Sistem Pengurusan Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah.

Sistem Pengurusan Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah. atau Sistem Pengurusan PBS ini telahpun berfungsi dan telah diupload oleh pihak Lembaga Peperiksaan. Di Kedah Taklimat oleh pegawai-pegawai Lembaga Peperiksaan telah dilaksanakan di 7 Lokasi

1. PKG Hosba, PPD Kubang Pasu
2. PKG Simpang Empat , PPD Kota Setar
3. SM Teknik Sungai Petani 1, PPD Kuala Muda Yan
4. PKG Tokai, PPD Padang Terap dan PPD  Pendang
5. SK Sungai Menghulu,  PPD Langkawi
6. PKG Sungai Ular, PPD Kulim Bandar Baru
7. PKG Kuala Pegang , PPD Baling Sik

melibatkan 30 Setiausaha Peperiksaan sekolah bagi setiap lokasi. Mulai 22 - 26 MEI 2011 inshaAllah semua sekolah lain akan diberikan taklimat pengendalian program tersebut..

Guru guru Tahun 1 diminta memasukan evidens-evidens yang berkaitan bermula dari bulan Januari ke dalam sistem tersebut. cetakan Laporan Formatif dan juga Laporan Sumatif boleh dibuat daripada sistem.

Kisah Ikan di Asrama Anakku

Anak saya yang tinggal di asrama sekolah baru baru memberi komen bahawa secara tiba tiba jumlah  ikan goreng  (antara menu utama sekolah) untuk pelajar yang selalunya berlebihan telah menurun dengan mendadak.

Sebenarnya 'ration' ikan ini mencukupi tetapi anak saya merupakan penggemar ikan., biasanya ikan kurang digemari maka bila ikan merupakan salah satu daripada menu makan tengahari atau malam ianya selalu berlebihan kerana kurang digemari. Mungkin ada pilihan lain.Pelajar pelajar juga berpeluang membeli makanan di kantin. Pendek cerita anak saya dan rakan rakan yang sealiran puaslah makan ikan ketika itu.

Saya pun bertanyakan apakah peristiwa yang membuat pelajar pelajar tiba tiba meminati ikan? Jawapannya agak menarik. Rupanya pihak sekolah telah menjemput seseorang guru dari luar untuk bercakap tentang permakanan (anak saya ketika itu sedang cuti sakit - demam campak) kepada pelajar asrama. Antara benda yang disentuhnya ialah tentang khasiat ikan termasuk tentang kandungan Omega 3nya.Selepas habis tempoh MC nya anak saya pun balik ke sekolah dan mendapatlah sedikit kejutan apabila hendak mendapatkan  ikannya .

Saya rasa ada beberapa perkara yang kita boleh renungkan disini:...

• Pelajar pelajar sekolah itu bukan sahaja mendengar dan memahami apa yang diterangkan oleh penceramah (Kelebihan Ikan) tetapi mengaplikasinya dalam kehidupan harian (Makan Ikan)
• Mengapa ini tidak boleh berlaku dalam setiap subjek dalam bilik darjah? 
• Adakah suasana P&P berbeza, Penceramah dari luar? Penceramah yang pandai menarik minat murid? Situasi yang berbeza? Tapi ilmu ilmu yang hendak kita sampaikan dalam kelas pun tak kurang hebatnya,
• Bagaimana kita boleh ulang penerimaan pelajar yang sebegini untuk semua ilmu yang hendak kita ajar? 

Semak Urusan Kenaikan Pangkat Anda Secara Online

KPM menyediakan kemudahan semakan tersebut secara online. Ikut langkah langkah berikut untuk membuat semakan.

1.Layari www.moe.gov.my

2.Pada page yang sama , lihat bahagian e Perkhidmatan dan 'double click' pada pilihan ke 6.

3.Masukkan nombor KPT

4.Dapat Keputusan

tahniah....

Belum ada rezeki....

Aktiviti aktiviti yang patut ada pada pelajar pelajar Band 5 dan Band 6

Pelbagai aktiviti boleh ditakrifkan berada pada tahap Band 5 iaitu Tahu, Faham & Buat Dgn Beradab Peringkat Terpuji atau satu analogi lain ialah boleh mengaplikasinya diluar daripada kelas / dunia sebenar.


Sementara Band 6 pula iaitu Tahu,Faham & Buat Dgn Beradab Peringkat Mithali atau analoginya kalau guru tak dapat hadir pelajar boleh menggantikannya.


