Skip to main content

Home/ Malaysian Teachers & Education/ Group items tagged china

Rss Feed Group items tagged

Filter: All | Bookmarks | Topics Simple Middle
izz aty

DAP Malaysia | The proposal to import Mandarin teachers from China - 0 views

dapmalaysia.org/...19654

malaysia malaysian education MACEEDA TMSOL

shared by izz aty on 06 Dec 14 - No Cached
  • At present, Mandarin is being offered as a subject in 600 national schools
  • the idea of importing teachers and experts in Mandarin from China is not practical as most of these teachers from China are not fluent in Malay. So how can these teachers from China communicate with the students and teach Mandarin as a 3rd language effectively?
  • Besides, since 2007, our government has spent RM12,302,720 to send 409 non-Chinese students to China to learn Mandarin. How much would it cost us to import teachers from China?
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • instead of importing teachers in Mandarin from China, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should first tap into the local talent pool. 21% of the primary school students study at SJKC. Among them, 88% are Chinese and 9% are Bumiputra. At the same time, there are around 80,000 students studying at Chinese Independent Schools. All these are the potential candidates for becoming Mandarin teachers in the future.
  • reply from Deputy Minister of Education, Datuk Mary Yap in Parliament on October 29, 289 teacher trainees have completed “Kursus Diploma Perguruan Malaysia – Kursus Dalam Cuti” (KDPM-KDC) in June while 495 teacher trainees will complete “Program Ijazah Sarjana Muda Perguruan” (PISMP) in December. All these graduates are specifically trained to teach Mandarin as 2nd language in our national schools.
  • Our Ministry of Education should first increase the intake for teaching Mandarin as 3rd language in PISMP and KDPM-KDC, and engage with Dong Jiao Zong to attract more students from Chinese Independent Schools to enroll. This will be a more expedient and costs effective method to produce 30,000 Mandarin teachers for 10,000 national schools.
  • While we support the idea of teaching Mandarin as a 3rd language in all national schools, this should not be done in a hasty manner. A policy that has nationwide impact and huge costs implication should be discussed thoroughly and plan carefully. It should not be announced in UMNO General Assembly and then immediately be implemented a month later. We do not want to see a repeat of mistakes made by Government in PPSMI as the future of our students is at stake.
izz aty

Study: Malaysia has best English language speakers in Asia - Nation | The Star Online - 0 views

www.thestar.com.my/...a-best-english-asia-study.aspx

education first education esol tesol esl malaysia malaysian education language learning language education EDWCkiv

shared by izz aty on 18 May 14 - No Cached
  • Malaysia apparently has the best English language speakers in Asia, beating out Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, China and Kazakhstan - according to a Singapore-based English Language school.
  • The school, Education First, which released the findings of their English Proficiency Index on their website Wednesday, ranked Malaysia as having the highest level of English proficiency out of 13 countries in Asia.
  • On the global scale, Malaysia was ranked 11th out of 60 countries, with four of the top five slots going to Scandinavian countries, with Sweden and Norway taking the top two spots and Malaysia outperforming Singapore, Belgium, Germany, Latvia and Switzerland - countries which took the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th spots respectively.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • "China has also improved, although less dramatically. Japan and South Korea, despite enormous private investment, have declined slightly.
  • Across the board, English language skills are improving in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). "This year, India and Russia have moved ahead of China, and Brazil is closing in fast," said Education First.
  • The school went on to say that their Index found the Middle East and North Africa to be the regions with the weakest English proficiency.
  • On the mechanics of the Index, the school said the Index calculated a country's average adult English skill level using data from two Education First tests.
  • The second is a 70-question online placement test used by EF during the enrolment process before students start an English course. Both include grammar, vocabulary, reading, and listening sections
  • One test is open to any Internet user for free
  • The open online test is a 30-question adaptive exam, so each test-taker’s questions are adjusted in difficulty according to his or her previous correct and incorrect answers
izz aty

