By: Naif
Look guys, you're missing my point. I completely agree with James, but I have a few things to add, then we can all end this.
Education is something great to have and of course its something everybody persue. But theres a huge difference between education and knowledge. What SPM does is testing an individual's knowledge in their 5 years of secondary school. But as you all know SPM doesn't cover all grounds of knowledge, it covers theory. Everything else must be learn through experience. No man's knowledge is complete and as Sir William Haley puts it, school education would be much better if the student realizes how much they dont know when they get out school (which in turn forces them into a lifelong journey for persuing knowledge)
The thing I want to point about in my previous post is that I dont like how we Malaysians study. Our sole purpose of studying is mainly for passing test papers. All this can be done by repeating the test papers, note memorizations and tution centers. It's absurd. Even throughout the year, how many of you can honestly say that you go back home you actually learn something that can be contributed to society? Pendidikan Moral/Pendidikan Islam? If these subjects really makes a difference i.e make you want to help your neighbour/help cross an old man down the road/pray 5 times a day/stop masturbating why do I still notice that crime rates have been on the rise these days?
I dont know about you, but throughout my 5 years of schooling, 3 years in Seaport, 2 years in Victoria Institution, I've hardly done any practical work except for Kemahiran Hidup. Most of the time I'm doing "latihan" and reading "nota" that teachers give me. Then I go to school and listen to stupid lectures given by incompotent teachers rambling about Malaysian society. After that I sit for exams.....and more exams. My uncle (who is an American) once told me: "Is that all you Malaysians do? I go to work and I ask them what their doing currently, and they tell me their preparing themselves for exams."I can honestly tell you, most of the valuable "education" I got was through books, the Internet and my father's lectures.
To me, the problem with Malaysian's schools lies within the teachers, the administrator and the students. Teachers come to schools mainly to teach and care nothing less if the students understand or not. Students in turn come to school just to chit chat and no passion at all in persuing "knowledge". The leadership of the school is poor, discipline is lacking and therefore everything else crumbles. Like James said, its not like in the olden days where teachers are passionate,strict but very caring. So its no suprise, our University rankings have drop. One explanation is because the students who enter local U suck and lack character. All the "best" students are overseas.
The only thing I like in our preparation for SPM is that, if you the have guts and balls to study every night and day, then getting the straight A's you wanted, I don't think you'll have any other problem in life in general. I mean, with all that dedication and commitment, by right you should be able to do anything! With that said, I'm actually quite suprise that straight A students can't get a job or end up working for somebody. They should have been entrepenuers and billionaires. If they can only apply all that hard work and perseverance into what they do, I tell you they'll be able to rule th
e world!
About our tution centers: I have to say, the fact that you decide to enroll in a tution center shows how much you're incapable to understand what is being taught in the classroom. I mean, I'm completely sure thats the main reason why people turn to tution in the first place. Lets face it, the teachers at schools suck, more balls than Jenna Jameson and Pamela Anderson put together. Besides, I dont know about you, but I've hardly seen any top students go for tution. They're able to understand and do revision at home. If some do, its probably because they needed an extra supplemant or subjects that requires tution, say accounts. Amalina didnt take tution at all except for accounts.
So this is our education dilemma. Its no longer the Malay/Indian/Chinese dilemma, its OUR EDUCATION DILEMMA. I dont think any further complaint is necessary, I said what needed to be said and if the issue is raised again, I give up. Besides, I still want to get straight A's because society demands me to. After that you can see me in the National University of Singapore.
"It doesnt matter where you start, but where you finish that counts"-ZigZiglar
