Education Reform and 21st Century Learning

An abridged version titled "A move in the right direction" was published in Educate, Sunday Star 16 December 2018

Education Reform and 21^st Century Learning

I refer to the cover story “Towards 21^st Century Learning” of Star Educate on 4 November 2018. As a curriculum and instruction specialist who has strived to keep abreast of changes and advances in the education arena over the years, I must say this is a move in the right direction. The pilot project Genosis does sound promising, judging by the list of learner attributes which reflect the desirable learning outcomes.  

However, as the cliché goes, the devil is really in the details. As rightly pointed out, the success of such a project, if it eventually goes nationwide, will hinge on a well-planned and implemented teacher education and accreditation programs, both pre- and in-service. How this can be achieved will require a lot of resolves and efforts on the part of all stakeholders. For starters, we can only hope that the soon-to-be- rolled-out pilot project involves a truly representative sample of our public schools attended by both the haves and have-nots in our huge student communities. With this, perhaps rigorous evaluation -- both formative and summative -- will produce the necessary findings to guide and ensure the scalability and adaptability, as well as long-term sustainability of this project nationwide.

The main concern of many stakeholders right now is how will the implementation of Genosis fit into the larger picture of education reform. As a proponent of cooperative learning since the 1990s, I can only say I am glad to see that Genosis is emphasizing on many learner attributes that can be cultivated through this learner-centered approach that I have tried to promote over the last many years. To this end, and to facilitate school-based education programs for teachers, especially those in service, I have co-authored a book “Learning cooperative learning via cooperative learning”, first published in the US; then followed by a BM version here in Malaysia, and later a Chinese version in China. Packaged with the BM version is an interactive courseware for environmental education that creates awareness in environmental issues, reinforces cooperative learning skills, and promotes higher order thinking among students. Perhaps this courseware, which was distributed to all secondary schools in Malaysia -- with the sponsorship of Hewlett Packard -- can now serve as some kind of prototype for the development of more of such learning material to help achieve the learning outcomes as outlined by Genosis. Project-based learning advocated by Genosis is fine, and in fact, together with inquiry learning, it has purportedly been widely used in schools in Malaysia over the years. Unfortunately, without a proper group structure such as that of cooperative learning, its impact on learning outcomes has remained somewhat unclear.      

In conclusion -- and to cut a long story short – the Genosis project, like the e-textbook initiative, must be planned and implemented as an integral part of the larger framework of the education reform we are all looking forward so much to, with bated breath. As it is, without knowing enough details, teachers are already whining and moaning about the prospect of having to do more report-writing and daily data entry, using yet another platform or learning management system.

Dr Gan Siowck Lee

PiL Project in Malaysia: Conclusion

                                                         AN APPEAL TO THE PM TO REVISE THE NEP

by Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam

Chairperson Asli Center of Public Policy Studies

June 27th , 2018 

Most Malaysians , especially the Bumiputras, will welcome the statement made by the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad , in the Channel NewsAsia  interview recently that the  - `Affirmative Action is still needed to bridge the gap and avoid  conflict between Bumiputras and other races`.

This has  been the  policy adopted  in our  socio economic planning and implementation since the New Economic Policy was introduced in 1970 .

However , the socio economic scenario  has improved considerably over time . The Affirmative Action has  significantly reduced the risks of conflicts that can be caused by socio economic and wealth  disparities .Today the gaps between the Bumis and Chinese and many  others  have  been largely narrowed . 

The greater challenge now is the growing gap in incomes and standards of  living  and the quality of life of the rich and poor  Malaysians of all races between and also within   ethnic groups . There are very poor Malays, Chinese , Indians and other Minority Groups all over Malaysia  ! Its more  a national issue and not confined to any racial group as such !

Appeal to PM

Thus many Malaysians , regardless of race , l therefore Appeal to the Prime Minister and his able Cabinet and wise the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) ,  to review and revise the NEP , to adopt and adapt to  the new socio economic and political realities   , after their most impressive  and welcome electoral GE 14 victory !

Currently , the economic  disparities or socio economic gaps ,  are  based  more on income disparities, rather than race differences . Since we are  blessed with a New Government after 61 years of the same Government , this  is the New Malaysia Era  (Malaysia  Era Baru ) . Therefore  we will need to express the  vast  political tsunami, and sea change in more practical socioeconomic terms for a better future . 

Hence , the New Government  will need to adopt more socio economic policies that are  income based and  related to fulfilling the basic needs and human rights of all Malaysians . our new policies need to be founded on our  sincere conscience and religious values of fairness and fraternity , for all Malaysians .

We can no longer afford to be exclusive , but have to be inclusive  in all our policies and implementation , for all Malaysians  and not only to some exclusive  groups to benefit  from our future national development . We have now to be much more Inclusive in all our policies and practices or we will revert to past policies and practices which were rejected by the voters ! 

