Good News From Education Ministry

The Education Ministry is looking into reducing the number of examination subjects in an effort to revamp the education system which is too examination-oriented. Better late than never. For too long have our children been subjected to the burden of a ridiculous number of exam subjects which has taken the fun out of learning and turned these poor stressed out kids into pawns in a merciless battle of parental ego.

Its parliamentary secretary, P. Komala Dewi, said that mindful of the people's perception that the education system was too examination-oriented, the ministry was reviewing ways for assessing academic performance to focus more on comprehensive self-development of the students. Towards this end, it had taken several steps, including encouraging the students to participate in sports and co-curricular activities, she said.

"We also want to change the emphasis on examinations so that they are not too content-based and if possible, we want to shift in stages to a skill-based system," she added.

She was replying to a question from Senator Lee Sing Chooi who wanted to know whether the failure of students to apply what they had learnt in school despite excelling in examinations was a sign weakness in the current education system.

Komala Dewi said the ministry was also looking for assessment methods which could motivate character building, like through art and physical education, besides changing the approach to learning by increasing involvement in project management.

***** Whenever a ruling party pemimpin speaks in such knowledgeable terms and mentions lofty plans to revamp this or that established system, one cannot be blamed for taking it with a pinch of salt. In anycase I sincerely hope that something is done to improve the present unsatisfactory situation. Anything is better than keeping the status quo.
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