Malaysia has highest level of English proficiency in Asia - Latest - New Straits Times - 0 views

www.nst.com.my/...h-proficiency-in-asia-1.393697

kivedwc english education language language learning fluency malaysia singapore asia

shared by izz aty on 05 Apr 14 - No Cached
  • climbed two notches higher to 11th place from 13th position last year in the EF English Proficiency Index which saw over 60 countries being surveyed.
  • Malaysia, which was placed in the ‘High Proficiency’ category, had overtaken Singapore who fell behind to 12th position in the world ranking. Malaysia scored 58.99 points in the survey while neighbouring Singapore received a 58.92 score.
  • The analysis of evolving English proficiency over a six-year period (2007 to 2012 inclusive) uses test data from nearly five million adults.   EF Academic Affairs and Research Network head Dr. Christopher McCormick said: “Comparison of countries with their neighbours, trading partners, and rivals provides a fascinating study in divergent national priorities and educational policies worldwide,”
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • some Asian countries, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, have transformed their English proficiency over the six-year period.
  • “China has also improved, although less dramatically. Japan and South Korea, despite enormous private investments, have declined slightly,” the statement said.
  • English language skills were improving in Brazil, Russia, India, and China.   “This year, India and Russia have moved ahead of China, and Brazil is closing in fast.
  • “While the rest of Europe is already proficient in English or steadily working towards that goal, France is on an entirely different trajectory.”     However, the EF found that the Middle East and North Africa were the weakest regions in English.
  • 06 November 2013
  • izz aty on 05 Apr 14
     
    "Malaysia has the highest English language proficiency level in the entire Asian region, according to a latest research by Swiss-based international education company EF Education First (EF)."
izz aty

BBC iPlayer - The Birth of Empire: The East India Company: Episode 2 - 0 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...e_East_India_Company_Episode_2

history documentary video england britain united kingdom east india company colonialism imperialism india

shared by izz aty on 11 May 14 - No Cached
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 11 May 14
       
      30:00 missionaries indian by blood and color british by tastes, opinions, morals and intellect 39:00 macaulay wanted to civilise india, eic wanted to make money --- opium trade (using china as a scapegoat) 41: emperor of china snapped; 20k opium chests were dumped into the ocean 42: selling opium in china = profit to find the tea trade in india = profit in britain 43: btish fought and ended up with the handing over of hk to brtain (centre of the ongoing opium trade) 43:39 eic's own local standing army, >250k, +- 95% natives, rose up 46: there was a rumor the tip of the gun cartridges (which had to be removed by biting on it and bullet -- this caused the muslims+hindus to become allies 47:50 "indian mutiny" this is india's first move for independence 49:30 rebellion of army in delhi 51: mass killings 53: spiralled out of control 54:30 mutiny was beginning of the end of eic; made mistakes in its chief administration as well as the way it managed its army, but the amount of lives and treasure lost and spent had to mean that india had to become part of the btish empire 55: 1st nov 1858 btish india had been handed over to queen vic of btish 57: being able to speak eng, at leats at an international standard is a legacy and an advantage in the world we're still living with the consequences of what they built, and what they destroyed... of history's most influential company
izz aty

BBC News - No siblings: A side-effect of China's one-child policy - 0 views

www.bbc.co.uk/...magazine-25035280

china china ed one child policy politics policymaking foreign policy

shared by izz aty on 30 Oct 14 - No Cached
  • Chinese families used to have an average of four children each, but life changed radically in 1979, when a law was introduced dictating that most parents could only have one child. Last week, we learned that the policy will now be relaxed, after being enforced across the world's most populous country for more than a generation.
  • "On the township roads, there are slogans written on flamboyant red banners, telling people to have fewer children and raise more pigs,"
  • "Most of my audiences don't realise they have a special identity," he explains, noting that many parents even stopped questioning why they couldn't have more than one child and forgot that things had ever been different.
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • "Every family suddenly had a huge amount of discretionary income to invest in education and also in consumption," Fong explains. The resources that had been spread among several children in past generations were now focused on one child.
  • In 1979, when the policy was first unveiled, the new rules were a major adjustment for those accustomed to large families. But children growing up under the policy were unaware of this. And in the early years, the parents of most new single children came from large families - so instead of siblings the children were able to forge close relationships with cousins.
  • If my parents had had other children, they would have paid less attention to me, in which case I might have spent more time and energy doing things that interest me. Chinese parents of my parents' generation like to plan life for their children," she explains.
  • as a single child, I have the responsibility to look after my parents. I couldn't leave my city. I need to be with them. This is something I cannot change."
  • "As an only child, I have my parents' love all to myself," she says firmly. "I don't want to share my parents with others."
  • what about Little Emperor Syndrome
  • a number of studies - including many conducted by Chinese researchers - have failed to turn up any nasty personality traits among those who grew up in China's one-child families. There's no real evidence that China's singletons are any different than other children, they argue.
  • University of Melbourne economist Nisvan Erkal. "What we found was that people born after the policy, and who are single children because of the policy are significantly less trusting, less trustworthy, more risk averse and less competitive," he says. "From the surveys, we find they are also more pessimistic and less conscientious."
  • An increasing tendency for people to move home for the sake of a job also makes it more likely single children will grow up without close ties to their grandparents, or even childhood friends, notes the sociologist, Vanessa Fong.
  • Ge and her husband qualify for a second child. However, she knocks down that idea with a quick wave of her hand. A second child would be too expensive, she explains, if she wants to be able to afford a good lifestyle.
  • "It is not that we don't want to raise more children, it is that we cannot create that many opportunities for them. If I cannot create that much opportunity for my children, I think that my children will feel lost in competition against other children," she says.
izz aty

