Key issues to be addressed in revamp of tertiary level education

NATION, Monday, 23 Jul 2018

by rahimy rahim

KUALA LUMPUR: How academics get their positions will be relooked to make sure they win on merit and not for their political views.

This has been proposed under a major review of the curriculum and selection criteria for top posts at universities, as part of a revamp to “overhaul” tertiary level education.

Education Minister Dr Mazlee Malik is scheduled to hold a townhall session with a select team of about 20 top academics and scho­lars at Universiti Malaya today, his first such session since assuming the post in May.

The reforms, largely advanced by the Malaysian Academic Movement better known by its Malay acronym Gerak, is to address the root causes of the problem.

“We will discuss strategies with the minister,’’ he added.

Officials said under the revamp, the appointment of the vice-chancellors, their deputies and university boards would also come under scrutiny.

In a 10-point memorandum submitted by Gerak to the ministry on June 11, it called for such appointments and that of other top university administrators to be based solely on merit and not political affiliation

The others include the call to dissolve the National Professors Council which has been deemed political in nature, and to do away with policies based on race and religious sentiment, rather than promoting knowledge and ethical values, to help support nation-buil­ding.

Gerak also called for the Pakatan government to replace all those appointed for their political links with respected, independent-min­ded, analytical and accountable academicians.

It wanted the Government to abolish laws that stifled academic freedom which it said impacted negatively on academic excellence, citing the University and University Colleges Act 1971, and the Statutory Bodies (Discipline and Surcharge) Act which prohibited academics from expressing their views.

UM’s Prof Dr Rajah Rasiah, a prominent economist who was named Distinguished Professor for 2017, said appointments for top posts must be made based on education qualifications and distinctions achieved.

“And it must be rotated every two to three years between those truly deserving,” he said.

Prof Dr Edmund Terence Gomez of UM’s Faculty of Economics & Administration, felt the ministry should allow the curriculum to be decided by the universities.

“It can be watched over by the ministry but the higher learning institutions should not always have to go to the ministry to seek approval,” he said.

On the review of curriculum by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, he said that it should not just be “paper work” but vet how courses were run and if proper teaching methods were implemented.

Prof Gomez said the ministry should also find ways to boost funding for research in public universities.

“The government plays a huge role in getting funding and such a task should not be left to the universities alone,” he added.

The session with more than 20 professors and other academics is being viewed with extra interest as the Pakatan Harapan government has put reform in education as one of its top priorities.

Besides Prof Rasiah and Prof Gomez, the session will also be attended by UM Malaysian Chinese Research Centre (MCRC) associate fellow Dr Diana Wong, former USM professor of Politics Dr Francis Loh and Prof Syed Farid Alatas of the National University of Singapore.