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Friday, March 20, 2009

Form 6 to be Phased Out?大学先修班将被淘汰?

Form 6 is one of the toughest phases in student’s life. Traditionally, the Form 6 examination will determine student’s entry into the Institute of Higher Learning. Many students find it difficult to deal with Form 6.

During the 60s, when it was my time, we have to take a common examination and only the qualified students are allowed to take Form 6. Hence, there are many first grader during my time who failed to make it into Lower 6 and for a lot of students, it often marks the end of their dream of entering universities. As the result, some went to teachers college, others went into private institution and many just dropped out after their Form 5.

In those days, you have to take General Paper (GP) and a lot of science students hated this paper, especially the essay writing per se. Often good science students may fail the paper. The general paper gave no avenue for memorizing or route learning and it was a test of creative thinking and general knowledge. Students who don’t read besides their textbook have difficulty in answering the GP.

With liberalization of education and the advancement in education facilities, a lot of students opt for pre-university and for bumiputras and very small number of non-bumiputra, matriculation classes.

One should not compare the students who go through matriculation and the 2-year system of Form 6. In the matriculation system, students are evaluated every semester rather than a one-off examination at the end of 2 years as in Form 6.

I can appreciate the difference between semester examination and the one off examination at the end of 2 years studies. That examination, to a certain extend, will determine your future since the acceptance into Institution of Higher Learning and the course you prefer will be determined by your result.

In short, it’s a challenging 2-year course. Doing away with the STPM so that all will be pre-university or matriculation would only serve to aggravate the falling education standard.

Maybe in addition to the final examination, the semester assessment should be taken into consideration. This will relieve tension and stress. It would also be a better platform to evaluate student’s performance. There should be greater emphasis on the quality of education to meet market demands rather than mass production of graduates.

The government should reduce intake of students for courses that are popular among students but its market demand is dropping. We are still sadly lacking in graduates in pure sciences and pure arts.

Today, in the market, we see mass production of graduates from the field of business studies, IT, lawyers and mass communication. There is a need to curb mass production of graduates in these fields.

Government and education sector should pay more attention to the connection between popular courses and the market demand. Otherwise this mismatch will get worse. Students should be exposed to career counseling so that they have more options to choose from.

It is hoped that in the future, there will be a better balance between the courses offered and market demands.

大学先修班可谓是求学生涯中最艰难的阶段之一。根据传统,大学先修班考试,即大马高等教育文凭,将决定学生能否踏入国内高等教育学府的门槛,也让绝多数的中六考生苦不堪言。

在60年代的求学时期,我们必须先通过一项考试,以获选进入先修班。当时有很多人被拒于先修班门外,而进入大学的梦想就此破灭。过后,有些人进入师范学院或到私立学院深造,有更多人中五毕业后就停学了。当时,普通试卷(General Paper)是先修班的必考科,让很多理科生很懊恼,尤其是写作部分,常有优秀的理科生在这项科目不及格。因为普通科试卷有别于其他科目,其内容包罗万象不能死背,主要是测验考生的创意思维及普通常识。如果学生没有阅读课本以外的书籍,一般上都无法作答。

随着教育自由化,教育设施不断获得改善,很多学生都选择就读大学先修班。土著学生及少数的非土著生则选择大学预科班。

其实,人们不应该把大学预科班及为期两年的大学先修班相提并论。前者每学期会进行评估考试,后者则完成两年课程后才进行总考。 我可以了解学期考考试及课程总考试的分别。考试,对学生未来的前途很重要,因为成绩将决定考生能否被大学录取,就读他们属意的科系。

简言之,大学先修班是充满挑战的两年制课程。取消大马高等教育文凭考试,而把大学先修班及预科班统一化的做法,只会将加剧教育水平滑落的问题。 或许,除了期末考试,当局也应该考虑学期评估试,因为定时评估有助纾解总考带来的紧张和压力,也不失为评估学生表现的好方式。与其大量“生产”毕业生,政府更应关注教育的品质,以使我国的教育水平能迎合市场需求和竞争。

此外,政府也应该减少那些广受学生欢迎但却失去市场需求价值课系的学额。我觉得可惜的是,我国迄今仍严重缺乏纯理和纯文科毕业生。

今天,市场上有太多商学系、资讯工艺系、法律系及大众传播系的毕业生。我想,政府有必要停止再大量栽培这些科系的毕业生。

相反的,政府及教育领域要更关注热门科系与市场需求的联系,否则,错误迎合市场的现象或恶化。学生也应该接受更多职业辅导,以增进他们对各职业的认知,而让自己有更多的科系选择。

希望在未来,教育机构提供的科系选择与市场需求能取得平衡。

8 comments:

Donplaypuks® said...

