Star Q
iii. CPD Untuk Guru
I am not going to touch on the perspectives already scrutinized by many media users for the past few days offering their own and more logical opinion as to the real reason why the cost of living is indeed getting higher without a sign of slowing down.
On the other hand I am going to look from the perspective of why the level of education is getting lower by the year. The most important reason is the lack of consistency in the implementation of programmes and educational blue prints. Let's take for example the PPSMI blue print where all students needed to use English Language for three subjects, mainly English Language, Science and Mathematics, was cut short in its track even before it managed to reach its maturity. All the hard work put in by the teachers and students, trying to improve their English Language, plus the amount of money spent on courses for teachers to attend, have now gone to waste before we could see the actual result or product of the programme. I am not going to delve into the reason(s) why the programme was shelved.
Secondly, every Tom, Dick and Harry's idea of a perfect school. We have Sekolah Berpretasi Tinggi, Sekolah Kluster, Sekolah Bestari, Sekolah Sukan and every other type of school under the scorching sun, just to name a few At the end of the day, what these schools really are, are schools which cater for the more academically fortunate students while the rest remain in daily schools, most of them in rural areas. With such a disadvantage it is no wonder that these students end up with only SPM certificates; that is if they are lucky!
Thirdly, slipshod programmes that we can actually do without, for example the Dual Language Programme where schools actually have the autonomy to determine whether they want to adopt the programme or not. If they do, their students would greatly benefit from the extra use of English Language. And the schools that don't want to adopt the programme can go back and hide under the MBMMBI rock. Of course where DLP is concerned, there is fear to make it compulsory; not least because they think students may find it difficult to use English Language in Science and Mathematics, but mostly because someone might suddenly cry out that DLP is trying to copy PPSMI. And we can't have that, can we.
Last but definitely not the least is the cutback in the allocation for the Ministry of Education during the 2016 Budget. We realise that not all the money will actually go to areas that benefit our students in helping them to get more than an SPM certificate; some will go to meetings in five-star hotels (even though the venue for teachers will be in schools) and some will go for gastronomic spreads during functions (even though teachers do not get any refreshments during long meetings, save for a kuih and a cup of Teh-O)
Gone are the days when teachers can use the office facilities to print worksheets and handouts for their students, all under the pretense of going paperless. And even when school offices tightened their own budget, teachers still had their BISP to use to prepare materials for students. Please be reminded that the BISPs given to teachers (well, most of us anyway) went to printing worksheets and handouts, producing flash cards and models and what-have-you. All in the name of increasing our students knowledge and proficiency.
But what do you do. Nothing! Well, to be fair not nearly enough. If you are blaming the rise in the cost of living on the low level of education, do something to increase it. At the moment you are already doing quite well in rising the cost of living and lowering the level of education. Take a 180 degree turn and do the opposite. Raise the level of education and lower the cost of living. I'm sure more than a few will remove that proverbial knife and pat you in the back instead.
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