YSS , social wing of MIC in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development organized a programme called “Consultation On Educational Underachievers” on 3th May 2008 at Air Keroh D’ Village Resort, Melaka. This was a full day programme and 33 teachers especially student counselors from 26 secondary schools participated in the consultation. 12 YSS officers and volunteers also took part in this programme.
The objective of the programme was to discuss and chart out strategies to address the issues and concerns of academically underachieving students.
Consultation on Educational Underachievers was a focus group analysis to Project PLUS 8 which is being carried out by YSS for under achieving students at 74 secondary schools throughout the country.
Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, Executive Director of YSS moderated the consultation and he was assisted by Dr Logeswary Doraisamy from Ministry of Education. There were two sessions, one in the morning that provided an opportunity to the teachers to highlight the issues and concerns pertinent to underachievers and the afternoon session paved a way for the teachers to discuss and present their thoughts and views in addressing the issues and concerns of under achieving students.
FINDINGS (ISSUES AND SUGGESTIONS)
1. Poor Performance in Bahasa Melayu and English
40 percent of students from Tamil schools fail in Bahasa Melayu and English in the UPSR examination every year. They are sent to Remove Classes in secondary schools. They fail in both languages due to lack of exposure in the languages. Moreover, there is a lack of specially trained teachers to teach students in Tamil schools.
Despite their weakness in Bahasa Malaysia and English, they record good performance in other subjects like Science and Mathematics. For example, 80 per cent of Tamil school students who sit for the UPSR examination breeze through in Science and Mathematics. It clearly shows that they have high potentials to be educational top achievers.
It is proposed that Ministry of Education sets aside adequate allocation to Tamil schools so that the schools would be able to conduct extra classes to teach Bahasa Melayu and English to weak students. Teachers need to be provided with some special training to teach weak students as well.
2. Remove Class
Teachers cited that there were weaknesses in the remove class system. Teachers who teach remove class students are less motivated and they often do not enter the class.
In addition to that, students in the remove class often do not pay attention to their studies, teachers are unable to control the behaviour of the students and the students always converse in their mother tongues in the classroom. Teaching Aid Materials are also limited.
Besides, the size of the class is big where there are between 40-45 students in each classroom. It affects the effectiveness of teaching and learning process in the remove class.
It is proposed that teachers are provided with special training to teach students in remove class. The school administrator must ensure that the teachers always enter the class according to the time table. There should be only 20-25 students per classroom and the Ministry of Education must provide attractive and sufficient Teaching Aid Materials to remove class teachers.
3. Pre School
It is proposed that the Ministry of Education set up pre school classes in the rural and urban areas especially at the squatters and low cost housing areas so that children there would have an opportunity to attend pre school classes. It would also would encourage parents from poor and low income groups to send their children to pre school classes.
Education system in this country provides emphasis on examinations. It forces teachers to concentrate on improving achievement and excellence among their students. As a result, teachers do not pay due attention to weak students and they are placed in the last class.
Furthermore, some students would not take pressure from their teachers who want their students to be excellent in their studies. It has resulted in these students to be left out in education.
It is proposed that School Based Assessment be introduced to assess students’ performance at school level. Teachers need to give priority to education rather than to examination. The group also proposed that only important subjects like Bahasa Melayu, English, Tamil, Science and Mathematics be taught to academically weak students so that they would devout more time and pay due attention towards their studies.
Teachers lamented that many parents do not pay attention to their children’s education. They have low awareness on the importance of education. Moreover, parents have not acquired skills to teach or guide their children in education.
Parents also are unable to control their children’s movement and do not know their children’s association with their peers.
It is proposed that the Ministry of Education and the schools along with the Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) organize Educational Awareness seminars for the parents. The Ministry of Education needs to provide adequate monetary aid to PTAs to run such programs for parents.
There is no special syllabus to teach academically weak students since the early age of their schooling.
It is proposed that the Ministry of Education to come out with a special syllabus
for academically weak students. The special syllabus should contain attractive elements and it must be presented in graphic and multimedia forms.
Academically weak students are less exposed to skills training or living skills. Students who have failed in the UPSR examination are allowed to pursue their studies up to Form Three and Form Five, although they are not academically inclined.
It is proposed that the Ministry of Education provides skill trainings or living skills to academically weak students from Form One onwards. This would instill interest in the students to continue within the school system and they would be able to acquire some sorts of skills. In addition to that they would become skillful human capitals and would shy away from getting into anti social activities.
Note: This paper has been forwarded to the Director General of Education,
Ministry of Education, Malaysia.
SOURCE : www.YSS98.com
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