Cuba anda letakkan Band yang sesuai pada evidens evidens berikut:

• Subjek Matematik : Pelajar bertanding dalam kuiz matematik peringkat daerah
• Subjek Pendidikan Islam  : Sekumpulan pelajar dihantar oleh sekolah mereka (atas jemputan)  ke sekolah lain untuk mengajar pelajar pelajar Tingkatan 1 tertib dan bacaan dalam sembahyang. Ada slot diurus oleh guru , ada slot dilaksana oleh pelajar - kes sebenar.
• Subjek Pendidikan Jasmani : Sekumpulan pelajar mengendalikan 'coaching' bola / rugbi kepada pelajar pelajar pasukan pelapis. Guru sebagai pemerhati - kes sebenar.
• lain-lain kes:
• Orientasi / Suai kenal dirancang dan dilaksana oleh pelajar . Guru sebagai penasihat.
• Kelas Tambahan dikendalikan oleh Kelab/Persatuan. Guru sebagai penasihat.

Inilah aktiviti aktiviti yang patut ada pada pelajar pelajar Band 5 dan Band 6. Tidak cukup dengan dapat menjawab semua soalan dalam ujian sahaja. Dan inilah halatuju kita sebagai guru

Pemantauan Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah

Pemantauan Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah

Pemantauan adalah satu proses yang dilakukan untuk mendapatkan maklumat dan memastikan Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah (PBS) dilaksanakan mengikut prosedur dan jadual yang ditetapkan agar mempunyai kesahan dan kebolehpercayaan.Kesahan dan kebolehpercayaan PBS dapat dipastikan melalui pelaksanaan mekanisma pemantauan menggunakan menggunakan instrumen yang standard dan seragam yang disediakan oleh Lembaga Peperiksaan. [Dipetik dari Buku Panduan dan Peraturan Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah (Rendah dan Menengah Rendah) ] ,

Pemantauan juga merupakan salah satu kaedah yang digunakan oleh JPN dan PPD untuk menilai  pelaksanaan program program yang dijalankan di sekolah. Bagi sektor Penilaian dan Peperiksaan , pemantauan PBS merupakan salah satu daripada aktiviti yang dirancang dalam Perancangan Strategik Sektor.

Dalam  Sistem Pengurusan Kualiti (MS ISO 9001:2008) yang diamalkan oleh Bahagian Pengurusan Sekolah Harian, JPN dan PPD, pemantauan perlulah dilakukan mengikut Prosedur Kualiti PK 03 Pengurusan Pemantauan yang telah ditetapkan.Objektif Prosedur ini bertujuan memastikan proses pemantauan dilaksanakan secara terancang dan berkesan. Berikut adalah prosedur-prosedur  yang perlu dipatuhi:

BIL	TINDAKAN	RUJUKAN
1	Mengeluar arahan melaksanakan pemantauan.	Surat/Memo/Minit Mesyuarat/ e-mail
2	Menentukan kriteria pemilihan lokasi pemantauan	Senarai lokasi/ kriteria
3	Menentukan spesifikasi dan prestasi perkhidmatan/kerja bagi lokasi yang dipantau	Senarai spesifikasi  dan prestasi yang ditetapkan
4	Menyediakan takwim pemantauan	Memo/minit mesyuarat /Perancangan atau Takwim
5	Menyedia dan menentukan instrumen berdasarkan objektif pemantauan	Instrumen Pemantauan
6	Mengeluarkan arahan tugas sebelum pemantauan dilaksanakan	Arahan Tugas
7	Melaksanakan pemantauan menggunakan instrumen yang telah disediakan.	Instrumen Pemantauan
8	Menyedia dan menyerahkan dapatan pemantauan kepada lokasi pada hari pemantauan	Dapatan pemantauan
9	Mendapatkan maklum balas dari lokasi dalam tempoh 14 hari bekerja bagi : i.teguran atau dapatan pemantauan yang tidak memenuhi spesifikasi dan prestasi perkhidmatan/kerja yang ditetapkan; ATAU ii.cadangan penambahbaikan bagi lokasi yang mencapai spesifikasi dan prestasi perkhidmatan/kerja yang telah ditetapkan.	PK03-1  Borang Maklum Balas Pemantauan
10	Melaksanakan pemantauan susulan kepada lokasi yang tidak mencapai spesifikasi dan prestasi perkhidmatan/kerja yang ditetapkan.	Laporan tindakan susulan
11	Menyediakan laporan penuh pemantauan untuk diserahkan kepada Ketua Jabatan.	Laporan Penuh
12	Membentangkan laporan pemantauan dalam mesyuarat pengurusan	Minit mesyuarat

Dirujuk kepada Dokumen Kualiti Sistem Pengurusan Kualiti (MS ISO 9001:2008)

Bahagian Pengurusan Sekolah Harian.