These are the world's most digitally advanced countries | World Economic Forum - 0 views

www.weforum.org/...t-digitally-advanced-countries

education world economy economics digital society digital society

shared by izz aty on 24 Jan 18 - No Cached
  • izz aty on 24 Jan 18
     
    " the most exciting region in the world, digitally speaking, is Asia, with China and Malaysia as exemplars. We can expect to see plenty of investor and entrepreneurial interest in this region; it is critical that the political institutions are stable and supportive."
izz aty

Washington Post Social Reader on Facebook - 0 views

apps.facebook.com/...nARTk

china asia students education usa tertiary education illegal assessment evaluation success culture society

shared by izz aty on 09 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • izz aty on 09 Jan 12
     
    The allure of America's universities, and the pressure-cooker drive to succeed among Asia's expanding upper class, will continue to propel Asian students into American schools. Many Chinese teenagers applying abroad, Melcher said, are the sort of highly motivated students colleges desire. "Chinese kids are typically great," Melcher said. "They're not at the tailgate parties drinking. They're busting their butts. Failure is not an option." But college application fraud will continue, he said, so long as the risks are low and the rewards are so high. His consultancy suggests interviewing all Chinese students via online video chats, conducting spot tests in English, and hiring a mainland Chinese staffer in the college's home office.
izz aty

25 Documentaries That Will Make You Cry Uncontrollably - 0 views

www.buzzfeed.com/...ll-make-you-cry-uncontrollably

entertainment documentary life sad world society people culture lifestyle social phenomenon social issues

shared by izz aty on 28 Feb 14 - No Cached
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      No list of tear-inducing documentaries is complete without "Sex In A Cold Climate." It follows survivors of Ireland's Magdalene Asylums, and the abuse they endured there, working long hours for no pay, forcibly separated from their children, some being beaten and molested by nuns and priests. The idea that such places existed in our lifetime (the last asylum closed in 1996) is mind boggling, and these women still have not seen justice.
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      I really suggest "Under Our Skin." It's a documentary that shows the struggle of Chronic Lyme disease patients and how so many people are going untreated. As a Chronic Lyme disease patient myself, I must say that everything being documented in this film is completely accurate. I would't say this unless I was absolutely confident. I know many documentaries tend to be biased, but this one says it like it is. I promise you won't be disappointed.
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      I Cried so hard watching Bridegroom Movie
  • ...13 more annotations...
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      "The Suicide Tourist" I cried ridiculously over. I thought it was a very brave, balanced, and interesting look at the choice to die, but I'd never actually watched a real person die that close up before and found it very difficult to see having followed this man's story throughout the film.
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      I also HIGHLY recommend Whore's Glory. Incredibly well made, but progressively more heartbreaking with each section of the film.
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      "Dream of a life", a movie about Joyce Carol Vincent, a Londoner. Better if you don't know the details until watching. Will stay with you for long after the film ends but is a very moving story and in David Sedaris' words, "was the best argument for the buddy system I had ever seen" (Although he was writing about someone else).
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      The Brandon Teena Story, enough said.
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      I was really hoping to see At The Death House Door listed here, which is available on Netflix and for free on Vimeo. It follows a Texas death house chaplain who worked over 15 years ministering to men on death row, including some he believed to be innocent. Never wanting to burden his family with what he saw, he spoke his feelings into a tape recorder after every execution. He began his job as the kind of person many Americans are, that is, pro-death penalty. See for yourself if that changes.
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      No list is complete of tear jerking documentaries without "The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off" Before he died he narrated his own story. Heartbreaking and wonderful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmahlc6n9_A
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      Bully should be added to this list!
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      I've seen #6 and #12. "My Flesh and Blood" was really good, but it was more disturbing than sad. I cried my goddamned eyes out of my skull during "Bulgaria's Abandoned Children." I had to watch a follow-up just to get through life.  Also, docus don't have to be sad or jarring. There is one called "Praying With Lior" about a Jewish boy with down syndrome that made me cry happy tears.
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      You forgot Children of Beslan, about the Beslan school hostage crisis. If you do not weep when a little boy survivor talks about how he was waiting for Harry Potter to come save him... uuugh I can't even type that without tears.
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      Highly reccomend watching Project Nim about an experiment raising a chimp like a human child. Also http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/why-we-think-the-way-we-do-about-animals.php excellent talk about how we perceive different species.
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      I started watch the Dying Rooms, it's about 'hospitals' in China where you can drop off ur babies (a, List all girls) and then they're left in rooms to die. I couldn't finish it because it was secretly filmed so you can actually see the starving babies, it's awful
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      Life According to Sam, Love Marilyn, Valentine Road come highly recommended. Two will make you sad, one is bittersweet but uplifting!
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 28 Feb 14
       
      I recently watched "The Whale" which was simultaneously sad and uplifting. The fact that this whale was seeking the company of humans in very charming ways was such a beautiful example of interspecies connection, it was impossible not to be moved by this. However, what to do about this, given that the whale was approaching dangerous boats and potentially dangerous people, is a real puzzle. Should the whale be indulged the only interaction available to him in his lonely existence, or should we turn our backs on his loneliness to support his physical survival? There is no easy answer, but it does give viewers something to consider in how we regard our animal friends and their needs.
izz aty

EF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY INDEX - THIRD EDITION | EF United Kingdom - 0 views

www.ef.com/epi

english education language language learning language education

shared by izz aty on 05 Apr 14 - No Cached
    • izz aty
      izz aty on 05 Apr 14
       
      Malaysia #1 in Asia, globally at #11, higher than Singapore at #12, India at #21, HK #22, Vietnam #28
  • 11. Malaysia
  • Some Asian countries, in particular Indonesia and Vietnam, have transformed their English proficiency over the six-year period. China has also improved, although less dramatically. Japan and South Korea, despite enormous private investment, have declined slightly.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Malaysia58.99
  • izz aty on 05 Apr 14
     
    The world's largest ranking of English skills
izz aty

Archives | The Star Online. - 0 views

www.thestar.com.my/story.aspx

employment malaysians employability malaysia malaysian education english language education language learning economy malaysian linguistic capital employee asset

shared by izz aty on 05 Apr 14 - No Cached
  • It does not matter if you are top of your class or have a string of degrees, that dream job will not be yours unless you can speak and write well in English.
  • 68% of the companies surveyed named communication skills as the top quality required in job applicants, followed by working experience (67%), interpersonal skills (56.2%) and passion and commitment (55.7%).
  • The MEF Salary Survey for Executives 2010
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • MEF executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said globalisation had changed the nature of jobs, making communication skills, specifically in English, a valuable asset for today's worker.
  • He added that this was an essential criterion even for professions traditionally seen as “backroom” staff such as engineers, technical personnel and scientists. “It is especially so for those working in multinationals and bigger firms,” he said. “Today, our clients are worldwide. In factories, for instance, engineers are a different breed from the past,” said Shamsuddin. “Now, they have to be involved in various aspects of business and interact with clients.”
  • Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers President Tan Sri Mustafa Mansur said the young ones who could not communicate in English were unable to negotiate the best deals in business transactions or investments. “We need to send people out to market our products, negotiate deals or get contracts signed. If they cannot communicate well in English, we will lose out,” he said.
  • Shamsuddin expressed concern that many local graduates today could not speak or write proper English, saying this was a reason why they faced difficulties getting jobs in the private sector.
  • Norman said it was important to master English as it was widely used among the business community, both in Malaysia and internationally.
  • Various industry and business leaders also warned that the decline in English was affecting Malaysia's global competitiveness.
  • Kelly Services (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Melissa Norman concurred, noting that six in 10 graduates who attended its interviews could not communicate effectively in English.
  • Pemudah co-chair Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon pointed out that, contrary to popular belief, it was important for civil servants to have a good command of English due to a growing borderless world. “The standard of English also affects the quality of the public sector as civil servants have to interact with international citizens and the business world as well as articulate Malaysia's stand on issues to the international community. These include negotiations on important agreements such as trade agreements.”
  • Noting that the quality of English in the country had declined over the last two decades, former Human Resource Minister Tan Sri Fong Chan Onn warned that the country would lose out to its neighbours that did not teach English in schools previously. “Thailand, Indonesia and China are making efforts to improve their English through their education system,” he noted.
  • izz aty on 05 Apr 14
     
