We wish you all a Happy New Year

Yayasan Pelajaran, Kebajikan & Penyelidikan Malaysia
Educational, Welfare & Research Foundation Malaysia
PP15490/07/2011 (029914)
January 2013
Holistic
Community
Upliftment In
Progress
Contents
2
President’s Message
3
Editor’s Note
5Projects of Our Pride
-
Skills Training Initiative (STI)
Centre for Career Coaching and
Guidance ( C3G)
English for Juniors ( E4J)
Civil Society Intervention ( CSI)
21Going-On’s at the Branches
- Rawang
- Melaka
- Tanjung Malim
33EWRF HQ Events
- Awareness Dinner
moving forward
through empowerment
REVIEW of
MALAYSIAN EDUCATION
BLUEPRINT DRAFT
2013-2025
n 28 December 2012,
O
EWRF had submitted to
the Education Minister its views
on the Malaysian Education
Blueprint Draft (2013 – 2025).
EWRF as a leading NGO
in Malaysia has taken the
opportunity to draw attention
to several key issues in the
Blueprint which need to be
addressed in order to produce
a National Blueprint that will
benefit the nation at large.
EWRF has expressed that although
the Blueprint has exhibited
the recognition of significant
developments and achievements
in education, nevertheless it is not
without shortcomings. EWRF is of
the opinion that these shortcomings
are of imperative nature and it
has to be reviewed and remedied
in order to realize the National
Philosophy of Education.
read inside to know more
32Down Memory Lane
- Student We Touched
37Food for Thought
- Review of Malaysian Educational Blueprint Draft
We wish you all a
Happy New Year
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
1
Yayasan Pelajaran, Kebajikan & Penyelidikan Malaysia
Educational, Welfare & Research Foundation Malaysia
Headquarters:
3rd Floor, Wisma RA,
12, Jalan Dang Wangi,
50100 Kuala Lumpur.
PENANG
37, King Street, 10200 Penang
Mr A. Ramoo
016-4202578 / 016-4366466
ram.etten@gmail.com
SUNGAI PETANI
No 11, Lorong 40, Tmn Patani Jaya, 08000
Sungai Petani, Kedah
Dr. Pushpa
012-5825883
pushpamailbox@gmail.com
SUNGAI SIPUT
478B Lorong 1, Heawood,31100 Sungai Siput
( U ) Perak, D.R
Mr. Seliah A/L Doraisamy
012-5383434
jega_sports@yahoo.com
IPOH
C/O Guna Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery, 101A, Jln
Kamaruddin Isa, Fair Park, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
Dato’ Dr. Guna
017-5711122
05-5462426
gunaplas@yahoo.com
TELUK INTAN
No 7, Lorong Ros 3, Tmn Desa Rama Batu 4, Jln
Changkat Jong, 36000 Teluk Intan, Perak
Ms. Shalenee Sundaresan
016-5071702
05-6210098
shalenee.moe@gmail.com
TANJUNG MALIM
N0 22, Jln Cahaya, Tmn Anggerik Desa, 35900
Tanjung Malim, Perak
Mr. Govindasamy
012-3293285
ewrftm@yahoo.com
HULU SELANGOR
No.39 Jalan Tanjung 1, Bukit Sentosa,
Bs 2, 48300 Rawang
Mr. A. K. Muthamil Chelvan
019-2882489
03-60282489
mack@hexgenenergy.com.my
2
EWRF January 2013
Tel : 03 - 2693 4671
Tel : 03 - 2693 4672
Fax : 03 - 2693 4677
Toll Free Number : 1-800-88-3973
RAWANG
No 27-2B, Jln Bandar Rawang 1, Pusat Bandar
Rawang, 48000 Rawang, Selangor
Mr. Murugan
012-6062616
tntsportcentre@yahoo.com
KLANG
No 33, Jln Selampit 26, Tmn Klang Jaya, 41200
Klang, Selangor
Mr. Katiravan
016-2754223
kathir_20@hotmail.com
SUBANG JAYA
SEREMBAN
6824 Jalan Sj 2/1E, Taman Seremban Jaya,
70450 Seremban
Negeri Sembilan
Ms. K. Parimala Devi
016-3204159
parimalakassey@yahoo.com
MELAKA
6036, Jalan Bayu, Tmn Klebang Besar, 75200
Melaka
Datuk Dr. Pt Aiyaroo
012-6289755
aiyaroo@hotmail.com
42, 2Nd Floor, Jln Usj 9/5Q, 47620 Subang
Jaya, Selangor
MUAR
Mr. Arikersinen
019-3313094
03-80248255
ari@pristine-logistics.com
Pn. Sri Datin Sarasa Pasamanikam
019-7724717
06-9522644
sarasapasam47@gmail.com
AMPANG
KLUANG
Mr. Ketheswaaran
017-2051751
kethes90@hotmail.com
Ir. Ramendran
016-4737199
ir.ramendran@gmail.com
KAJANG
JOHOR BAHRU
No 11, Jln Saga 15, Tmn Saga, 68000 Ampang,
Selangor
25-2 Tingkat 1, Jalan Pusat Perniagaan 2,
Pusat Perniagaan Sg Jelok, 43000 Kajang
Selangor
Mr. B. Vadivel
017-8816361
vadi@tsdesign.com.my
SERDANG
B-6-15, Serdang Villa, Jln Kasturi, Tmn Bukit
Serdang, Seksyen 11, 43300 Seri Kembangan,
Selangor
Ms. Kalaivani Ramadas
012-2228478
vaani_22@hotmail.com
No 35, Jln Kalidi, 84000, Muar Johor
16, Jalan Permata 14/1, Taman Permata, 86000
Kluang, Johor.