Ringkasnya pemantau pemantau perlulah merujuk kepada prosedur prosedur yang

telah ditetapkan diatas semasa proses pemantauan PBS.

Cuma pelajar yang terbaik berpeluang menjadi guru di Finland..Temuduga dengan menteri pelajarannya

The Hechinger Report is a nonprofit news organization that is focused on producing in-depth education journalism.

http://hechingerreport.org/content/an-interview-with-henna-virkkunen-finlands-minister-of-education_5458/

An interview with Henna Virkkunen, Finland’s Minister of Education

By Justin Snider , 

MARCH 16, 2011

The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

The Hechinger Report:  It’s well-known that Finland’s teachers are an elite bunch, with only top students offered the chance to become teachers. It’s also no secret that they are well-trained. But take us inside that training for a moment – what does it look like, specifically? How does teacher training in Finland differ from teacher training in other countries?

Virkkunen: It’s a difficult question. Our teachers are really good. One of the main reasons they are so good is because the teaching profession is one of the most famous careers in Finland, so young people want to become teachers. In Finland, we think that teachers are key for the future and it’s a very important profession—and that’s why all of the young, talented people want to become teachers. All of the teacher-training is run by universities in Finland, and all students do a five-year master’s degree.  Because they are studying at the university, teacher education is research-based. Students have a lot of supervised teacher-training during their studies. We have something called “training schools”—normally next to universities—where the student teaches and gets feedback from a trained supervisor.

Teachers in Finland can choose their own teaching methods and materials. They are experts of their own work, and they test their own pupils. I think this is also one of the reasons why teaching is such an attractive profession in Finland because teachers are working like academic experts with their own pupils in schools.

Henna Virkkunen, Finland's Minister of Education

The Hechinger Report: How are teachers evaluated in Finland? How are they held accountable for student learning?

Virkkunen: Our educational society is based on trust and cooperation, so when we are doing some testing and evaluations, we don’t use it for controlling [teachers] but for development. We trust the teachers. It’s true that we are all human beings, and of course there are differences in how teachers test pupils, but if we look at the OECD evaluation—PISA, for example—the learning differences among Finnish schools and pupils are the smallest in OECD countries, so it seems that we have a very equal system of good quality.

The Hechinger Report: How does Finland incorporate immigrants and minorities into its educational system?

Virkkunen: We haven’t had so many immigrants in Finland, but we are going to have more in the future—and we need more because we have an aging population. In some schools, in the areas around Helsinki, more than 30 percent of the pupils are immigrants. It seems that we have been doing good work, also with the immigrants, if we look at PISA results. Normally, if children come from a very different schooling system or society, they have one year in a smaller setting where they study Finnish and maybe some other subjects. We try to raise their level before they come to regular classrooms. We think also that learning one’s mother tongue is very important, and that’s why we try to teach the mother tongue for all immigrants as well. It’s very challenging. I think in Helsinki, they are teaching 44 different mother tongues. The government pays for two-hour lessons each week for these pupils. We think it is very important to know your own tongue—that you can write and read and think in it. Then it’s easier also to learn other languages like Finnish or English, or other subjects.

The Hechinger Report: What roles do teacher unions play in Finland? In the U.S. right now, unions are seen as a big problem standing in the way of reform. What’s it like in Finland?

Virkkunen: It’s a totally different situation in Finland. For me, as Minister of Education, our teachers’ union has been one of the main partners because we have the same goal: we all want to ensure that the quality of education is good, and we are working very much together with the union. Nearly every week we are in discussions with them. They are very powerful in Finland. Nearly all of the teachers are members. I think we don’t have big differences in our thinking. They are very good partners for us.

The Hechinger Report: What do you think the U.S. can and should learn from Finland when it comes to public education?

Virkkunen: It’s a very difficult question. An educational system has to serve the local community, and it’s very much tied to a country’s own history and society, so we can’t take one system from another country and put it somewhere else. But I think that teachers are really the key for a better educational system. It’s really important to pay attention to teacher training, in-service training and working conditions. Of course, the teachers always say we also have to pay attention to their salaries. But in Finland, it seems that the salaries are not the main reason it’s an attractive profession. Teachers aren’t very badly paid. They earn the average if you look at other academic professions.