    "Feedback from local and international employers shows that verbal and written communication skills in English remain the most sought-after attribute in prospective employees. According to a recent Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) survey, it is the most important trait employers look for when recruiting graduates."
izz aty

What to Expect as a Malaysian Student Overseas - 0 views

malaysianstudentoverseas.blogspot.com

malaysia student blog life experiences education tertiary education overseas

shared by izz aty on 31 May 11 - No Cached
  • Anda orang Malaysia? Flying overseas to study for the first time? This blog tells you just what to expect.
  • This blog is written primarily for first-time undergraduate students from Malaysia, regardless of their academic pursuits and funding, who are flying off to study in any of the following countries:New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia (and Europe etc.), Japan, South Korea and ChinaI am a Malaysian who has returned home after four years of studying in New Zealand. I was sponsored by a government agency. But nobody had told me the things I should expect before I arrived. I wish someone had written something like this when I was a student.
izz aty

Inclusive Education In Malaysia Education Essay - 0 views

www.ukessays.com/...n-malaysia-education-essay.php

malaysia malaysian education inclusive education education

shared by izz aty on 26 Nov 14 - No Cached
  • Inclusive education in Malaysia originated from the ‘special education’ agenda as defined in the Education Act 1996 (1998) and its approach is referred to this tradition.
  • These mandates are intended to promote equal rights and access to education for persons with disabilities. The ‘educability’ criterion assumes that there are children who are uneducable within the public school system and thus these children are catered to within community-based rehabilitation (CBR) settings (MOE, 2006). CBR programmes are government-initiated, centre-based programmes at the community level aimed to provide education that emphasises therapy and rehabilitation to children with learning disabilities (Kuno, 2007). CBR programmes are quite detached from the mainstream school system. However, in practice, the division between both provisions is less definite, and students who should benefit from them become victims of bureaucratic procedures (Adnan & Hafiz, 2001).
  • Malaysia embarked on the first stage when the first school for the blind was opened in 1929, followed by a school for the deaf very much later in 1954
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • These schools were initiated under the programs of the Ministry of Social Welfare with the help of religious missionaries. Malaysia entered its second stage when professional preparation programs for special education were formally established by the Ministry of Education in 1961. Lacking its own expertise and technology, Malaysia entered its third stage when it began importing knowledge and expertise by sending its education professionals abroad for research degrees and in-service attachments in special needs education in the 1980s and 1990s, and attempting to customize what was learned to its national conditions. Malaysia’s participation in international workshops and activities of the UN and UNESCO and subsequent reforms as reflected in the Education Act (1998) describes the active development of policy and changes in practices during this period. In 1993, the first preservice teacher preparation leading to a Bachelor of Education degree program in special needs education was initiated in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The program was developed alongside a collaborative project in curriculum development with three universities in the United Kingdom, namely, the Universities of Manchester, Birmingham and Cambridge (Jelas, 1996; 1999).
  • The terms ‘special needs’ introduced in the Education Act 1996 (1998) are defined as follows: “Pupils with special needs’ means pupils with visual impairment or hearing impairment or with learning disabilities” And ‘inclusive education’ is introduced as part of the continuum of services available for children with special needs: “Special education programme” means – A programme which is provided in special schools for pupils with visual impairment or hearing impairment; An integrated programme in general schools for pupils with visual impairment or hearing impairment or with learning disabilities; and An inclusive education programme for pupils with special needs and who are able to attend normal classes together with normal pupils” (Education Act 1996, 1998, p. 341)
  • However, the eligibility for special education placement is based on the ‘educability’ of children as assessed by a team of professionals. This is documented in the Act, which states: “(1) For government and government-aided schools, pupils with special needs who are educable are eligible to attend the special education programme except for the following pupils: physically handicapped pupils with the mental ability to learn like normal pupils; and pupils with multiple disabilities or with profound physical handicap or severe mental retardation. A pupil with special needs is educable if he is able to manage himself without help and is confirmed by a panel consisting of a medical practitioner, an officer from the MOE and an officer from the Welfare Department of the MWFCD, as capable of undergoing the national educational programme” (Education Act 1996, 1998, p. 342) The eligibility dilemma
