BY: CHRISTOPHER FERNANDEZ
When the Covid 19 pandemic struck Malaysia, a growing number of school students wanted to drop out of school, begin work and marry, which was the findings by the education ministry as trends in Malaysian schools begin to change.
However, the National Association of Private Educational Institutions (NAPEI) described this growing trend as a cause for concern and an indication that there were deeper issues plaguing the education system in the country.
Other experts and stakeholders recommend modernising the education system with competency-based learning and micro-credential programs to allow students to cope and manage at their own pace.
Apparently, a rigid, exam-centric system alienates students who don’t fit into the traditional mould and these experts want secondary education to be more appealing by integrating industry-driven subjects, digital skills and having a real-world curriculum.
The appeal from across the Causeway
In a more recent finding, it was disclosed by the education ministry that more than 900 students in the South Malaysian state of Johor skipped the SPM exams, as they wanted to work in Singapore instead due to higher wages.
The state of Johor’s education executive councillor, Aznan Tamin, revealed that low-skilled jobs across the Causeway have become a major appeal, especially for students from financially struggling families
Education Minister, Fadhlina Sidek previously reported that there was a 97 percent attendance of students for the SPM examinations for the year 2024, which means around 10,000 students nationwide missed the exams.
NAPEI cautioned that it wasn’t just about the education system itself, but how students perceive its relevance to their future as most of them don’t see a direct benefit in completing secondary education.
The blame game and finger pointing
The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) criticised state governments and schools for failing to support financially struggling families and blamed them for students skipping the SPM exams to leave for work in Singapore.
PAGE warned that if the federal government does not intervene, Malaysia risks producing a generation of youth that are deprived of knowledge and they called for stronger support for struggling students and their families.
NAPEI also called for scholarships and stipends to prevent students from dropping out of school due to financial hardship and suggested that the education ministry conduct an in-depth and broad-based study on the matter.
Others opine that while Singapore offers immediate financial relief, they also warn that these jobs lack long-term stability, career growth and security and can only be viewed as a stop-gap measure.
Stakeholders and educationists express their views
Stakeholders and educationists caution that without an SPM qualification, let alone tertiary education, these students could end up trapped in low-paying jobs with no safety net once their physical capabilities decline.
They state that there is another similar trend emerging where young people choose social media influencer careers over education with the same mindset – why struggle with the SPM exams when you can earn big money?
NAPEI suggests countering this worrying trend by strengthening vocational training and introducing industry-linked education pathways such as work-study or sandwich courses and apprenticeships.
There are also private colleges that offer alternative courses of study for students who skipped the SPM but later want to further their studies, however, even with the Accreditation of Prior Experience Learning route, SPM is still essential.
-THE MALAYSIA VOICE
** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher
