Category Archives: Malaysian Education

KSSR – Changes In Everything Old

For those who are still clueless to the term KSSR it refers to Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah. KSSR is the new system introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2011. Today it is the system used by all primary schools in Malaysia and it is vital for parents to be on the know of what this new system offers and how to go about using the existing resources to help their children in the process of learning.

Changes In Every Direction
The changes in the education system brought change in many other areas. There was the need to overhaul many aspects of the teaching-learning process to give room to accommodate the different aspects of the KSSR such as:

Changes In the Mindset Of All Parties Concerned
This, not surprisingly was the biggest hurdle. With the KSSR focusing more on collaborative learning and designed to enhance and embrace the use of science and technology, develop values, understand humanitarian issues and also focus on the child’s physical and aesthetical development, parents were left confused, concerned and at times furious. The one word given less prominence and which many wanted to hear was missing. Examinations are no longer the beginning and the end of learning. With the KSSR, it is no longer the number one objective of school. Students are no longer streamed according to ‘Class Positions’ as was done previously and this concept was something many found difficult to get around especially parents.

In the Malaysian ‘kiasu’ mentality where being better than the best was everything, parents are forced to see the merits of the new system and accept it. The pressure on students is removed and school is now a happier place. The School Based Assessment allowed for students to be tested in an on going manner by their own teachers is something new. Parents were worried about the fairness of the grades given and issues of favoritism coming into play. They are now forced to trust the teachers and be a little more accepting. Many parents are still groping with this issue.

The children are definitely happier as the ‘didik mesra’ concept of learning. It had a fun element in it that allowed students to move away from ‘the desk and chair’ scenario of the pervious system. Group work with the focus on projects is every child’s favorite. They are encouraged to speak and give their views on all issues. Students are given more control of their learning and this allowed space for creativity.

Changes In the Method Of Teaching
Teachers had so much to relearn. It was difficult, as the school-based assessment required a lot more paperwork and data handling. The teething stages were a mess. Today, things are so much better and many are beginning to enjoy the new system. Teachers had to learn to let go a certain amount of control of the teaching-learning process and allow students some freedom of direction. The older teachers, especially had to learn to trust and see learning taken to different heights. The teacher’s way is no longer the only way to do anything. Students were no longer followers but taught to take the lead too.

Changes In Evaluation
No more end-of-year exams as the main evaluation period. Students are evaluated all on an on going process where they are required to meet the set standards before proceeding to the next level. Students are taught and reevaluated if they fail to meet the mark. Weakness of students is identified early and remedial actions are quickly taken. Evaluation is now to help rather than to compete for the top spot.

Changes In Textbooks
New KSSR textbooks had to be produced to replace the old KBSR books. The new books were designed to fit in with the requirements of the new syllabus. There are more exciting activities in the new KSSR textbooks that could be used by teachers during the teaching-learning process and more challenging projects for students to do during a longer period of time. Many of these textbooks are also designed to in-cooperate the use of technology where students are required to do research online and be accountable for the information that they seek. The textbook in the KSSR has moved away from its position as the anchor for the learning process to one that is a guide/manual for further activities in the learning process to take place. It can be akin to a door through which many other doors are opened for the student.

Changes In Workbooks
Workbooks are now very essential as it gives students a chance to practice what is learnt. For parents the workbooks are extremely important, as parents are able to monitor the child’s progress in school through their work in the workbooks. As there are now no more exams and students were involved in collaborative learning, many parents were harboring fears that their kids were not mastering anything. The workbooks are necessary in dispelling these fears. Workbooks that are designed parallel to the textbooks and in accordance to the KSSR are excellent to ensure children were mastering all elements taught. It cannot be denied that although the system is good and forward thinking, our classes in Malaysia are huge and there is only so much time and attention that a teacher can lavish on a child

The Last Words
Change is something that we cannot avoid. As we progress and meet new challengers we should be able to embrace change. To resist change would be a move backwards, especially in education. As parents we should keep an open mind and acknowledge that whatever worked for us when we were kids will no longer be applicable in the modern world. So lets be open and move ahead.

This article was written by Madam Kalai Lingam. Madam Kalai has 27 years of teaching experience in government secondary school. She opted for early retirement in 2013 to pursue her love of writing, and is currently writing a book. Madam Kalai is well versed in the Malaysian Education system, having been a senior English teacher and school administrator for many years.

电子课本— 你怎么看？

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为了让我国迈向世界级教育水平，大马教育蓝图(PPPM 2013-2025)已开始推动电子课本，并将于2021年全面落实电子课本的教育政策。由此可见，电子课本是马来西亚未来教育发展里其中最重要的一环。根据第二教育部长拿督斯里依德利斯，教育部将分三个阶段落实电子课本措施—首阶段于2013至2015 年，第二阶段于2016至2020年及第三阶段于2021至2025年。通过这个方案，它不仅确保大马能够与世界级教育水平与时并进，同时也为学生带来不少的好处，如从此把学生每天得背着沉重的书包上学的烦恼给免除。

好处一：学习更有趣、增强学生们的吸收能力
根据第二教育部长拿督斯里依德利斯，电子课本不但含有文字而已，并且有各种精美的图片、动画以帮助学生。据敦胡仙翁大学两位研究员阿莫里扎和莫哈默诺，研究证明通过动画，学习会变得更加有效、有趣。例如：在生物科里，学生更快能够掌握血液循环系统，特别是缺氧血被携带离开心脏，进入肺部进行气体交换后，将含氧血带回心脏的部分后从右心室出发传到身体每个部位。比起现有的课本，只是有着文字和少许图片，相信电子课本将会让学者们对所学习的科目更有兴趣、同时增强吸收能力。

