Sacrificing Values for "Standards"

Recently there was a research done in UK on their education system, the changes brought by the previous PM, Tony, the effect it has on students and the future implications. Basically what the report says is that the education system in England is becoming narrower and that would affect the creativity of the students and therefore restrict the future generation from "opportunities" (well that's kinda what it's saying...)

The "narrowing" education system stems upon the very fact that the UK system has turned their attention to two core subjects with other subjects being "squeezed out". These two core subjects are: mathematics and English.

At the end of this report, the researcher recommends that there must be a need "...to emphasise the intrinsic value of exciting children's imagination". To do so it was suggested that there must be more to learning than just reading, writing and arithmetic, other subjects such as history, science and arts could "excite" the child's imagination.

This system which promised entitlement to a broad, balanced and rich curriculum has been sacrificed in pursuit of a narrowly conceived 'standards' agenda.

Hmm sounds very familiar.

Having been a product of our own education system here in Malaysia, I've come to realise that this very report touches on issues and situations which are a lot closer to home.

The very fact that our education focuses upon the same core subjects (English and maths) and bears the same 'standards' agenda really is uncanny and therefore it would be interesting to have a closer look at this report, made in the UK.

It's weird that our government would like to force English (well not really force more like push by saying, "if you don't learn English now, you cannot succeed in the future, so it's your choice") on students and give them the hardest subjects for them to start with. It's like saying, "we know our standards of English is not that great, but to improve you must start with the most ridiculous ones first then you'll find the easier ones, well, easy...hopefully".

I'm not against teaching anything in English, but doing so in maths and science...really? Isn't that asking too much when you know the basis of teaching English is to improve the student's English so that they can speak in proper English.

Now instead of being able to speak a proper sentence of English, students are made to speak in an English that no reasonable man could understand. Let's say later in life a graduate goes for an interview in a telecommunications company. He came in a little bit late. The interviewer asks, "...and why are you late?". In my mind the answer would go something like this, "well the linear plain that links my domicile to your administrative center was packed so I had to reroute my bearings which I later hypothesized to be a bit more protracted than I first visualized". Ridiculous ain't it? (of course this is only in my mind).

This focus on maths and English (and also science) leads to the unmistakable conclusion that we are prioritizing 'standards' rather than 'improvements'. It would be easier to improve a student's English by simply making history or religious/moral subject, a subject that is to be taught in English since those subjects uses more daily words than maths and science right? It is a fact that our government seems to value maths and science a lot more than other subjects.

When I was in high school, I was made to believe that students in the science class are of a far more superior standards than the ones in arts. The smartest students in school are made to believe that their life would be much better if they studied science. I am of course an arts student and I for a fact believed that my standard in school is inferior.

There was not much freedom and we were not given or made known of an option. Some of those who are in the science class didn't even like science. When I entered university as a law student, I was surprised by the volume of science students who opted for law. Why the hell would you have taken science in high school for 2 years, at least, and decided that you want to pursue career that's totally in the opposite direction? It doesn't make much sense...at first.

But then I realised that we are not robots and we do have options in life. I seriously thought that after high school I would have to do something that has got to do with economics because that's the only subject in my curriculum that make sense to build a career upon.

The focus on maths and science doesn't really make students explore other possiblities in life. Of course everyday we see successful people in sports, music, business, architecture, literature and many others, but is our mind set upon giving our children the space to find out what their passion is for? Wouldn't we want our children to be in the smartest class in school and learn with the smartest students? Well in Malaysia, that means, like it or not, your child would probably have to take the science class.

What I want now is the government to really educate students that education should be coupled with passion. Do what you love, love what you do. If we are made to believe something, and that something later turns out to be insignificant, there would be nothing but regret later. Surely our lives would be much different if it hadn't been for the pursuit of "standards".

The problem is, who says that "standards" lies upon our students being good in maths and science? If we really think about it, a person who does something which he/she likes and really polish his/her skill in that one thing, then that person would raise whatever "standards" our government is hoping for.

But then again, this is not something that would change for quite some time. Our government is still blinded by "standards" and it is this very "standards" that are bringing our values down. It is because of a narrow education system that really, students are not able to excite their imaginations and therefore lack the quality to think outside the box. I'm sure everyone is familiar with, "memorizing", "spoon-feeding", "recalling"...that is what our students are doing and living on.

Instead students are supposed to be able to explore and learn to think critically. Pushing them to study undesired difficult subjects in a foreign language wouldn't be the answer now would it?

Then again, maybe the government doesn't want us to think critically?

Peace :)