So finally a blog post on the Education System of Malaysia.. Though, this is no usual rant and complaint you have heard from any parent. Screw the timing, screw the syllabus, screw the Bahasa Malaysia or English compromise. What's more important is the outcome; and that ain't good.
Not only does our formal education inhibits our creativity but the ability to dream big, to follow our ambitions, to prove, how smart we really are. The syllabus by itself is a drag for the students, but, the way it is taught makes it worse, the stress cause by the thought of the coming Public Exam, made it a kettle of water pouring into a larger pot of boiling oil (please, do not try this at home). There's nothing to blame here except ourselves.
First of all, the core subjects, English & Math; compared to many other nations, we have the slowest bloody syllabus for a country as modern as ours. The pain is when the last three years (Form 4, 5 & 6), everything is rather cramped up; making complacency and sudden accumulation of stress a common enemy. Still, as we head out into a private university, some students are no match. It does not make any sense. What's more stressful? the addition of new subjects (after streaming) during the years which these cores are "crammy".
Bio, Chem and Physics in two years for me was fun, though, it could have been more fun, I mean, the practical work that we got were all boring. The teachers are usually afraid that we may break something or the school does not have enough apparatuses. So, at an average, the sciences were boring, coming into Form 4, it was already stressful having the thought that SPM was at the end of the next year. For a sixteen year-old, it ain't fun. All we needed was a different approach to learning, once in awhile. Is it bad for all teachers to used one simple and fun way if it is effective? I wonder what do the teachers do in conferences?
STPM was the next likely (supposedly) step for a Malaysian. But no, it is not, its not popular because its just unnecessarily difficult, waste of one and a half years and it does not prep people for university. It's funny how you learnt so much but other people from say, foundation courses, do better. Its a do or die situation, 5 or 4 A's or you won't get to do what you really want to do. The other problem is, you'd have no idea how to do research papers and assignments the way universities want you too, so no matter how smart you are, you might just get stuck.
I think formal education drains the creativity and the ability to think from our brains; as it was mostly used for memorizing things. It had brainwashed into a community who does not criticize properly, foresight-less, and a follower of any system. Like our days in school, if we didn't like it, we'd complaint amongst our friends and throw insults at our teachers or talked behind their backs. Looks fucking similar in the whole country; political situations, religious compromise, human rights, and quality or living and service; if we have a problem, we tolerate, but tolerance has its limits you see.
For people in the creative field, after getting out of school, they'd never feel the same about creating things; "finally, the freedom, but I feel rusty, and my vision is boxed in". Many have great talent you may argue, but can they do their potential best. Just maybe, if their skills were sharpened at an early age, they'd would have the thought and experience to do better.
They say it is difficult to find what you love. It's different actually, I think it is difficult to keep loving or in love with something. Like for me, I always had a fascination in Particle Physics; sounds big, but its something I am interested in; people around me weren't dreaming as big and formal education had boxed me in. I'd just waste my time if I learnt art or biology but I did it, and liked it, hence, indecisiveness. Many people are like that all over the world. Our brains are used up by things that do not really matter. What's the good in being knowledgeable or an all-rounder when you still do not get to indulge in an interest.
I hate that Chinese mentality about getting a good job for money, hence a good marriage and then a good life. Somehow, it's stuck in every teenager's mind; although I am not a conformer and hated to be one, there's no choice, I had to compromise. If I had a choice, Particle Physics under some willing professor... but no, I need formal fuckeducation.
Practice makes perfect;
So theoretically, if a student loves design and follows a path that leads here there, doing design all the way, having surface knowledge of important things; she'd be a better designer than a girl who'd studied biology, chemistry and physics until college?
If that's true, formal education is just conned up........
BTW, why the hell does the art stream in Malaysia not have design or proper art? Or even art classes that thought the techniques of drawing and painting rather than "Here's an art block, do something nice".
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