No 44-01, 1St Floor, Jln Tun Abdul Razak, Susur
1, 80000, Johor Bahru
Mr. Elendran Sambalingam
019-7115110
elendran60@gmail.com
KUANTAN
19, Lorong Tok Sirai, 25250 Kuantan, Pahang
Mr. Sivananda Sundaralingam
013-9288058
sivananda_sundralingam@yahoo.com
President’s
Central
Committee
2011/2012
PRESIDENT
Dato’ A. Yogesvaran
DEPUTY PRESIDENT
Ir. Rajasegaran
VICE PRESIDENTS
Capt. Mohan
Mr. SP Nathan
Mr. K. Nadarajah
GENERAL SECRETARY
Ms Shanthi Periasamy
HON. TREASURER
Mr. Mohan Subramaniam
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Mr. Prakash Chellamuthu
Mr. Joshua Edgar
Ms. Usha Muniappan
Mr Govindasamy
Mr. Muthamilchelvan
Mr. Rajakumaran
SECRETARIAT
DIRECTOR
Mr. P.Guganesan
ADMINISTRATION OFFICER
Ms. N. Vasugi
ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE
Ms. G. Cynthia Premila
PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR
Ms. P. Dinesweri
PROJECT OFFICERS
Mr. S. Peralen
Ms. M. Theepa
Ms. S. Chandrakala
Ms. M. Nagaranee
MEDIA CONSULTANT
Mr. Nantha Kumar
EXTERNAL AUDITORS
Gunalan & Associates
M E S SAG E
Wishing all readers a Happy and
Prosperous New Year.
2
012 was indeed a successful year for EWRF! Throughout the year, we had
embarked on new efforts and initiatives apart from our key programs. We are
proud to have concluded and presented the research paper on Remove Classes
to the Ministry of Education, organised the first EWRF Educational Conference
which saw the participation of more than 200 academicians, NGO representatives,
community leaders and the public. Beyond doubt, this success and recognition is
due to the hard work of all EWRF members which includes branch leaders, the
Central Council members, staff, volunteers and well wishers.
While we take pride in the accolades that we receive, we do make conscious attempts
to look objectively at our current engagements and future plans. It is undeniable
that, introspection and reflections are instrumental in creating improvement and
change. It’s not enough to measure inputs in terms of the amount of money we have
raised, how much good press we have garnered and how extensive our outreach is.
We do keep track of how close or far we are from our goals and do what is required
effectively to reach those goals in outstanding ways. In realizing this, we have closely
adhered to EWRF’s Strategic Plan 2013-2015, to review all our programs to ensure
an effective delivery system. One of the components that will be emphasized this
year is the monitoring and evaluation for each of our programs. Monitoring and
evaluation has a strategic role to play in informing policy making processes. The aim
is to improve relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of policy reforms.
This year, I believe will be another successful and challenging year where we are
set to roll out more vibrant strategies for our existing projects as well as developing
new programs to benefit our target population. We have planned to conduct
Career Guidance Workshops reaching out to 10,000 students, engage 120 schools
for English for Juniors (E4J) program, carry out Civil Society Intervention (CSI)
programs at 15 centres, organize 10 Skills Training Initiatives (STI) road shows
nationwide and carry out 15 Total Empowerment Camps (TEC)
and 2 Volunteer Induction Programs (VIP). There are also
new initiatives where we have begun the pilot project
of the follow up program for Total Empowerment
Camp (The Mentor-Mentee Programme). We strongly
believe we will be able to reach out to more than 15,000
students and community members in 2013. As one of
the plans under the EWRF’s Strategic Planning 20132015, we are embarking on smart partnerships with
other organisations such as Carlsberg, Taylor’s University
and Vijayaratnam Foundation. These partnerships are
expected to enhance organizational capacities to optimize
service delivery.