好处二：方便、容易携带
有着电子课本，学生可随时自行在网上阅读课文、温习功课等。根据教育部，学校的课本以正在被上载到1BestariNet的网页。因此，学生可使用各自的1BestariNet ID以能够免费地阅读课本。由此可见，学生可不仅在学校范围或家里温习课文，还可轻易地在外头使用自己的手提电脑、平板电脑或智能手机等阅读课本。在此，允许我分享一些我个人的经验。身为一个还算是活跃于课外活动的我，时常无法在班上听课。每一次代表州属、学校等出外比赛时，不在学校的时间可算超多的，有时数天，有时一星期。为了避免忽略学习，我不得不携带沉重的课本到其它地方以让自己能够在空闲时温习。问题是，我该如何携带那么多课本呢？因此，有着电子课本，我相信学生能够随时随地地复习课文。

好处三：随时更新课本内容和让学生享受新的学习方法
采用电子课本可以让教育部随时随刻更新课文的知识内容。就拿美国为例子，佛州一电子公司的市场部经理马特·哥摩日认为，佛州一些学校的历史课本甚至直到现在都还没有克林顿政府的内容。比起来，电子课本可以很快地添加两周前的内容。另外，使用电子课本还可以形成新的学习方法。电子课本备有电子标签、增加亮度和颜色标记关键部分，进行重点关键词搜索。同时，大家可以随时发收电子邮件，使用网路资源查阅相关专题资源。此外，教师可以自主处理资讯以适应班级学生需求。所以，电子课本可随时加以更新及让学者们有着另一种新的学习方式。

坏处一：读者容易疲劳
综上所述，电子课本能够为大家带来数不尽的好处。但是，相信师长们一定会特别担心一个问题— 电子课本影响学生的注意力。从八十年代后期开始的一项研究结果显示，在电子课本和纸质的课本相比之下，传统书本还是有一定的好处。《人类因素和经济社会》杂志的一项于1998年的研究显示出阅读电子课本在速度和准确性上仍不如传统书本阅读，同时让读者更容易疲劳。

坏处二：电子课本对眼睛的影响
美国儿科学研究院非常关注在孩子花费大量时间在电子屏幕时，眼科专家担心孩子的视力会消退。牛津大学神经科学家苏姗·格林菲尔德认为，社交网站、电子游戏和电视的快节奏，缩短了青少年的注意广度，从此限制他们的专注力，并可能会童稚化青少年大脑。年轻人容易被嗡嗡的声音和明亮的光线所吸引。美国埃默理大学英语教授马克·鲍林曾表示专注力和注意广度对阅读理解非常重要。电子萤幕让读者以扫描式阅读，注意力从此就会慢慢退化。同时，读者获取的资讯也就是简要的。相比之下，纸质课本却可以鼓励专注阅读。

尽管电子课本即将取代纸质课本，我相信学生仍必须依靠多做练习以在测验里获取佳绩。由于电子课本已逐渐让学生避免背着沉重的书包上课或到其它地方去时，学生可利用剩余的空间携带一些参考书，如佳辉出版社的《A无惧UPSR模拟试卷》、《A启示UPSR模拟试卷》，嘉阳出版的《复习王》作业和《配版作业》等之类的巩固练习题，以让自己更熟悉考试的问题格式并发掘自己较弱的单元，以对症下药。大家可知道，不管小学生还是中学生，熟读课本的确是不够的，各位都必须多做练习、作业才能在考试里获取优秀的成绩噢！加油！

– 黄伟铭 (Ng Ray Man)

The Teacher’s Challenge

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Being a teacher in Malaysia is not easy. Regardless of the perception of the public, being a teacher is not a job that I would recommend to anyone unless you can profess to be extremely passionate about helping young minds to develop. If you are hoping to earn some big buck here, this is definitely not the place for you. Unless of course you are going to use your position as a teacher to make big bucks giving tuition in your own free time. If you are hoping for those long stretches of holidays and uninterrupted weekends, forget it. What most folks out there don’t realize is that although it seems like teaching as simple job, the reality is quite different. Most schools have programs on Saturdays, teachers attend courses during holidays and co-curricular activities keep teachers in schools until late evening.

Before I am accused of bitching about the job, let me assure you that this is not my intention. I have already left the system because what it offers is just not for me. Perhaps, I am ‘old school’ and I find it difficult to internalize the frequent changes that the system requires. I know that I am a really good teacher and I have made a positive impact in the lives of my students. This is enough for me. I am not bitter in any way but in retrospect have pleasant memories of my years as a teacher.

So, let me give you a clear perspective of the challengers of teachers today.

The Training
Generally, teachers become teachers either by attending Teacher Training Colleges or from the University. During this period, a ‘to-be teacher’ is already assigned the subject he/she will be specializing in. I did my basic training in Maktab Perguruan Kota Bharu and I applied to be a teacher of the English Language. I was to be trained as a teacher of secondary students and my core subjects were English Language and Geography. Later, at the university, my degree was the Teaching of English as a Second Language. At the Masters level, my focus was on English Literature.

In both the Teacher Training Colleges and the Universities, teachers are trained well in relation to their core subjects. The teachers to be are introduced to the curriculum and they are given a clear insight of the requirements of the syllabus and how to effectually go about teaching the content. They are taught to be effective teachers. They are also introduced to co-curriculum activities as to know the basics of some games and societies. Hopefully with this comprehensive training, a teacher will be able to do a good job when he/she is assigned to a particular school.

I wish to stress that there is no real problem at the training level. If at all there is an issue, it is merely a hope the Government would do something to the teaching job so that good students who are looking for a good income will be able to regard teaching as their first choice rather than their last choice. When we are willing to pay well we will get the quality we seek. This is the reality.

The School
When a trainee teacher is assigned to a school, this is where the problems begin. When she/he arrives at the school, she/he is told, ‘We have enough English Language teachers. We need you to teach History.’ Imagine this scenario carefully. The teacher has been trained for the past three years to teach English and is now required to teach History. Are you still surprised when your child comes home complaining about his/her History teacher who is so boring and incompetent?

The teacher was all geared up to teach one thing and now has to teach a subject she knows nothing about and has no interest in. It is easy to say, “Just read it up and teach!” I still remember the time I tried to teach my daughter her Form Three History. It was a nightmare.