The Hechinger Report: In the U.S., it’s estimated that 50 percent of new teachers quit within five years. I suspect it’s different in Finland. Is teaching seen as a lifelong career in Finland?

Virkkunen: Teaching is a lifelong career in Finland, but right now we are doing an evaluation of why some teachers leave their jobs. The rate isn’t very high. It’s often men who leave, as they find jobs with higher salaries. We have to develop some kind of mentoring system because the new, young teachers need support. Often the feedback I hear from young teachers is that it is not easy to cooperate with parents, for example, so that is one of the areas where young teachers need support from their colleagues.

The Hechinger Report: What’s something important but not widely known or well understood about public education in Finland?

Virkkunen: We teach all pupils in the same classrooms. We don’t have really good, top schools and very poor, bad schools. We are quite good at giving special support to students with learning difficulties. About 25 percent of our pupils receive some kind of special support, but in regular classrooms—often the teacher has an assistant in the classroom. We also think it is very important that there aren’t too many pupils per teacher. We don’t have legislation limiting class size, but the average class size for all grades is 21. In first- and second-grade, it’s 19.

We think we can have equality and good quality at the same time—that they are not opposites.

Our students spend less time in class than students in other OECD countries. We don’t think it helps students learn if they spend seven hours per day at school because they also need time for hobbies, and of course they also have homework

Finland , negara dimana jawatan guru menjadi rebutan, mengamalkan Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah dan secara konsisten melahirkan pelajar pelajar yang terbaik.

Artikel yang menarik ini dipetik dari:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wherewestand/reports/globalization/finland-whats-the-secret-to-its-success/206/?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4da7077611832e1a%2C0

Finland: What's the Secret to Its Success?

Finland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe – the majority of it covered with forests and lakes. It boasts great natural beauty, world-renowned saunas, and is home to the phone giant Nokia.

But none of these attributes are what inspires delegations from more than 50 countries to travel there annually. Instead, these international visitors head to Finland for a first-hand look at one of the things the country does best: education.

The Finns call these delegates “educational pilgrims.” Their mission? To find out the secret to the Finn’s success. Finland has always boasted first-rate schools, but the country has made headlines over the past decade for consistently performing at the top of an international test known as PISA (The Programme for International Student Assessment). Sponsored by the Organization for Economic Development (OECD), the test in reading, science and math is administered triennially to 15-year-olds in 57 developed countries, which together account for nearly 90 percent of the world’s GDP.

Of those countries, Finland placed first overall on the 2006 tests, which focused on science, compared with the U.S.’s position in the middle of the pack. Finland has maintained this lead since the test was first administered in 2000, ranking first in that year’s reading assessment. In addition, Finland has a high-school dropout rate of less than 1 percent – compared with roughly 25 percent in the U.S. And in tertiary education, the World Economic Forum ranks Finland first in the world in enrollment and quality.

When asked about their ranking, Finnish educators and experts consistently cite the country’s teachers. In Finland, they say, teaching is considered one of the most highly esteemed professions – hardly a surprise, considering the fact that all of the country’s teachers must hold master’s degrees, and the profession is highly competitive. Even though the salaries of Finnish teachers are comparable to those in the U.S., a job opening in a Finnish classroom typically attracts more than 40 applicants.

The job’s popularity can be partly attributed to the country’s liberal approach to its curriculum. In Finland, teachers are allowed to choose their own textbooks and customize their lesson plans. They aren’t required to administer standardized tests, and assign little homework.

“Teachers are very independent, and there is little cooperation between teachers,” says Maria Lisa Wahlfors, a teacher at the Tapiola School outside of Helsinki. “I think having this freedom is much better because I can choose the material I want to teach, and it can match my personality.”

In addition, the Finn’s success is due in large part to the country’s demographics. Unlike the United States, where great disparities in income and an extremely diverse population present obstacles to education, Finland enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world, is largely homogeneous, and has a strong national culture.