New Malaysia Economic Policy (NMEP)

Indeed the New Government  in the New Malaysia,   could  devise and introduce a New Malaysia Economic Policy (NMEP)  that   will contribute to more genuine and sustainable  national unity.  The previous NEP had unfortunately  and regretfully caused much national division , disparities and disunity  , not only  between our races, but also within the Bumiputra/ Malay  and other Racial  and Minority groups , all over the country .

While we would follow the advice of the Prime Minister to accept that  Affirmative Action is still needed in Malaysia   , we  fervently hope  that our new Government will now  ensure  ,more than ever before , that all Malaysians , regardless of Race , who deserve  Affirmative Action  treatment , will enjoy  the new Affirmative Action . This New Affirmative Action should   be meant  for all deserving Malaysians , based on Basic Needs and not Race. Most Malays /Bumis would also gain by this Needs Based Affirmative Action Policy , while the  poor  Non Malays would also benefit  from the new and revised  NEP  !!.

This New Malaysia Economic Policy  is essential , in order  to promote greater national unity  and a more peaceful , prosperous , progressive and Happier New Malaysia (Malaysia Baru ) 

We pray that the Almighty , will Bless and Guide the New Government Leaders , to be Fair to all Malaysians and especially all the poor and underprivileged Malaysians .

An Enchanted Evening at The Royal Lake Club

This musical event, co-organised by Science for Healthy Living (S4H) and the Library Subcommittee of the Royal Lake Club, was held on 27 July 2017 at the Banquet Hall. It was a sold-out dinner show, attended by enthusiastic music lovers from both the Royal Lake Club and S4H. The performance was preceded by a simple yet delicious dinner, which included a chicken curry that everyone still raved about many days later!    

Aptly titled “an Enchanted Evening”, it was indeed an enjoyable evening of enchanting classical songs and popular Broadway musicals, performed by Sonnia Chaing Yiling and her talented 15-year old student, Jared Ngoh Jie Ern. Sonnia Chaing is an international opera singer (mezzo-soprano) and a soloist/opera singer with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and Kuala Lumpur City Opera, as well as the OperaSiam. (Jared Ngoh, who is very passionate about music and the performing arts, had passed his piano grade 8 with distinction and is now preparing for his upcoming grade 8 singing examination with the Trinity College of London. He was awarded a Gold Medal from the Musa Musica Young Musician at one of their recent contests.)

Sonnia is currently also the adjunct music lecturer of UCSI, as well as the Sunway University. True to form, she managed to cleverly weave a program for the evening that was not just entertaining, but also educational for some in the audience. She introduced the theme of the evening program as “Sun, Moon and Star”, and illustrated it using anecdotes -- including a short pop quiz! -- about the three great composers Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart. Moving on to a small dose of classical music appreciation, she talked about their life stories, personalities and compositions that are associated with the Sun, the Moon and the Star respectively. This “lecture” was interspersed by snippets of  music “Sunrise Quartet (Haydn)”, “Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven)” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Variation (Mozart)”. (By the way, contrary to what many believe, Mozart did not write this famous melody, but he did compose some 15 variations on it!) 

With the tone of the evening thus set, Sonnia and Jared went on to sing various classical songs, opera arias and Broadway musicals. There was also sing-along or audience participation for songs like “You are My Sunshine”,“O Sole Mio”, and the immensely popular “Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin” (“月亮代表我的心”), loosely translated as “The Moon Represents My Heart”, certainly very appropriate for the theme of the enchanted evening. However, to many in the audience, the highlight of the program had to be Sonnia’s exhilarating rendition of “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Habanera or “Love is a rebellious bird”) from Bizet’s “Carmen”. Yes, no mezzo-soprano worth her salt would ever pass up a chance to perform on stage this famous aria of all time.  It was indeed a superb performance by Sonnia who literally came alive as Carmen, the vivacious man-magnet of Gypsy descent. The audience was enthralled, bowled over by her beautiful voice and singing, not to mention the impressive vocal range. Everyone craved for more, but alas, the performance came to end soon, with the duo singing the all-time classical crossover hit “Time to Say Goodbye”, made popular by none other than Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.

In a simple survey carried out after the show by S4H, 92% of the respondents rated the performance as very good, even though the music accompaniment was at times less than satisfactory.  Many of them commented that more of such musical events should be organized in the club for the enjoyment (and health?) of members. Why not? After all, the President of S4H, Tan Sri Augustine Ong did remark in his opening address that music has been proven by science to be vital for healthy living!

Please follow the link https://youtu.be/vrEBDA1ATTA  to view the interesting five-minute footage of “An Enchanted Evening”, as well as listen to “Love is a rebellious bird”. Who knows? This “seductive” aria may help you tune in to the life-affirming force of classical music, and perhaps entice you to turn up for more enchanted evenings in the club in the near future. 