We have through our work, made the founding fathers
of EWRF proud for having held true to the ideas and
principles of the original scholars and professionals
when EWRF began some 35 years ago. We have
shown that we truly have the wherewithal to change
accordingly to remain relevant and continue to be
an asset to our society to this day. Let us together
continue to move the community forward.
Design By
Ingara Designs & Connections
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
3
EDITOR'S
NOTE
with evaluating and reporting all
activities conducted in the year.
Wishing all readers a very Happy New
Year and may the blessings of the
Almighty continue to be showered upon
all of you and your families.
2
012 was yet another eventful
year for EWRF, marking
more milestones than it has
ever done. A National level research
was conducted and reported by
EWRF’s Research Unit. The last
research by EWRF was done about
three decades ago and as such it
was indeed reassuring to see the
Research Unit kick start again.
EWRF hopes that this unit will
continue to be actively engaged in
identifying and finding solutions
to issues that cloud the Indian
community particularly in the
areas of education. The Research
Unit had also conducted the
EWRF Educational Conference in
September last year which was the
first ever of such events conducted
by EWRF. Bravo to the team
and may the Indian community
continue to benefit from the efforts
and endeavours of the EWRF’s
Research Unit.
4
EWRF January 2013
After a short break EWRF had also
organised a Dinner for funders,
sponsors, well-wishers and the
EWRF family last year. The event
was called the EWRF Awareness
Dinner and as the name suggests
the aim of the dinner was to inform
one and all about EWRF’s activities
and accomplishments besides
creating an avenue for camaraderie.
The event which was held on
02 November at the Thean Hou
Temple Hall in Bukit Seputeh saw a
crowd of 600 people and they were
treated to a sumptuous dinner as
well as lively entertainment besides
the screening of informative
videos on EWRF’s activities and
accomplishments.
November and December 2012
had also seen the EWRF team
busy with the Total Empowerment
Camps which were conducted in
13 centres nationwide and also
This has led us into systematic and
strategized planning for 2013 taking
into careful consideration, our
vision, mission and organizational
goals. The mantra for this year
would be “Change & Innovation”.
The various task forces with the
guidance of the Central Council
aspires to witness this mantra
in all our undertakings for the
current year which we think will
not be an issue as we have always
had continuous support from the
federal and state governments,
corporate
funders,
sponsors,
well wishers, parents and the
community at large.
This Newsletter Editorial team will
continue to report all activities and
information to the best of its ability
in order to have readers and well
wishers are sufficiently informed.
Let me once again take the
opportunity to thank all of you who
have made all our efforts a success.
Thank you!
Shanthi Periasamy.
Projects of
Our Pride
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
5
Skills Training Initiative
(Sti)
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT CAMP
O
n 25 November 2012, the Youth Empowerment Camp at Ulu
Teratak Nalys was completed. It was attended by 52 students from
INPENS International College. The aim of this camp was mainly to
establish a bond between EWRF and INPENS students. It also intended
to ensure that at least 75 percent of the Indian students complete their
certificate courses without dropping out. This 3-day camp facilitated
by 8 facilitators involved character building activities that emphasize
good values such as leadership, teamwork and respect. The students
were also briefed on techniques of writing a resume and methods of
application for the job. Besides that, they also had the opportunity to
play mock interview sessions.
6
EWRF January 2013
Centre For
Career Coaching
And Guidance
(C3G)
CAMP SMK BUKIT GAMBIR
PENANG
C
3G Camp was held in SMK Bukit
Gambir, Penang on 22 October 2012
from 8am to 12pm. About 60
PMR leavers attended the program. Mr
Gaanesh Ambalagan went as a counselor
and he was assisted by Ms Archanah
Gopalan and Ms Revathi Motokandar.
The students were active and clever. Many
Malay and Chinese students and around 5%
Indian students participated in this session.
We divided them into four groups (mixed
with all the races) and did paper building task
for them and C3G card program to enhance
their knowledge about their personalities
and professions. All the groups did a very
good job and they managed to explain about
their buildings in English very well. We
collected about 52 forms. They were excited
to know more about their personalities and
professions.