  • While the current public policy for children with special educational needs, particularly those categories of children classified as experiencing ‘learning disabilities’ have access to regular schools as stated in the Act, the ‘educability’ criteria contradicts the goals of providing equal education opportunities as stipulated in the United Nation’s Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1993), The Salamanca Statement (1994) and the Biwako Millenium Framework for Action (UNESCAP, 2002).
  • Foreign experts are initially relied upon to provide the knowledge and to encourage its development prior to the emergence of a profession within a country. The first professionals to provide services are usually trained abroad. The second stage followed this first stage, in which colleges and universities established programs and departments to teach the discipline and prepare the professionals. The second stage leads to the third stage, in which colleges and universities import developed from abroad to achieve standards that characterised the discipline in more developed nations. During this stage, the concepts, theories and models of implementation found in the more developed countries are taught, applied and tested; some of which may transfer more successfully than others.
  • Before special programmes were available, students with special needs were described by their characteristics and by the instructional challenges they presented to teachers. When the education system began to respond to the needs of each emerging group of special needs students, services were established and eligibility criteria determined. From that point on, a child was identified (for school and placement purposes) as having or experiencing a ‘special educational need’ and if he or she is “able to manage him or herself without help” (Education Act 1996, 1998), the child will be eligible for a given programme or service. This process was repeated as each new group of special needs students emerged – for example, children with visual and hearing impairments in the 1960s, children with mild intellectual in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently, children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders and children with dyslexia.
  • in the Education Act 1996 (1998) that the perspectives of professionals (“a medical practitioner, an officer from the MOE and an officer from the Welfare Department of the MWFCD” p. 342) have the most power in determining the way children are categorised and whether these children are “capable of undergoing the national educational programme” (Education Act 1996, 1998)
  • policy makers and professionals continue to see special schools and classes as well as categories as having an important place in provisions. Responses at the Ministerial level revealed an emphasis on diversity and acceptance of human characteristics as problematic and that learning difficulties are technical problems that require specialised discipline knowledge that cannot be dealt with in the “normal classes with normal children” (Education Act 1996, 1998 p. 341).
  • The National Report on the development of education states: Inclusion in Malaysia subscribed to the concept of placing SEN students into mainstream classes to be educated alongside their peers, either with or without additional support, and within the present school system. This concept of IE (inclusive education) might not be in line with the ideal concept based on “acceptance, belonging and about providing school settings in which all disadvantaged children can be valued equally and be provided with equal educational opportunities … (MOE, 2004, p. 28),
  • Even though inclusive education was implemented at the policy level more than 10 years ago and school participation has rapidly increased quantitatively, Malaysia is far from reaching its goal of providing “a responsive education path for every child and youth with SEN” (MOE, 2004)
  • The emphasis on the ability “to cope with mainstream learning” seemed consistent with the integration models that came about in the 1980s. Integration models mainly focused on placing students with mild disabilities, identified and “diagnosed” as having special needs in mainstream schools. In such models, students must adapt to the norms, expectations, styles, routines and practices of the education system instead of the education system adapting to the learner (UNESCO, 2008). The integrated programme is the dominant format for delivering services to special needs students in Malaysia, then and now.
  • Once placed, few special education students returned to the regular education class on full-time basis. Although the special classroom and special schools continued as options, integrated programmes (placement in regular classrooms) for students with visual and hearing impairments are available with support from the resource teacher