Our education has been phased out, so it's a little too late to worry about F6, isn't it?

And when will you and MCA tackle the double standards involving the Matriculation system which is basicaly designed to suit 1 race?

crazyEllysee said...

Sir you are right.
I think the authority have to make another wise review regarding the pre university/sixth form system of Malaysia.

stingray said...

Our education system needs a complete overhaul and our education minister is practically doing nothing about this.He must ensure that our education system is best suit for our students becos only the best are churn out.Today we see alot of garbage been produced from low grade universities.
We must follow the education like Singapore ,Australia,England etc.Our standard here are so low that it can be on par with Indonesia or Africa.

Mike said...

What happen to you Dr. Now a day you seem to be only commented on these petty petty issues. What happen to your out spoken nature ? Has OTK done something to you again? !

巫統黨選最有機會在署理主席位置勝利的莫哈末阿里,被巫統紀律局判決涉及金錢政治,被禁止競選。
金錢政治等于貪污。巫統黨內對付這樣高層的人,人民有什么反應?不是應該大力稱讚肅貪嗎?
可是,很多人好像比較關心,阿里被對付,背后是有什么樣的政治陰謀。這不能怪人民。這年頭,法律對付的,好像都是特別選的人,在政治圈裡面更加明顯。

就看前幾天被國會對付,被禁足國會的蒲種小老虎哥賓星。在國會裡面亂講話、爆粗以及開黃腔的國陣議員這么多,從來有被對付嗎?沒有。反而哥賓提出蒙古女郎案,有什么問題?炸屍案疑點這樣多:可能涉及國防部的買賣、可能用了特別炸藥,又可能涉及高官身邊的警察官員。這么久以來,政府都迴避不答。

哥賓在國會發問,就是替人民發問,完全沒有問題。如果語氣不好,那天副議長也把他趕出國會半天了。為何要禁足一年?為什么這么敏感?

哥賓的爸爸大老虎卡巴星,也同樣中招,因為他認為霹靂州蘇丹的做法不符合憲法,要起訴蘇丹,所以被控“煽動法令”。

講到“煽動”,以前大談“華人寄居論”的仁兄,不是才是真正的煽動嗎?那些送子彈威脅卡巴星的人呢?那些在國會欺負坐輪椅的卡巴星,阻止他進入國會的流氓呢?他們沒有觸犯法律?為什么沒有被對付?

還有一個例子:雪州大臣送牛修車這樣的小事,反貪會大大聲講要提控。雪州政府挖出前大臣接受萬元名表、花大錢出國、在麥加有房產、收入沒有據實報稅,這些反貪會怎么不理?

有人中招,有人不中招。這又說明法律是用來對付特定人士。例子真的還有太多太多。

以前,中選巫統副主席的依薩被控金錢政治罪,人們還沒有今天的感覺,因為那時人們相信阿都拉是想做一點事的。

可是,阿都拉宣佈退位后,發生太多太多事了。能夠用來對付敵人的手段,不管幾骯髒,不管會不會弄到國家烏煙瘴氣,都會用。

crazyEllysee said...

Mike, you're right...Seems like some authorities have abused the 'special rights and laws'.

May MCA can bring the fair treats to all the races not only chinese but also Indians, Malays and others.'

NEIL said...

Dr,our education is going into the drain.If we don't overhaul our education system,all those who graduated locally will not have their certificate be recognised internationally.

Unknown said...

I found form-six is the most academic year compare to other secondary year! You just concentrate on 5 subjets (now 4) and do nothing except EXAM.
Those who succeeded may find few of the topics are repeated during first year of local university subjects. BUT is a good way to identify those BRILLIANT from ordinary GOOD student.
AGREE that it should change to a semester system and exampted for few first year papers in local university.

Semut Api said...

dr chua...

thank you for being the only one who are concern about issues instead of politicking..... please write something about drug addiction and its treatment in Malaysia based from your experience as the Minister of Health..

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