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
7
C3G CAMP
BUKIT BESAR, KULIM
C
3G Camp was conducted in PLKN
Bukit Besar, Kulim on 19 October
2012 from 8am to 11am. About 180
SPM leavers, third batch intake attended
the program. Mr Gaanesh Ambalagan went
as a counselor and he was accompanied
by Ms Archanah Gopalan and Ms Revathi
Motokandar.
Besides EWRF, many other colleges and
technique skills colleges also came to
promote their colleges. Most of the students
were Malay and Chinese and only a small
number of Indian students. They were all
excited to discover about their personalities
and the profession which suits them. We had
a great time interacting with them.
8
EWRF January 2013
very positive and they were very excited to know
the end result.
One of the students, Ms Sonia met us for
counseling. She wanted our help to choose a right
career path as she was confused by her parent’s
choice. After she went through the workshop, she
was very excited to find out that her parents had
chosen the right career for her. She appreciated
EWRF’s effort for helping her to choose a career.
The students and teachers of SMK Seri Garing
gave good cooperation in making the workshop
successful. They requested EWRF to conduct
more such programs in their school.
C3G WORKSHOP
RAWANG
E
WRF Rawang conducted C3G Workshop
at SMK Seri Garing on 30 April 2012.
The objective of this workshop is to help
students to choose a suitable career path based
on their respective personalities, interest,
hobbies and values. It was our first C3G
workshop conducted for multi racial students.
About 92 form 5 students participated in this
workshop. Participation from the students was
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
9
Workshop & Sharing
session
E
WRF Rawang conducted C3G workshop at
SMK Serendah on 21 April 2012. Around
54 Indian students from Forms 3, 4 and 5
participated in this workshop. This workshop was
facilitated by Mr Karthik from EWRF Subang and
volunteers from EWRF Rawang. The students’
participation was good and very supportive. They
gave numerous positive feedbacks stating that the
workshop had helped them to choose the right
career path.
10
EWRF January 2013
On the same day, we had a sharing session with
41 Indian students from Remove class, Form
1 and Form 2 of SMK Serendah. This sharing
session was headed by our volunteers Ms Vani,
Ms Shamala and branch chairman Mr Murugan.
The students were given a chance to share their
problems. At the end of the session, the students
were given solutions to solve their problems and
motivation to concentrate on their studies.
Thanks to SMK Serendah teachers and also our
special thanks to the headmistress for giving full
support for all our programs in SMK Serendah.
English For Juniors
(E4J)
EWRF IPOH
I
n the year 2012, EWRF Ipoh
had conducted 8 E4J centres,
benefiting 181 students.
Commitment and dedication of
the facilitators, coordinators,
schools’ management and the
parents ensured the success of
this program.
The climax of the program was the Achievers’ Day which was
held on Saturday, 3 November 2012 at Dewan Kebajikan
Rimba Panjang, Sungai Siput (U) from 8.00 am till 1.30 pm.
This event was jointly organised by EWRF Sungai Siput and
EWRF Ipoh. A total of 181 students from 8 schools in Ipoh and
4 schools in Sungai Siput took part in the event. Around 150
parents and 20 guests also attended the function. Prizes were
given to schools for best presentation. Awards were given as
recognition for best facilitators and best coordinators. Guest
of Honor was Mr. Rajakumaran, a Central Committee member
and former EWRF Sg. Siput Chairman.
Well done to Mr.Sivaraj Raja Gopal, the Organising Chairman
of the Achievers’ Day Program and his team!
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
11
ACHIEVERS’ DAY at Melaka
E
WRF Melaka was given the honour to host the
southern zone E4J Achievers’ Day on 27 October
2012. The event which began at 2.00 pm. was held
at Media House, Ayer Keroh, Melaka. As this was an
event much looked forward to by the E4J pupils, teachers
and parents, there was an overwhelming response. A
total of twelve E4J centres, eleven from Melaka and
one centre from Muar, Johor were involved. About 223
pupils and 97 parents were present along with teachers
and volunteers who had worked hard to make the event
a success.
12
EWRF January 2013
The presence of the EWRF President Dato’ A. Yogesvaran
and the Director Mr. Guganesan Parasuraman added
glamour to the event. The audience was mesmerised by
the stage performances put up by the E4J participants.
The performances were in two categories; group and
individual. The best performance for the individual
category went to SJK (T) Durian Tunggal and for the
group presentation SJK (T) Rumbia outshone the others.
