THE present education system draws its strength and weaknesses from earlier reports, including the Fenn-Wu Report , Barnes Report and Razak Report .Tun Abdul Razak, then the education minister, laid out comprehensive proposals for the reform of Malayan education, including the establishment of a national education system, the adoption of Malay as the national language of instruction, and promotion of unity and integration among the country’s diverse ethnic groups.
Recent reports from the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , and the poor performance of our primary school students in the Programme for International Student Assessment as well as our position in the global university rankings provide evidence of this decline.
Performance in Pisa and the university ranking scores should be used as part of a comprehensive overhaul of the education ecosystem. Alongside other measures like qualitative data, persistent low performance in Pisa and low rating scores in university rankings can imply a lot about the quality and competitiveness of our education system.
Having taught locally and worked abroad, I think a wider usage of English in public schools will go a long way in promoting the quality of education and knowledge in Malaysia. It can also be used to lure investors to our shores and enhance our competitiveness.