Standard Standard Prestasi dalam PBS

Dalam Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah, terdapat beberapa Standard Prestasi yang disediakan oleh Lembaga Peperiksaan berdasarkan KSSR dan KSSM. Berikut ialah komponen komponen PBS dan Standard Prestasinya jika ada,

1.  Pentaksiran Sekolah  (PS)

Pentaksiran Sekolah  (PS) berfungsi sebagai pentaksiran untuk pembelajaran (assessment for learning) dan pentaksiran tentang pembelajaran (assessment of learning) dan merujuk kepada Standard Prestasi 

2.  Pentaksiran Pusat 

Pentaksiran Pusat (PP) merupakan pentaksiran yang dilaksanakan di peringkat sekolah oleh guru berdasarkan tugasan yang dikeluarkan oleh Lembaga Peperiksaan dalam tempoh tertentu mengikut mata pelajaran tertentu berdasarkan Standard Prestasi dan penjaminan kualiti melalui pemantauan dan penyelarasan.

3.  Pentaksiran Aktiviti Jasmani Sukan & Kokurikulum

 Pentaksiran Aktiviti Jasmani, Sukan & Kokurikulum (PAJSK)    Pentaksiran yang dilaksanakan di peringkat sekolah untuk mengukur dan menilai prestasi, penglibatan dan penyertaan murid dalam aktiviti jasmani, kesihatan, sukan dan kokurikulum.               

Dalam pelaksanaan PAJSK, setiap murid dikehendaki melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti yang dirancang dan ditetapkan oleh guru berkenaan sama ada di dalam atau di luar bilik darjah mengikut keupayaan murid dan kesesuaian sesuatu aktiviti tersebut. PAJSK merangkumi pentaksiran berdasarkan aspek-aspek berikut:

                              i.        Sukan;
                            ii.       Kokurikulum;
                           iii.     Ekstrakurikulum;
                           iv.     Pendidikan Jasmani; dan
                            v.        Kesihatan.

Aktiviti Jasmani diukur  berdasarkan Standard Prestasi Jasmani sementara aktiviti Kokurikulum diukur 

berdasarkan Standard Prestasi Kokurikulum 

4.  Pentaksiran Psikometrik (PSi)

Pentaksiran Psikometrik adalah pentaksiran yang direkabentuk untuk mendapatkan maklumat secara kualitatif dan kuantitatif tentang keupayaan seseorang untuk bertindak balas dalam suatu cara tertentu. Pentaksiran ini boleh mengukur kebolehan semula jadi (innate ability) dan kebolehan yang diperoleh (acquired ability) daripada pengalaman dan persekitaran dan tidak berasaskan kurikulum dan proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran. 

Disebabkan pengukuran ini tidak berasaskan kurikulum maka ianya juga tidak perlu / tidak boleh dibandingkan dengan sebarang Standard... Maka tidak ada sebarang Standard Prestasi di sini.

Pejalanan Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah setakat ini.... Mac 2011

Semenjak pelaksanaan Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah untuk tahun 1 mulai 2011 banyak peristiwa telah dan sedang berlaku. Di JPN, dua Sektor yang terlibat secara aktif dalam pelaksanaan KSSR ini ialah Sektor Penguruan Akademik dan Sektor Penilaian dan Peperiksaan.

Sektor Pengurusan Akademik terlibat secara langsung dengan pelaksanaan KSSR sementara Sektor Penilaian dan Peperiksaan pula lebih tertumpu pada aspek  Pentaksiran. Difahamkan Sektor Akademik telahpun melaksanakan taklimat dan kursus tentang pelaksanaan KSSR pada guru guru tahun satu dan kini sedang dalam proses pemantauan KSSR di sekolah sekolah rendah seluruh Kedah.

Bagi Sektor Penilaian dan Peperiksaan pula , unit yang terlibat secara khusus tentang urusan Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah ialah Unit Pentaksiran Sekolah. iaitu salah satu daripada 3 unit di bawah Sektor Penilaian dan Peperiksaan. Dalam menjalankan tugas yang diamanahkan kami telah melaksanakan beberapa aktiviti, antaranya :

