots level tells a different story. Education has become a tool for political relevance and popularity.

The recent discussion on the reintroduction of national examinations — for primary schoolchildren, the UPSR, and for lower secondary schoolchildren, PT3 — is a concern. This discussion to address underachievement should be confined to engagement with stakeholders and the ministry of education, backed up by evidence and data. It should not be up to the politicians to bring this issue into the news and create more confusion and anxiety — for perhaps another flip-flop of policy.

Politics in education seems to know no bounds. On the issue of tahfiz school graduates who do not have SPM qualifications, to create an alternative pathway for university admission, it has been suggested that they use the Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM), an industry-based certified qualification. This may provide an opportunity for those without official secondary school qualifications but ultimately, it would be entirely up to the university to decide on admission, and not politicians. Again, the issue is how politicians can reap the rewards to appeal to the growing conservative Malay Muslim population, who would otherwise vote for the opposition.

Another matter has been observed: how is allowing the establishment of an infinite number of religious schools aligned with the greater economic plan? In fact, the irony is, these schools are the ones cultivating religious conservatism in the first place. And measures such as the shortcut pathway into university are needed to ensure that these graduates are able to make something of themselves economically, moving forward. In addition, programmes for bridging the gap to ensure human capital development post-religious education would require a comprehensive study.

There must be a bigger discussion on managing religious schools and having them adopt the national curriculum, just like the vernacular school system. Religious schools should be regulated and subject to the Education Act. This is also a way to contain and curtail deviant beliefs spread by cult groups like Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB). Such groups should not be able to take seed.

A positive measure is Program Anak Kita, an intervention programme run by Yayasan Hasanah to tackle learning achievement gaps tailored for the group who: (1) need 3R (reading, writing, arithmetic) intervention (aimed at pupils 11 years old and under, of which 42% cannot read, write and count); (2) need SPM exam intervention aimed at those in Forms 4 and 5 to increase the number of SPM-qualified students; last year, 10,160 did not sit for SPM; and (3) are at risk of dropping out are to enable them to stay in school and those who have left, to come back to complete schooling. These are aimed at improving secondary school enrolment rates. Such programmes should be further encouraged and scaled for the next year.

For the upcoming Budget 2025, we wish for more allocation towards the development of STEM education, teacher upskilling, support and training, early years programme and intervention for the 3Rs as well as mastering languages, both Bahasa Malaysia and English for the sake of developing the needed skills from young. The Dual Language Programme (DLP) and the Highly Immersive English Programme (HIP) must be scaled up.

It is our fervent wish that our leaders rise above petty politics and race for popularity and ensure that our education reforms are genuine, so that our country can progress economically. Red flags must be raised to keep religious and language conservatism at bay for the sake of the economy.

The Edge