  • Historically, the disenchantment of many special educators and the concern of the efficacy of the prevailing approach (Ainscow, 1994; Meyen & Skrtic, 1995; Sorrells, Rieth & Sindelar, 2004; Stainback & Stainback, 1992) raised questions about how best to assure a quality and equitable education for students with disabilities and spawned the push for a more inclusive approach to special education programming. While these reforms were mandated in the United Nations Declarations and UNESCO’s Framework of Actions on special needs education of which Malaysia’s policy on inclusive education subscribes to, the focus on diagnosis, prescription, and intervention continued to be central to determining eligibility and making placement decisions. Thus, although special education practices had changed, the grounding assumptions of human pathology and organisational rationality (Biklen, 2000; Oliver, 1996; Skrtic, 1991) have not been critically examined. In this context, special education is used to maintain and legitimise exclusion of students with disabilities within a school culture and system characterised by competition and selection (Skrtic, 1995; Corbett, 1999; Slee, 2001; Kearney & Kane, 2006).
  • While the philosophical basis of including SEN students into mainstream schools is accepted as a policy, the continued legitimization of paradigms that exclude SEN students is also acknowledged by rationalising between the “ideal” and the “not-so-ideal” concept of inclusive education. This ambivalence is reinforced by the following statements: Prior to inclusion, especially in the early part of their formal education, SEN students are equipped with relevant basic skills and knowledge to enable them to cope with mainstream learning. Only those who are diagnosed capable to cope with mainstream learning would be included fully or partially. (MOE, 2004, p. 29)
  • In principle, Malaysia is committed to providing education for all with the implementation of compulsory education in 2003 as evident by a high participation rate of 98.49 per cent (MOE, 2004). This statement of intent towards compulsory education for all which was an amendment of the Education Act 1996, however, did not include children with disabilities
  • The radical perspective that leads to a reconceptualisation of special educational needs have been well documented for the past twenty years (Barton, 1988; Lipsky & Gartner, 1989; Ainscow, 1991; Fuchs & Fuchs, 1994; Clark et. al., 1998; Donoghue, 2003) and critiques argued and showed evidence how the education system creates rather than remediate disabilities (Skrtic, 1991; Corbett, 1999; Vlachou, 2004; Carrington & Robinson, 2006). The new perspective on special educational needs is based on the view that the way forward must be to reform schools in ways that will make them respond positively to pupil diversity, seeing individual differences as something to be nurtured. But, as cautioned by Ainscow (1994): This kind of approach is only possible in schools where there exist a respect for individuality and a culture of collaboration that encourages and supports problem-solving. Such cultures are likely to facilitate the learning of all pupils and, alongside them, the professional learning of all teachers. Ultimately, therefore, this line of argument makes the case that increasing equity is the key to improvements in schooling for all. (Ainscow, 1994, p12)
  • Education in Malaysia is driven largely by an examination–oriented system characterised by curriculum rigidity and rote learning rather than critical and independent thinking. Like schools in Singapore and Hong Kong (Poon-McBrayer, 2004), school leadership are in great pressure to compete for the best examination results in terms of the percentages of passes and the number of A’s acquired by students in public school examinations
  • The culture of elitism compels parents to prepare their children to be accepted into high ranking or fully residential schools which usually achieve high scores in examination results.
  • Although the ‘intertwining of the standards and inclusion agenda’ can lead to positive consequences (Ainscow et al, 2006), the emphasis on the preparation and drill for the public examinations therefore, left little or no time for teachers to accommodate individual learning needs of students in general. Media reports on schools’ and students’ performance intensify competition and further marginalise SEN students, who, to a large extent are not expected to compete. Competing priorities make it more difficult for schools to fully include children with SEN.
  • Continued advancement of special needs education in Malaysia will require bifocal perspectives. One focus has an international perspective and requires Malaysians’ awareness of the international body of literature and trends in practice that enables them to take advantage of the knowledge and experience gained by those in other countries. Malaysia may also profit especially from knowledge provided by its Asian neighbours namely Japan, India and China, or other countries that seems to be struggling with many of the same issues.
  • effective special needs education services require awareness of social and educational traditions, social philosophies that manifest in schooling and school culture and ways of resolving conflict that may be unique to one country and the impact these qualities have on general and special needs education services (Peters, 2003).
izz aty