The same happens in the co-curriculum aspect especially in sports. There must be some passion in the part of the trainer if he/she wants to instill the love of the game to the students. The mismatch continues in this area too. Most people also forget that being a good athlete does not make a good trainer. The teacher will try her/his best to train her students but somehow she/ he will fall short.

The Self
Happiness comes from within. It is only when we are at peace with ourselves will we be able to reach out for others. This is true with, more than any other job in relation to teaching as we are dealing with young impressionable minds.

Just talk to any teacher and what is your impression. Have an open mind and don’t look at them as a group of people who are only complaining. Listen closely and you will begin to understand. All teachers know that they will have to serve in the rural areas even in East Malaysia for a period of time but should they not be sent back to their hometowns after a while? We have teachers traveling daily for two hours one way to get to schools simply because their transfers were denied. Husbands and wives, separated from their parents and children are common among teachers. The physical and emotional strain will take its toll eventually. Teachers don’t choose their jobs according to where they stay, they are sent to their jobs and this can be heartbreaking at times.

So the next time you meet a teacher, try to understand the real story from his/her end. It may answer many of your own queries about your child’s education. This is the reality.

华小还是国小

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“我应该把孩子送去华文小学吗？” – 这问题我相信已让许多家长都在头疼。在我们还没做出任何选择时，大家应该往各种方面探讨。为了孩子的未来，家长们得好好考虑其决定的利与弊，以确保孩子们的前途。今天，就让我来分享一些我本身的经验。从一年级到六年级，我就读于国民型华文小学(S.R.J.K.(C))。升上中学时，我就读于国民中学(S.M.K.)。从一个学生的角度来看，我认为我父母亲的这个安排是算正确的。

1．掌握各种语文
众所周知，如今在充满竞争的社会里，大家必须要能够掌握各种语文，特别是三大语文—国文、英文和华文。在孩子还没升上国民中学时，父母若是把孩子送到华小，孩子们在短短那6年的小学生涯里必定能够把华文给掌握好。升上国民中学(S.M.K.)时，孩子们就能够把华文的基础给打好后很自然地在中学里把国语和英语给学好。这样不就能够让孩子们轻松地掌握好那三大语文吗？大家都知道，在华小念书时华文可是媒介语，每一天的谈话、课堂上所使用的语文大多是华语。这样，学生不仅能够学会使用华语，并且还是正确的华语。

2．自律、坚强和努力奋斗
除此之外，大部分华小学生都能够学习自律、坚强和奋斗。我无法否认小学的生活的确得面对种种压力。我每一天的功课至少有十本或更多。因此，我们得学会如何把功课给记下来，以防忘记。同时，每位同学相信都常记得“今日事，今日毕”这精神。每一天，甚至必须熬夜，我们也得把当天的功课给完成，因为隔天就得交给老师了。在那6年里，我们不只在学校里读书，而是学会怎么读书。例如，每一次我们把作文交给老师后，老师们都会谨慎检查，把我们的错误改正后再还给我们。过后，我们得细心地把老师改正后的文章再读几遍，然后把已改正的作文重新抄在练习本里，以称为“作文誊清”。这方法的确非常有效于学生们。因为当大家重写一次已纠正的作文时，我们将能够找出文章里的语病，从中学习，以免再犯同样的错误。要掌握好每个科目并非是一件简单的事。在此，我可以说每个科目的老师，不管是语文课、数学、科学、历史等都会教导学生其科目的学习方法、妙方。学生们不但能够在小六评估考试考取好成绩，同时也能够把每一科目的学习妙方带到中学去好好使用。凭着我自身的经验，我从小学到中学这么多年以来可没上过补习班，因为我相信教师们的能力、每一科目的学习技巧及有着各种参考书的帮助之下，要考取好成绩并非一件艰难的事情。同时，我必须要强调我不是在贬低补习老师的能力。其实，我相信有些同学在学习上的确还是需要补习老师的帮忙的。

3．其中一个明显的差别—数学科目
另外，相信大家都非常清楚，大部分华小生在升上中学后都能够在数学的科目里考取卓越的成绩。比起其他学校来的学生，华小生总是在数学测验里夺得更优秀的成绩。秘方在于哪儿？答案就是稳定的基础和华小的教导方式。例如，在我三年级时，教师已叫我们把“乘法表”给背起来。起初，我们都在想：“为什么老师硬要我们那么辛苦，不管怎样都得把乘法表给背起来。”教师总是以四个字回答我们，“先苦后甜”，总有一天你们会发觉其方法的好处。无可否认的，这方法的确在考试或做练习题时帮大家省了不少时间。这只是各种方法的其中一种。相信各位华小生肯定有着更多不同的妙方吧！

4．了解不同文化、生活习俗
此外，大家可知道在这社会里有着不同的民族，而不同的民族有其不同的文化、习俗。要融入这社会和有着不同种族的工作环境之下，就必须得了解各族文化与习俗，这样才能工作得开心、生活得安心。当父母亲把孩子送到华小后再升上国民中学，孩子们必定学会如何和异族交朋友、互相了解并好好相处。同时，孩子们也能够在国民中学(S.M.K.)里把国语和英语给掌握好。大家可知道，我国官方语言可不是华语，而是马来语。很多场面和政府部门都是使用国语或英语等为沟通语言。因此，孩子们在华小毕业后到国民中学(S.M.K.)继续念书的话，相信很自然地就能把三大语文—国语、英语、华语等给掌握好。

由此可见，我认为父母亲应该送孩子们到国民型华文小学后再考虑在他们升上中学时，让他们尝试就读于国民中学(S.M.K.)。这个安排我相信能够为孩子们带来不少的好处如掌握不同语言，学习自律、坚强，懂得如何好好与异族相处及很多说不完在学业上的好处。

– 黄伟铭 (Ng Ray Man)

4 Reasons Why Homework Makes Your Child Smarter And How You Can Help

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While our kids are screaming in delight over the reduction of homework in schools these days with the ‘didik mesra’ concept, parents should be aware of the need to supplement their children’s school work with additional homework. Doing group projects and folios have their merits but fail to do what individual homework does. Parents have the ultimate responsibility of driving after-school development of their children, particularly when it comes to supplementing primary school books.