  

               

Finally, there is someone whose view resonates with mine....

A Tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

1923-2015

Singapore is Lee Kuan Yew and

Lee Kuan Yew is Singapore

A giant in history, a statesman of exceptional intellect,

steely resolve, relentless tenacity...

Welcome to a study tour on Hudud‧歡迎參加伊刑法觀摩團

The following is a translation of an article by Mr  鄭丁賢,  Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Sin Chew, published on Sunday, 11 May 2014: 

Malaysian government and political parties are generally very enthusiastic about study tours to investigate, and/or observe whatever…. For example, a study tour to Antarctica to visit penguins. Ooops, I mean to study climate change. Thus, there has been a constant stream of visits to Europe, the U.S., China, Japan, and Australia. Such investigation is almost a routine, must go on…..

Curiously, we rarely hear of such visits to certain Middle East and North African countries. If we want to implement Islamic criminal law, how can we not visit these countries? Somalia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Iran, Saudi Arabia , or Indonesia's Aceh, each and everyone should be worth a study tour.

Hadi Awang is so passionate and confident about Islamic criminal law, keeps urging people to believe and to accept it. For real action, why not organize tours to learn about Islamic criminal law in Islamic States? Lead us to the Middle East and North Africa to see how the implementation of Islamic criminal law has brought about a peaceful society, developed economy, and purity of minds.

Are there readers interested to participate? It will certainly be very exciting.

For example, going to Aceh in Indonesia, one can examine woman- caning. Recently, a local woman accused of having an affair was raped by eight men as a punishment for violation of her religion. Later, she will also have to face the punishment of caning.

Going to Pakistan, one can visit the women's prison, where one thousand women accused of adultery are imprisoned. Curiously, only two men were accused of adultery. Could it be that only two men committed adultery with a thousand women?

Similarly, in the Taliban -controlled areas in Pakistan where women are prohibited to pursue education, a disobedient girl like Malala was even shot! Today, fundamentalists are still threatening her.

In Nigeria, the militant Islamic group "Boko Haram" kidnapped 200 female students, barred them from schools, and threatened to sell them into slavery. But their leaders claimed possession of two girls, a 9 -year-old and a 12- year-old, all these are done in the name of religion.

If you go to Somalia, be sure to visit the "Somali Youth Party" controlled central and southern regions, where you can witness the implementation of Islamic criminal law, including the amputation of hands and stoning. From terrorist attacks in Uganda to explosion in the malls, all these are worth “observing”.

If the Islamic criminal law can solve our many problems in Malaysia as claimed -- such as putting an end to the crime of corruption -- then go to these countries mentioned above to see if they have indeed become a paradise, or hell on earth .

Someone said that if hudud law doesn’t work, we can always go back to the civil law.  

In the 1970s, during the era of Iran's Pahlavi Dynasty, this country promoted modernization based on Western model, adopting capitalism. However, its relatively closed political system and government resisted democratic reforms. Wealth was under the control and monopoly of capitalism, resulting in huge growing gap between the rich and poor.

Iranian people’s discontent rose, they were bent on overthrowing the Pahlavi regime. However, they did not use the means of modifying capitalism and promoting democracy and freedom, but chose to align themselves with radical religious forces, with the elders of Ayatollah Khomeini as co- leaders.

Finally, under a series of demonstrations and protests, the Iranian government was paralysed, the King became a common enemy, and ultimately the Pahlavi regime was overthrown. Led by Ayatollah Khomeini, theocratic politics came into power, and the world's first Islamic republic was founded.

Soon, Iran's economy began to decline, and political freedom was further curtailed. Even though Iran has one of the largest oil reserves on earth, and despite the good foundation laid down by the economic modernization policy during the Pahlavi era, Iran degenerated into an even more impoverished and corrupt country, all within a very short time.

A theocratic utopia thus built, was based on mere ideal that was never verified. Nor was there ever any successful precedent of such a system. It lacked effectiveness in terms of actual operation.

For decades, many Iranians wanted to change, to revert, and wrest back power from the hands of the theocratic government. Through election, they managed to elect a relatively liberal president. However, from Rafsanjani to Khatami, they have failed to change the system of theocratic supremacy. The most powerful in Iran is not the elected president, but the supreme religious leader of the country. The supreme leader controls the executive, legislative, judicial and military sectors, including tight control over all civilians in Iranian society. There is no turning back again in today’s Iran.

Many naïve people gamble with luck when they think that temporarily accepting theocratic rule is a way of using its power to change the status of their discontent. Once their purpose is achieved, they think election can be deployed to oust theocratic power. This article hopes to provide a history lesson for them.