Reflection
Paper
A 10-day trip to Malaysia
Malaysian
Special Education Vision
Malaysian educational system is unique in some ways.
One thing I have noticed about Malaysian education is the overall vision of both
private and public. The vision seeks to produce the human capital to crab and
respond to the needs of the market workforce. Due to the fast development in
infrastructures and technologies, this country tends to create educational
policies based on the STEM framework. UniKL University's vision is to be the leading
entrepreneurial technical university while the SADAR School's vision is to
nurture a balance of gifted and talented individuals with inquisitive minds who
contribute as whole leaders, thinkers, innovators, and humanitarians. The Ministry of Education of Malaysia, its vision is to produce quality
education, create well-educated citizens, and become one of the most
prosperous nations. To achieve this vision, the Ministry of Education of
Malaysia needs to implement the mission of sustaining a quality educational system
to develop individual potential to fulfill national aspirations.
Government
Support on Education
The second thing that looks impressive is the
managerial system, policy, and governmental sponsorship. Both private and public
educational sectors in Malaysia are always supported by the government through
project-based proposals. All educational institutes in Malaysia are prioritized
to write their own project to receive funds from the government; for
instance, special education for gifted and talented children and Saint Islamic
School is one of the only boy-student institutes partly supported by
government funding and partly from parental association or local community. SADAR
School was built in 1973 and has been transferred to many places in Malaysia.
The school offered a special curriculum including music, art, and foreign
languages such as French, Arabian, Japanese, English, and Malay. Besides, the
school also implements other activities for competition. This school focuses on
students’ innovations and co-curriculum programs. The French language has been used
since 1973 later came Japanese and Arabian. SADAR applied student-centered approaches in the classroom followed by the 21st-century learning innovations
based on the British educational System. This school is also unique in the way
the teachers love to create and organize events which are done by the students.
Teachers teach students to express their own transparency to be at the
frontline. Another noticeable point about SADAR is the way the students use
iPads in their learning activities. Those iPads are collected at the end of the
session. To ensure that the students use their iPads properly, teachers play
a vital role in managing them during class activities.
The Malaysian
Public Educational System offers skills for students at secondary levels
Students attend Pre-School at the age of 4 which lasts two years ( age 4-6+ ) then they move on to Primary School at
the age of 6 which lasts 5 or 6 years (age
6-11+). During 6 years in primary school, Students are offered to study
three languages Malay, Chinese, and Tamil. This level is called compulsory
education. Students need to pass the national exam in Malay so that they can go
on to study in secondary school. If their Malay language is not good enough those who fail Malay, have to sit at the same level for one more year. This
setting is called remove class. There are three levels in Secondary School. Lower
secondary school is called form1-3 and students take 1-3 years in this stage and
students reach the age of 12+-14+. Upper secondary
school is called form4-5, Students spend 2 years(4-5) in this stage and
students will reach the age of 15+-16+. At this level,
students can attend various educational institutes such as academic schools,
technical schools, religious schools, sports schools, and art schools. When the
students get to the age of 17+-18+, they move up to post-secondary school and this is the last stage of secondary education. This level
is called form and in this stage, students are fully equipped with personal
potential skills so they can attend various colleges such as matriculation
colleges, polytechnics, community colleges, institutes of teacher education, and
other training colleges. Remember that in post-secondary education,
students have to take the national exam with all other schools throughout the
country so that they can have a certificate. Finally, students can also continue
their studies in higher education or they can apply for any jobs that best fit
their skills.
Malaysian
Culture
During the tour, there are so many noticeable culture
shocks. One of those is the communication. We are well and warmly welcomed by Malaysian,
esp the top leaders in UniKL University, the heads of the Ministry of Education
Youth and Sport in Malaysia as well as the principles from all public and
private schools. Moreover, three helpful guys picked us up from the airport
and guided us anywhere in Malaysia whose names are Adam, Charlis, and Li.
They are so nice and friendly to us even when they are busy with their own
assignments. Another is all kinds of curry food. People in Malaysia eat
with their clean fingers and food even if rice is cooked using different curry
ingredients and oil. There are few Asian foods in Malaysia. However, some kinds
of food feel tasty. Another is the languages Malaysian are in different
regions and nations. For example, there is Malay, the ethnic and original
nation, Chinese Malay, and Indian Malay. They speak different accents and tones.
It is very difficult to understand the ethnic Malay language because it is fast.
Besides, Malaysia is a Muslim country people follow and pay great respect to god. Every day people have to pray in the church for at least one or two hours.
During this praying time, it is difficult to find any store open because
everything is sleeping. No people buy things and sell things so remember not to
go to the markets during praying hours in Malaysia.
Malaysian
Infrastructures
As this country is developing faster than Cambodia,
there are high rise buildings, sky-bridges, super markets as well as shopping
malls. The buildings looks impressive and strong. KL is the most attractive and
commercial center. All businesses are done in KL. There are big high ways and
smooth traffics and there are not any political banners by the roadsides. It is
really hard to find any night clubs, beer stores or other entertainment places
nearby the schools or study centres. People are always in hurry but they always
obey the traffic rules. Malaysia is the island country so the geography is not
flat and buildings are up and down along the hillsides. Malaysian train is fast
and comfortable but it is run by person operating. From station to station, it
is usually crowded especially during rush hour. Moreover, the buses are clean
and the driver is friendly. People in Malaysia use their own-made cars and some
of these car factories also export to other countries. Malaysian government
offer loan for its people with very low interest so that its people are able to
afford their own cars or buy their own apartments. There are two things which
make this country developing fast in their infrastructure is there are a lot of
Chinese people come to invest there and another thing is because most students
interested in modern technology and science such as engineering, auto mechanic
, automatic transmission, biotechnology…etc
Malaysian
Tourist Destination Sites
There are many good places to visit in Malaysia both
historical resorts and artificial resorts. Kuala Lumpur is the center of
everything entertainment. People can visit the twin tower, shopping in the
malls or enjoy the different tastes of different nationality foods. Children
can swim in the pools. Teenagers can go to the cinema and clubbing until late
at night. On the other hand, if people wish to see the historical site, they
can go to Malaccar where you can find out the oldest architectures of European
temples and museums.
What I have learned from this study
tour
As I have observed, Malaysia is developing because of
their unique education. Their educational vision is made to create their young
generation to be the leading entrepreneur not to respond to the market
workforce as in Cambodia. Its government seeks to change its curriculum from
the lowest educational institutes to tertiary education. Nearly every school
provided the research-based curriculum, modern technology and digital innovation.
Government offer full support to any
educational institutes which can write a project to receive financial support
from government. Moreover, the government also delegate the school based
management power so that the schools are fully responsible for generating
income for community and stakeholders. Malaysian Ministry of Education intend
to collect all the smart, talented and genius students and people to work in
many sectors through out the country. It has made the special Educational
institutes in order to crab all talented and genius students to study abroad
and come back to serve their own nation.
All in all, what I have learned from Malaysia and
Singapore which are the developing and developed country is the change of human
resource not the economy or politics because whenever the people acquire full
knowledge, well-equipped skills, well-behaved manner they will be able to show
off their inside potential , ability , capacity and responsibility. This will
be happened whenever they are offered well-orientated education. These people
who come from this education will come out and stand firm for their own nation
and development. I think Cambodian government needs to consider all over again
about the system of education in Cambodia and especially anyone who involve in
Education has to join hand to hand to establish this sector to earn the
potential people for our country.
Date: 07/10/2019
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