Homework helps the child develop study skills and habits
As our kids grow older and move on to higher institutions of learning, they will be burdened with more work. Life in the work force can also be demanding. Nobody said it was easy. Children need to be introduced to the realities of life early. Of course, as parents we need to create a balance but let us also equip them with the skill that they will need in the future. The physical and the mental strength developed early will save them from the issues of stress and stress-related diseases in the future. Today, we see many complaining about their inability to cope with work or not being able to manage their time. This is mainly due to bad habits cultivated from young.

Time management at home
What does your child do at home when he/she has no homework? Think about it. Is he/she in front of the television, computer, tablet, phone or involved in a hobby? Rest is important for growing children but how the free time is spent is important. Idling is not good. Being addicted to the iPad, television, computer or the mobile phone is not good. Hobbies are a better way of spending their time but are our children really doing it. This is where homework has its benefits. Children end up doing something productive during their free time. It does not need anything tedious, in fact parents can in cooperate elements of fun with in direct learning. Reading is one activity that I enjoy and my kids have been introduced to this from an early age. Sitting together, each engrossed with some form of reading material is such a pleasant activity for the whole family.

Homework helps parents to keep in touch with their child’s activities in school
As parents we cannot leave the education of our kid to the school alone. As much as we would like to believe that all is well in school, very often there is some form of shortcoming. Sometimes teaching is not adequate or too fast for the child, sometimes there is a lack of teachers for a particular subject and sometimes the child is simply not listening and playing while the teacher is teaching. Parents need to keep a sharp eye on the learning that is taking place in school. Monitoring homework will quickly show a parent his/her child’s competence in a particular subject. The child’s interest and flair in particular subjects too can be detected early through his/her homework. However, parents are not usually familiar with the syllabus and how much was covered in school. And let us also remember that many children are able to deceive their teachers by copying their friend’s work before school and passing on as their own. With supplementary homework, you will have a better idea of how much your child really knows.

Homework allows a child to practice and prepare
What is learnt in school is reviewed and practiced at home. Even if the child understands what has been taught doing some extra work at home is a good way of reinforcing learning. It also provides a platform to prepare for the lessons the following day. For teaching and learning to be most effective, there must be a constant flow from day to day. Breaks will only disrupt what is learnt and will often require relearning. This is especially true when there are school breaks and holidays. Let me remind you that when we speak about work we are talking about small, manageable exercises that are suitable for the different ages of the child. Say for an example, if a child comes from a Chinese speaking home where English is never spoken, imagine what would happen after a six-week school break? Reading storybooks in English would give the practice that the child need. At least the contact with the language is not broken.

All in all, homework is a necessity for children. It gives a little structure to their time at home and gives them something useful to do. The problem as always is that some parents can get overenthusiastic and go overboard. They believe in getting their children to do so much that the child will begin to hate school and learning. These negative effects can have long-term effects towards the child’s attitude towards studying. Let us as parents have realistic goals. Rest is more important that all the rest. This is my belief. If the school is giving enough homework, let the child be. What he/she is doing is adequate. If the child is idling, get the supplementary books. Let him be productive and do something worthwhile.

The Malaysian Textbook Loan Scheme

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The day the Government decided to implement the free textbook scheme to students was one of the better policies that has affected education in Malaysia. Free textbooks meant that students regardless of their family background and income levels were entitled to free books. Of course, the parental income was taken into consideration on who deserves the books but where I was teaching, there was more than enough for everyone.

Teachers were very much relieved that we no longer had to wait until every student had a book or that they had to share books because some of them were yet to purchase the books. Students were known to have told teachers that they had to wait until the next harvest for them to get their books, because their parents were in the agricultural sector. These seemingly funny statements were the source of great frustrations to teachers who found it difficult to conduct a proper lesson when the material was not there.

On the part of the parent, the benefit is pretty obvious. Books are expensive and when the Government provides free textbooks, parents have a huge burden removed from their shoulders. In families with five or six children, buying a textbook can create a big dent in the family’s income. With the free textbooks, the money saved could now be spent on other essentials.

As for the children, they now have textbooks in their bags. There was no longer any excuse not to focus on learning or completing the assigned homework. When students had books with them, parents could also monitor and motivate them to study. Even the poorest student had something that he/she could remove from their bag and study at home. This definitely was the best outcome of the scheme.

On the downside, the scheme has its problems. Some of the students were careless and books kept getting lost. Students were also not taking care of the books that were lent to them and it was difficult to pass on these torn books to a new set of students the following year. Schools had to have extra manpower to monitor the books. We had a set of teachers who were in charge of the Book Loan Scheme. We even had a society in school and its members were called the Book Loan Scheme Prefects and they wore purple uniforms. It was as if the school needed a brigade to keep the scheme in order. Students had to cover the books as soon as they received their sets. They also had to write their names, class and year of borrowing to keep track of the books. At the end of the year the whole process works in reverse. Students are required to check all the books that they have borrowed. Students have to buy new books to replace those that they have lost. All books need to be wrapped neatly and all writings especially doodles and answers have to be erased. Phew! What a process.

On the perspective of the teachers, there were different views in regards of the day-to-day use of the textbooks. Some used them religiously and simply loved them. Some used them sometimes, while others like me, simply hated them. I know, I sound so bad but I was one of those who always went against the grain. I felt that the textbooks tied my hands and forced me to do things I felt was not suitable for my kids. Granted, the textbooks provided an excellent guide to the syllabus and all aspects to be covered were there in the textbook. To me, it served as a guide and allowed me to complete the necessary topics but beyond that I had little use of the textbook.