• Kursus/Bengkel PBS kepada semua Guru Besar dan wakil guru yang akan mengajar Tahun 1 pada 2011. Kursus ini dihadiri oleh Guru Besar dan sekurang-kurangnya seorang  guru ( ada sekolah sehingga 4 orang guru bergantung kepada enrolmen ). Kursus ini selesai di laksana pada tahun 2010. Kesemuanya lebih kurang 2000 guru telah dapat hadir. Harapan kami ialah peserta peserta Kursus ini akan membuat 'in house' training pada guru - guru lain di sekolah.
• Taklimat PBS kepada Guru Besar  dan seorang guru tahun 1 Sekolah Rendah Swasta. Taklimat selama satu hari ini dijalankan pada hujubg bulan November 2010.
• Bengkel PBS kepada lebih kurung 30 guru-guru yang mengajar Tahun satu di sekolah sekolah sekitar pekan Jitra ( Daerah Kubang Pasu) di ekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin , Jitra pada bulan Februari 2011.
• Taklimat kepada Penolong Kanan Sekolah Rendah ( termasuk sekolah Rendah Swasta) menjelaskan tanggung jawab mereka sebagai Ketua Pentaksir Sekolah, penjelasan tentang PBS dan Pengurusan fail fail PBS.Lebih kurang 560 guru telah menghadiri sebanyak 11 siri sesi ini yang telah dijalankan dalam bulan Februari dan Mac 2011. 

Adalah menjadi harapan Sektor agar sesi sesi Bengkel dan taklimat ini akan memberi impak kepada sekolah melalui kefahaman Guru Besar, Penolong Kanan dan Guru-guru dan juga melalui latihan 'in house' peringkat sekolah.

Pelaksanaan Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah bagi Tahun 2011

Semua sekolah rendah perlu mengambil tindakan yang sesuai sempena dengan pelaksanaan KSSR bagi pelajar Tahun 1. Dalam Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah (PBS) , di bawah adalah beberapa tindakan yang perlu diambil oleh sekolah:

1.     Memastikan semua nota yang diberi semasa kursus PBS kepada Guru Besar, Penolong Kanan dan Guru Guru  diperbanyakan dan diedarkan pada semua guru Tahun1

2.     Mengadakan Bengkel / kursus dalaman untuk semua guru Tahun Satu 

3.    Mengadakan kursus dalam kepada semua guru mengenai Kurikulum Baru Sekolah Rendah (KSSR)

4.    Pelaksanaan KSSR dan PBS bagi tahun 1  perlu dilaksanakan sepenuhnya mengikut arahan dan panduan yang telah ditetapkan.

5.    Penyediaan Fail fail berikut:

• Fail Pengurusan
• Fail Kes Kes Khas
• Portfoliol Guru
• Portfolio Perkembangan Murid.
• Portfolio Pameran (Showcase) Murid

6.    ibubapa/waris  murid  tahun 1 tahun 2011 perlu dimaklumkan tentang pelaksanaan PBS

Only quality teachers can make the transformation

By: (Mar 09, 2011) 

EFFORTS to improve the standard of education will be futile if teachers are unprepared to be part of the plan and are unresponsive to the calls for change. As had been said many times by many people that the country can have the most sophisticated First World equipment that money can buy but they will be of not much help if those who are supposed to operate them are still steeped in their Third World mentality, unmotivated and lacking in the urge to acquire new skills.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, when addressing the joint opening of the two houses of Parliament on Monday, hit the nail on the head when he said that for the educational transformation to truly be successful the country must have quality teachers. In saying so the King was only acknowledging what many educational experts have been saying all along and what many parents have found out about the quality of teaching in the national schools. As has been said by educators and experts the quality of education is only as good as the quality of the teachers.

Among the reasons for the exodus of Chinese pupils from national schools is the perceived low standard of education, again as a result of poor quality of the teaching standards. Indeed some parents who are averse to sending their children to Chinese schools but have taken them out of national schools have blamed the poor quality of teaching for what they have done. They have opted for home schooling and paying enormous sums for that. They would rather have their children continue in national schools if the quality of education had not dropped to the present standard.

However all is not lost and the slide can be arrested by the Education Ministry. Remedial action must be taken to motivate and improve the quality of teachers while special care must be exercised when recruiting new teachers so that only those who did well in their examinations and have the proper temperament for the job are selected. Their records must also be scrutinised for character blemishes and past indiscretions so that they can enforce discipline without having their authority questioned.

Teachers must be carefully prepared to face their pupils whose daily diet of multi-channel televisions and the Internet are making them more knowledgeable. They must be made to accept the fact that their role is more as a guide and a coach than a provider of knowledge.

The ministry, too, must make an effort to increase the number of non-bumiputras in the teaching profession. While this may help the pupils to acquire different perspectives and views of issues that confront them, it may also attract the non-Malays back to national schools. Only then can national schools be a true crucible of national unity. And only then can the transformation be effective, real and meaningful.

This article was emailed from Sun2Surf.
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