Before you continue to criticise Malaysian education system for the 134th time, watch this video and read this website. It is so comforting to know that Harvard education is also flawed somehow. It proves there is no such thing as a perfect education.
We always complain how the Malaysian education system is too exam-oriented that students don’t actually understand what they are learning. Even if they understand they are not able to apply their knowledge in their daily life. I am one of those who criticise the structure of our public examinations especially PMR and SPM where the string of A’s that students achieve, poorly reflect their intelligence.
The video is about an education research about the dilemma facing all educators i.e. students learning through memorizing facts and regurgitating them in exams. Harvard’s science graduates were interviewed, asked to explain the causes of the seasons. Surprisingly 21 out of 23 graduates had the same misconception that they had even before entering Harvard, which a 9th grader would usually have i.e. the seasons happen because the Earth travels around the sun, so it is hotter as the Earth gets closer to the sun and colder as it’s further from the sun. When in actual fact it is the tilt of the sun in different angles that is causing the seasons to happen.
So, why don’t even the brightest students truly grasp basic concepts? They are the brightest students if they managed to get into Harvard. Is the Harvard education system flawed as well? If yes, we have an even bigger problem here.
Whatever the reason is, it shows that there is no such thing as the perfect education system. The success of an education depends very much, if not entirely, on the students themselves. Despite a lifetime of the very best education, this does not guarantee that students will grasp even the simplest of concept, easily.
So it all comes down to the individual itself, which means parents have an even greater task to develop their children to be as skillful as possible. To have a questioning mind and skills such as creative and critical thinking in children is certainly not a walk in the park. It should be nurtured from young by parents at home. It can never be taught in school, but can be developed with a lot of practice and real life examples.
Maybe it is time to let the Ministry of Education off the hook and start probing into Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development when trying to address the issue of Malaysian graduates lacking in certain creative thinking skill.
P/S: You need to sign up to the website before you could watch the video (the title is "A Private Universe"). Sign ups are free, don't worry.
Posted at: 01:38 AM | Add Comment