My problem usually arose when I wanted to do different things with my different classes. I felt that the textbook usually hit the level of the average student and therefore was not working with all my students. My weakest class is a group of students in Form Five whose proficiency level was at the Form One or even the primary grade. What am I going to do with the textbook? My top class on the other hand had very little issues with grammar and vocabulary and were up to more challenging tasks. In fact they loved to write essays and do tasks that required high order thinking.

The textbooks were also old. Many of the comprehension texts were not the type that was of interest to the students. I was teaching in Kuala Lumpur and my students would love to read comprehension texts on the latest gadgets or mobile phones. They knew so much and have so much to say on these issues. The reading material had to be real and meaningful to them to stimulate them to use the language in a meaningful manner. I ended up using photocopied materials and workbooks to supplement the textbook. The students were hungry for more and I had to look outside for new material. As for the weak students, their language acquisition was so bad that I had to focus more on their communication skills. For them the needs of the SPM was one but the needs for survival in the outside world after SPM was another. Many told me that they were going to work after the exams and they wanted to be able to communicate in English. Their lessons were often a blend of both their needs.

So, back to the issue of the day; textbooks. For me it definitely has its merits but teachers must never get too obsessive about rigidly following it. The textbook is a guide and at the end of the day, it is the students who matter the most. Their needs must be addressed.

– Kalai Lingam

Sample Year 1 Textbooks

The KSSR: What Can Go Wrong

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KSSR stands for Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah. This is the new thing in relation to education in the primary level. There are so many benefits in the new system. As I had already mentioned in my earlier blog, the system ensures that no child gets left behind an each child has to achieve a preset standard of achievement before proceeding into the next level. The system does not stress on exams. Evaluation takes into count student’s attitude, focus, and leadership qualities apart from the content of the subject. This is to ensure a total development of the child is taken into count and not just his academic standing. The child is encouraged to seek, discover and give opinions. The passive learner is a thing of the past. Technology is widely used and students are taught to use technology to seek, learn and present material.

The blueprint for the KSSR was wonderful. All the elements were in place and what was left was the implementation. This is where the problems begin. As parents we should be aware of all the possible shortcomings so as to be able to take the necessary remedial actions.

Each Child Has To Achieve A Preset Standard Before Moving On
The obvious problem is the size of the class. If a class has 35 students, waiting for each child to achieve a preset standard will take a long time. Of course streaming or placing students into sets is an answer but remember KSSR does not encourage streaming! The ‘better’ students can be given other projects to do but by the end of the year the students achievements will be staggered with some struggling to redo tests while others who have always achieved to set standards may be bored! Parents should be alert to kids who come home saying they are bored or that their teacher was spending all her time conducting quizzes for the weaker students. Get additional workbooks or even reading materials for your kids to take to school.

Is There Enough Taught?
This is the one greatest fear that most parents have spoken about. If so much time is spent by the teacher administering quizzes and conducting evaluation during class time, when does the poor teacher have the time to really teach the content? In our country, there is no such thing as teacher assistant where one can teach a group while the other help with conducting the evaluation. Parents should monitor their children’s progress and get involved hands on if they find that their child is not learning much. Parents were once students and should be able to spot problems quickly.

No Exams
My kids need exams to give them a target to work towards and I am sure yours does too. Without exams, there is a risk that kids might not learn much. This is not entirely true but than again all kids are different. Exams are a measure of things that are yet to be mastered or the weakness of our children. The earlier the intervention, the better the long-term effects. Parents need to know what their kids are weak in and help them to catch up. Exams also help in teacher evaluation. Some teachers do more than others. This is a fact. Without the exams there is no real benchmark and this is worrying. Parents should ensure that students do work at home even if there is no homework. There are a wide variety of workbooks and academic material in the market that parents should take advantage of.

Non-Measurable Evaluation
Many parents love examinations because evaluation is fair and transparent. When evaluation is based on behaviour codes like leadership qualities, responsibility and attitude, there will always be room for unhappiness. Our teachers have to be absolutely fair and give the grades that the student really deserves without taking any external factors into count. Can they do this?

Students Use Technology
Are we ready for this as a nation? If we are looking at computers, will each student be given a computer to work on or if the research has to be done at home, does each child have a computer at home? Think about this as a nation as a whole and you will see the problem.Is the technology used reliable and not prone to problems? If the system breaks down, do we have a reliable support system that can rectify the problem immediately? Again think nation wide.Have the teachers been given adequate training to carry out lessons using the modern technology. Many of our young ones today are fast and pros in using the iPad, iBook, and every other device that we adults use. In fact my children are better than me. Based on this, teachers should be one step ahead to be able to hold the respect of their students and get their teaching done!

To end, I can only say this. All systems have their merits and flaws. The KSSR is no different. As parents we cannot merely leave it to the school and hope our child will reap maximum benefits from the system. We should always monitor and be aware of the shortcomings and take the necessary actions when there is a need. In this way, I am sure your child will have a wonderful schooling experience.

– Kalai Lingam

E-Learning in Malaysia

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The concept of E-Learning in Malaysia has been listed as one of the key components of the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) of Malaysia, under the Economic Transformation Programme, which drives our beloved country, towards achieving high-income status as well as global competitiveness and to this, one of the efforts vividly put in by the government, particularly the Ministry of Education is through the 1BestariNet project. According to Wikipedia, the term ‘E-Learning’ is defined as the use of electronic media and information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. It is broadly inclusive of all forms of educational technology in learning and teaching and always related to multimedia learning, technology-enhanced learning (TEL), online education, virtual learning environments (VLE) and others. Before we move on any further, let us look at the 1BestariNet project initiated by the Ministry of Education on par with the government’s vision of providing quality and internet-enabled education for all.