The Economist Insights - Expert Analysis and Events | Starting Well - 1 views

www.economistinsights.com/...starting-well

ECE education

shared by izz aty on 30 Oct 14 - No Cached
  • Until the 1980s, preschools in most countries were largely focussed on providing simple child minding. But as economies shift towards more knowledge-based activities, awareness about child development—the need to improve their social awareness, confidence and group interaction skills, and to prepare them for starting primary education—continues to grow. Nevertheless, policymakers still give most attention to the tertiary, secondary and primary levels of education, in descending order of importance, with the least focus given to the early years of child development.
  • also broader reasons to invest in preschool. At one level, it helps facilitate greater female participation in the workforce, which bolsters economic growth
  • From neuro-scientific research, we understand the criticality of early brain development; from social science research, we know that high quality programmes improve children’s readiness for school and life; and from econometric research, we know that high quality programs save society significant amounts of money over time.  Early childhood contributes to creating the kinds of workforces that are going to be needed in the twenty-first century.”
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • preschools can help ensure that all children get a strong start in life, especially those from low-income or disadvantaged households.
  • The Nordic countries perform best at preschool, and European countries dominate the rankings.
  • especially so in very unequal societies where you get generational and cyclical repetition of poverty and low achievement.”
  • the Starting Well Index assesses the extent to which these governments provide a good, inclusive early childhood education (ECE) environment for children between the ages of three and six. In particular, it considers the relative availability, affordability and quality of such preschool environments.
  • As economies increasingly compete on the quality of their human capital, policymakers need to ensure that all children get the best possible preparation for primary school.
  • Finland, Sweden and Norway top the Index, thanks to sustained, long-term investments and prioritisation of early childhood development, which is now deeply embedded in society
  • Europe’s state-led systems perform well, as the provision of universal preschool has steadily become a societal norm. This trend continues to develop. Ireland introduced a universal free year of preschool in 2010, for example, despite chronic budgetary difficulties
  • In general, the leading countries in this Index have the following elements in place for their preschool systems: A comprehensive early childhood development and promotion strategy, backed up with a legal right to such education. Universal enrolment of children in at least a year of preschool at ages five or six, with nearly universal enrolment between the ages of three and five. Subsidies to ensure access for underprivileged families. Where provision is privatised, the cost of such care is affordable relative to average wages. A high bar for preschool educators, with specific qualification requirements. This is often backed up with commensurate wages, as well as low student-teacher ratios. A well-defined preschool curriculum, along with clear health and safety standards. Clear parental involvement and outreach. A broad socioeconomic environment that ensures that children are healthy and well-nourished when they enter preschool.
  • also a major force in helping overcome issues relating to child poverty and educational disadvantage
  • not to suggest that quality preschool programmes are lacking in these countries. But such schemes are not available or affordable to all strands of society, while minimum quality standards vary widely
  • Many high-income countries rank poorly, despite wealth being a major factor in a country’s ability to deliver preschool services
  • For emerging countries seeking to improve their innovative potential, they need to ensure that as many children as possible have a strong start in life. This is a crucial first step as they seek to transform their economies from low to high value-add activities.
  • Public sector spending cuts pose a major threat to preschools, especially among recent adopters
  • especially true within countries where preschool provision is not yet a societal norm,
  • increased government investment in early childhood development, if directed well, can result in annual returns ranging from 8% to 17%, which largely accrue to wider society. Such returns come from the reduced need for later remedial education and spending, as well as lower crime and less welfare reliance in later life, among other things.
  • Among wealthier countries that are making considerable steps towards quality universal provision, many have yet to enforce even a minimum level of preschool as a legal right for children.
  • Affordability of preschool is typically worst in those countries where availability is most limited. As simple economics would suggest, those countries with the lowest availability of preschool are also the ones where it is most expensive. This hits lower-income countries hard. In China, the least affordable country in this Index, preschools in Beijing charge monthly fees up to six times as much as a top university. In general, as preschool provision becomes more widely available in a country, it also tends to become more affordable.
  • Ensuring a high standard of teacher training and education, setting clear curriculum guidelines, and ensuring parental involvement are some of the main drivers of preschool education quality
  • Other factors can help too: reducing student-teacher ratios in classes; ensuring good health and safety measures; and creating clear links between preschool and primary school, to name just a few.
1 - 14 of 14
Showing 20▼ items per page