THE 1BESTARINET PROJECT – VLE

The 1BestariNet project is where FrogAsia is bringing the future of education to every student, parent and teacher throughout Malaysia. The entire education community is brought together into this network consisting of 5 million students, 4.5 million parents and 500,000 parents. Based on the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2015), launched by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, there are a total of 11 shifts listed down. One of the shifts that I would love to highlight here is to leverage ICT scale up quality learning across Malaysia. To this, internet access and Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) has been provided by the Ministry of Education for all 10,000 schools by 2013. Students and parents are given the IDs and passwords to login to the 1BestariNet website:-

Extracted from https://aea2044.1bestarinet.net

Next, the user will be given a dashboard with various features in it. In many schools, it is proven to be effective in handling assignments as assignments can be sent and marked on-the-go, even during school holiday. At the same time, this platform promotes paper-free learning process. The school can also post the latest announcements on the school’s dashboard itself. Forums, Frog Store, The Pond and others are among the most common features available. This indirectly provides students with a different, interactive and more interesting study environment.

Image extracted from http://1bestarinet.net/

Thus, this project in which the Ministry of Education of Malaysia cooperates with FrogAsia, YTL, leverages on FrogTrade’s, United Kingdom with 13-year track record and expertise in integrating technology into schools is truly effective and beneficial.

EZLEARN2U PORTAL- SPONSORED TO PERAK STUDENTS BY STATE GOVERNMENT

On the other hand, I would also love to share one of the efforts initiated by the Perak State Government to help students in their study, ranging from UPSR standard to STPM. Last year, Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir has officially lauched the e-learning portal, Ezlearn2u, which has helped 237,971 students in Perak through this learning menthod. Students are provided with a password for free to enjoy this facility which looks like a tuition session, but conducted in a more interactive manner.

To be honest, this portal (Ezlearn2u) has helped me a lot in my studies. As mentioned earlier in my previous article, student like me could hardly find time to actually sit in the classroom to listen to lectures. Hence, through this way, I was able to learn whenever I want. All I need is just internet access and a tablet PC, computer or even just with my Android Smartphone or iPhone. I managed to learn things that I have missed out when I was not in school and away for competitions and other programmes. Most of the subjects in SPM such as Additional Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Science, Sejarah and others are taught chapters by chapters in the videos recorded. Nevertheless, most of the subjects in UPSR and Form 1 – Form 6 are also available. The tutors are all very experienced and dedicated in teaching field. This teaching method is somehow different from the others in which the step-by-step teaching is clearly illustrated with mindmapping, application and examples. Due to the tutors’ vast experience in conducting seminars, workshops and tutorials, I believe they fully understand the students’ weaknesses and their needs.

Images extracted from http://www.ezlearn2u.my

TABLET PC & SMART DEVICES MADE LEARNING EASIER
Sometimes, we must make good use of the electronic gadgets. One of the ways is by using it for e-learning purpose. For instance, I use my Samsung Galaxy Tab2 10.1 to do my revision whenever I am free, at anytime, anywhere. We can actually store notes or perhaps some animations made by ourselves or downloaded from the internet in our smartphones or tablets/iPads so that we can learn on-the-go. Mindmaps or short notes are highly recommended.

Snapshot of my Moral Education Notes (Senarai Nilai & Definisi Pend. Moral)

English Literature Notes in my tablet

Mindmaps of Sejarah SPM downloaded from the internet

E-BOOKS

Furthermore, ebooks are indeed popular nowadays, whether the document is in PDF or Doc formats. Ebook is actually an electronic book published in digital form consisting of text, images, or both and readable on computers or other electronic devices. There are a lot of advantages of Ebooks. First of all, it is mobile. Ebooks indirectly help to bring us to a a whole new different library in this century. It is somehow a virtual library which is cheaper, space saving and offers 24/7 service. Jobs like copying and pasting in homework or assignments are also made easy. Searching for information is made a lot easier with the features that Ebooks have to offer. Decades ago, if we want to complete our homework, we had to go to the libraries, immerse ourselves in the ocean of books, opened up thousand and millions of pages for the sake of looking a single line of information. For Ebooks, we can always use ‘Find On Page’ feature to look for information in a particular book. Sounds, oral reading, videos or animations are also widely available in Ebooks. In general, Ebook provides accessibility and flexibility for users.

INTERACTIVE LEARNING MATERIALS

On top of that, education is made a lot easier when technology is applied. Classes are made more interactive by using multimedia animations. ‘MyCD’ and ‘Teaching Coursewares’ introduced by the Ministry of Education transform dull and boring classes to interesting and lively classes. According to Shaaron Ainsworth, a psychologist from University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, she claimed that students absorb much easily through animation. For instance, biology students understand faster about the blood transport system when video clips of how deoxygenated blood from body cells are transported to the right atrium via vena cava and how oxygenated blood is transported to our body cells. Furthermore, according to Ahmad Rizal and Mohd Noor, researchers from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, they have proven that multimedia does not only make learning process more effective, it promotes cognitive skills through ‘Active Learning’ process with the aid of teaching coursewares.

THE DRAWBACKS

Despite the fact that new technology has brought about various benefits in the education world via ebooks, multimedia animations, videos and interactive learning material, it can bring many negative impacts to us if we do not make good use of it. There is a Chinese saying which goes, ‘Water can transport boats, yet it is able to sink it’. A very simple example would be when students spend too much time with their computers or Smart devices, they might be doing something else instead of just studying. Issac Asimov, an eminent American author and professor of biochemistry once said, “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom”. In fact, technology brings negative influence on our daily productivity. Students tend to spend lesser time studying and doing homework. In fact, they waste most of their time on social networking sites like ‘Facebook’, ‘Myspace’, ‘Twitter’ and others. 83% of youths around the world have Facebook accounts. “Our study shows people who spend more time on Facebook spend less time studying”, said Aryn Karpinski, a researcher from Ohio University. National Literacy Trust also reported that youngsters are spending up to 6 hours a day in front of the computer screen, surfing social network sites and 75% of the pupils all over the world ranked social network sites and gaming websites above books. Social networking users also loves to procrastinate work. Therefore, excessive use of technology decreases our daily productivity.

Karl Marx, a Prussian-German philosopher and revolutionary socialist once said, “The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people”. Hence, steps have to be taken to ensure technology is not misused to the extent where people are almost entirely controlled by technology. Last but not least, if one really makes good use of technology, one can definitely be benefited from the world of technology.

Ng Ray Man was a Head Prefect, a national-level debater and a straight-A scorer all his life. He reveals tips and tricks on using E-Learning in this guest post for Peekabook.

The difference between International Schools and Government Schools in Malaysia

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Education plays a vital role in society and international schools today are genuinely meeting the needs of all parents willing to enrol the child. The multilingual skills that many international students and teachers possess have made possible means of nurturing and developing these skills to the optimum. The task is not easy although there is much enthusiasm for multicultural awareness and intercultural conferences. We need to have a true understanding of the many facets of international education. However, classroom teachers are confronted with the daily reality of students who are unable to speak and write grade level in English. These children need solutions and strategies to overcome these difficulties.

Teachers in international schools are from different diversities as we are hired due to the efforts made by the school to hire a mix of nationalities and ages. Most are native speakers, but not all. Some schools place a very high priority on years of experience, but others are more flexible. I worked as an international school teacher for English Language and other mainstream subjects of the Cambridge Curriculum in Sri Lanka for the past 10 years. The school was originally for daughters of ex-pats and diplomats, but it became a truly international school with students from 10 different countries. Many of them are actually sent there from their country of origin.

I chose to teach in international schools mainly for the diversity and challenges confronted in teaching. The development came gradually as I matured in a position which has enhanced and enriched my experience and capabilities. Most international schools are also learning-focused and have extensive professional training and development for teachers. The high expectations have made me implement this knowledge in the current school I am employed. Of course, the rewards always come way later, after all the hard work’s been done.

Education in Malaysia has been continuously enhanced by the development of strong content knowledge in mainstream subjects and language. However, higher order thinking skills have been in the spotlight of recent times. Due to continuous progression of the education system it is put forth that the performance of a Malaysian student may be at risk. Other educational systems in countries such as Singapore have already found ways to sustain and the international assessments of Malaysian students show figures of the declining performance rate of the student.

It is of paramount importance that student outcomes should be equitable in all states as this affects the achievement levels. A rising gender gap over the past 5 years show that an increasing 70% of the girls population outperform boys at every level. Boys with low attainment levels are a cause for concern for this nation.

International schools, however follow a curriculum model from UK, USA, Canada, Australia and/or New Zealand choosing to run the International Baccalaureate Program. This results in children attending top-notch universities around the world due to high quality of education, placement or IGCSE offerings and scholarship. Through the holistic education system they find out about each others’ cultures and views on the world. By sharing everyday parts of their lives; dining, sleeping, and helping each other tackle the challenges of an exciting outdoor education programme, they learn to develop tolerance. What is more, friendships are formed which transcend traditional barriers and differences. Ordinary day to day situations become opportunities to educate the students beyond their own cultural mind set. While government schools are increasing the ethnic homogenization of schools. This reduces the opportunities for interaction between individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. These interactions are important as they develop a shared set of experiences and aspirations for the future, through which a common national identity and unity are forged.

The range of languages learnt in school makes each student bilingual or multilingual which finally opens doors for an international outlook. This adds a reality to the life of students as they are continuously in this environment. One of the biggest advantages international students have is when different cultures, nationalities and languages are brought together in one place. They have a chance to recognise that what makes them human is not their cultural identity, language or religion but something spiritual that transcends all these things. It gives students the chance to rub shoulders with another human being at a more essential level. For example, in the challenges of outdoor education, young people from varied backgrounds discover that they experience the same human feelings of fear apprehension and achievement. An international education is as much about the quality of the relationships that can be formed between human beings as it is about a particular curriculum or set of qualifications. These relationships become the soil in which other things can grow. To be effective and fruitful, the curriculum needs this kind of soil, but just as important as the curriculum is the methodology and the values used to deliver it.

This article was written by Fathima Rezlana Mushadiq. Fathima works as an English teacher in an international school. She is a guest writer for this blog.

Secrets of a Straight-A Model Student

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Ng Ray Man was a Head Prefect, a national-level debater and a straight-A scorer all his life. He reveals the secrets of excelling in academic and extracurricular activities in this guest post for Peekabook.

Achieving straight A’s, holding various positions at school and being active in extracurricular activities and competitions are indeed not easy for the students. This is, however, what most of the Government, teachers, parents and students themselves hope the younger generation to achieve. According to the National Philosophy of Education of Malaysia, the Malaysian education system emphasizes to produce individuals who are holistic and well-equipped intellectually, spiritually and emotionally in order to contribute to the betterment and development of the country. To this, there are several questions that I am sure the parents and students frequently ask, “How to achieve straight A’s?”, “How to ensure that one can excel in both academic and extracurricular?” and of course “What are the study tips?”. Hence, allow me to share some of my personal opinions and experiences that I have gone through so far.

Despite the fact that I have been actively involved in extracurricular activities in school, I am considered very lucky to obtain straight A’s in public examinations such as UPSR (Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah), PMR (Penilaian Menengah Rendah) and the SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia). Teachers and friends always ask me, as the Head Prefect of the school, do you still have time to study when you are given various tasks to complete everyday? Another one would be, as the Tokoh NILAM of the Perak state and a student who always participate in Public Speaking competitions, debate in Zone level, district level, state level and even national level in both Malay and English languages, why are you still able to manage your study despite the fact that you have spent ample time in preparing for the competitions? The only answer is, ‘Why Not?’ With that, here are some of the keys that I personally would love to share with everyone.

First of all, we must really have the proper ways to study when we are not only taking a particular subject in examinations. A very simple example, I took 7 subjects in UPSR, 8 subjects in PMR and 9 subjects in SPM, I can never apply the same way to study in all subjects. I took Bahasa Melayu, English, History, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Moral Education, Biology, Physics and Chemistry in SPM. Let’s say for History, we ought to understand and memorise the facts in textbooks. However, we could not do the same thing for Mathematics. In fact, we have to do more practices instead of memorizing any of the questions, facts nor answers. When it comes to languages, we must read and use as much as possible so that we can familiarize the appropriate structure for essay-writing, learn new words and enhance our vocabulary besides keeping ourselves updated with any news in every part of the world. To this, reading several types of books, newspapers and watching news will help because on the whole, what had been written are grammatically correct in general. Very importantly, never skip any words that we do not now, just flip the dictionary to find out the meaning and how to use it. Next, for History and Biology subjects, memorizing skill plays a little more important role. We should enjoy reading history and biology like what we do with favourite storybooks. After getting a clear picture of what we are reading, try to memorise the important facts and incidents. Whereas for mathematics, physics and chemistry subjects which involve calculations and several facts, we shall make short and effective notes on our own after ‘digesting’ what we learn from reference books and textbooks. This will help to save time when we are doing our final revision before sitting for exams. Of course, more practices of past year papers and model test papers will provide us with a clearer image of the styles and format of the questions like. Thus, there is no doubt to say that one must adapt and adopt the suitable ways to do well in each subject.

On the other hand, we must study whenever we can and maximize the function of the electronic gadgets. From my personal experience, when we are actively involved in extracurricular activities, we could hardly find time to study. In my opinion, one need not have a fixed timetable. In fact, one should have a flexible one. We should do our revision whenever we are free and find out what are the learning outcomes of each revision. Furthermore, we ought to set how many chapters that will be completed by the end of each month. For instance, there are 9 chapters in Form 5 history subject. So, to ensure that we have finished studying the textbook and have the time to do model questions before the trial examination, we have to complete at least one chapter a month. At the same time, students shall also make good use of the electronic gadgets. Smart phones, tablets, desktops and laptops are example of electronic gadgets which can be used to help us in our studies. We should not only use it to text others and play games. In fact, we should make it as an effective tool to help us in study. For example, as an active student, I could hardly find time to sit in the class and listen to what teachers teach in class. I used to be away from school very often, sometimes it could be a few days or even weeks. The question here is, how am I supposed to bring the thick and heavy textbooks or reference books along when I am travelling to other places during competitions, camps or other activities? Here is where my tablet played its role. Many thanks to my parents for buying me the Samsung Galaxy Tab2 10.1 a few years ago. The tablet has helped me a lot in my revision. I stored notes and mind maps I made myself or downloaded from the internet in my tablet PC and thus, I can read it anytime when I was free even when I was not in school. For example, when I was in the bus on the way to Selangor for National NILAM Award, I managed to complete a number of chapters of Biology and History subjects. Therefore, one of the best ways to study is to study whenever there is time and make good use of the technology.

On top of that, what do we actually mean by study effectively? From my point of view, it is not the hours nor the duration that matter most, it is what we have learnt after every session of revision that matter. To this, there is no use if we sit on the study desk with loads of books on it for hours but our mind is dreaming of something else. We should minimize or get rid of anything that may distract us such as handphones and televisions when we are studying. At the same time, here comes another question, are tuition classes necessary? It really depends. To me, it is a ‘No’ answer, but I believe it will be a ‘Yes’ for some who really need the others to accompany and guide them in their study. To be honest, I have never gone for any tuition classes since I started schooling because I do have faith in self-study method. With the advancement of the technology, I believe there are various ways and places that one can obtain information from. I do not mean to blame any tuition teachers nor centres, but I just believe that there are lots of websites and videos that can help us in our study. According to Shaaron Ainsworth, a psychologist from University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, she claimed that students absorb much easily through animation. For instance, biology students understand faster about the blood transport system when video clips of how deoxygenated blood from body cells are transported to the right atrium via vena cava and how oxygenated blood is transported to our body cells. Furthermore, according to Ahmad Rizal and Mohd Noor, researchers from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, they have proven that multimedia does not only make learning process more effective, it promotes cognitive skills through ‘Active Learning’ process with the aid of teaching coursewares. Next, application of technology provides better learning environment for students. ‘1BestariNet’ project in which the Ministry of Education of Malaysia cooperates with FrogAsia, YTL has launced Frog VLE, Virtual Learning Environment as a new learning platform. It leverages on FrogTrade’s, United Kingdom which has 13-year track record and expertise in integrating technology into schools. It is proven to be effective in handling assignments as assignments can be sent and marked on-the-go, even during school holiday. At the same time, this platform promotes paper-free learning process. In short, effective study methods should be applied in our study.

Besides, the choice of reference books does play an essential role in study. We should really explore the bookshops and find out which reference books suit us vary from each subject. Apart from purchasing books which are just informative, we should consult teachers or friends to find the books which are reader-friendly, easy to understand and in par with the latest syllabus and format of the education system. Sometime, we may have to purchase reference books from more than one publisher too. Here, allow me to share some of my personal recommendations of books according to the subjects. To be clear, I do not mean to say that the others are not good enough, it is just that these are what I found that suit me the most. For languages like Bahasa Melayu and English, I would recommend Longman Essential whereas for science-related subjects such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics, I would say textbooks and Pelangi reference books are somehow more user-friendly. For the other subjects like history or mathematics, textbooks and past year papers are more than enough. There is one important tip that I would love to highlight here. Students always take the textbooks for granted. In fact, we should pay attention to the ‘Learning Outcome’ of each chapter and sub-chapter in textbooks and ensure that we have fully understood what we are supposed to know after each chapter. At most of the time, this is where questions usually come out to test the understanding of the candidates for each subject during examinations. With the aid of websites, appropriate reference books and textbooks, I am sure that students are able to score well in exams.

In conclusion, one should make good use of whatever resources that is available to help in one’s study. Have an effective timetable, have a proper choice of books and study methods are some of the keys towards achieving excellence in curricular and co curricular. All the best to everyone!