Miss K. Vimila and Mrs. Kavitha of the above mentioned
schools respectively, were commended for their effort in
training the pupils. The other teachers and participants
were also praised by the president for their performances
and commitment shown towards making the program a
meaningful event.
The day ended with all the E4J participants been given door
gifts with compliments from the Education, Welfare and
Research Foundation and refreshment were served to all
present.
EWRF chairman (Melaka branch) Datuk Dr. PT. Aiyaroo
thanked everyone for their relentless effort in making
the Achievers’ Day a day to remember. He also pointed
out that in the year 2013, E4J program will be extended
to more schools if not all the schools in Melaka.
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
13
ACHIEVER’S DAY AT TANJUNG MALIM
E
WRF Tanjong Malim Branch was given the
honor to organize E4J Achievers’ Day day for
the northern region on 4 November 2012 at
the prestigious SITC Convocation Hall at Universiti
Pendidikan Sultan Idris or UPSI. 32 schools in
Batang Padang region and Cameron Highlands took
part in the event which was officiated by YB Dato’
Saravanan, Deputy Minister for Federal Territory. We also had
the honor to have EWRF National President Dato’ A Yogeswaran
at the event together with the Managing Director of Tamil Daily
MALAYSIA NANBAN Mr.Shafee. The event was witnessed by
more than 1000 people including 800 students which saw SJK
(T) Ladang Tong Wah grabbing the first price followed by SJK
(T) Bidor Tahan and SJK (T) Tapah on the 2nd and 3rd places
respectively. The event started at 8.00 am and ended by 4.00 pm.
14
EWRF January 2013
E4J class
SK Datuk Nan Kaya
& SK Proton City
F
or the first time, English For Juniors (E4J)
classes were conducted in two national
schools, namely in SK Datuk Nan Kaya and
SK Proton city. It was coordinated by EWRF Tanjong
Malim Branch. Each school had 25 students and both
schools completed the program successfully.
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
15
EDUCATIONAL
TRIP
A
s part of our English for Juniors (E4J) program,
two Educational Trips were arranged for the
E4J students. Students from 30 Tanjung Malim
Centres were taken out in this trip. The first trip
was to Taiping Zoo on 15 September 2012 and the
2nd trip was to Zoo Negara Kuala Lumpur on 22
September 2012. The children had lots of fun and
entertainment during the trips.
16
EWRF January 2013
Civil Society Intervention (CSI)
SMK Sri Bemban,
Melaka
T
he CSI program was conducted for 34
students from SMK Sri Bemban, Jasin,
Melaka. It was launched on 30 June 2012
by Mr. Lopez Ragedevan, the MIYC National
President and also witnessed by the school’s
advisor of Tamil Language Society, Mr. Uthaya
Sooriyan, EWRF Melaka Deputy Chairman,
Mr.Jeya Seelan, Mr.Mathiyalagan, the program
coordinator and other committee members.
Dedicated members from MIYC Jasin branch
played an active role to meet the students and
organize activities in line with the modules set by
EWRF HQ. These activities included Ice Breaking
session, Team Building, Motivational Talks
by experienced school counsellors, Character
building, ‘Walk for Values’ by Jasin Sai Center
and lastly a ‘Soul Searching’ session which helped
the students realize the invaluable sacrifice made
by their parents.
All these activities were held on Saturdays for
a period of 3 months. The program became
successful due to active participation of the
students who attended the sessions every
Saturday without fail. Help and cooperation
given by the school authorities and parents also
contributed to the success of the CSI program.
At the end of the 3 months, the committee
members from MIYC and EWRF were happy
to note that the CSI program had produced
a positive outcome. It was revealed that the
students who had participated in this program
had shown remarkable changes in their attitudes
and behaviour and they have started attending
school classes regularly. In a nutshell, CSI is
undeniably a marvellous program for students
who have discipline and attitude problems.
All children are born good but sometime
environment and society can change them for
the better or worse. In this respect EWRF Melaka
and MIYC Melaka will continue to play their role
to reach out to the students who need proper
guidance in our community
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
17
HULU SELANGOR
E
WRF Hulu Selangor had launched
the CSI program on 23 July 2012 at
Dewan Balai Raya Bukit Teratai. A
total of 24 students from SMK Sungai Choh
attended the program which was conducted
in a series of 7 sessions. The last program
was held on 13 October 2012. Under the
coordination of Mr.Revichander, 7 CSI
facilitators conducted it. The main object
of the program is to increase cultural and
educational awareness among the students.
Students also learned to effectively carry
out daily activities. It also helps in reducing
discipline problems at school. Furthermore
students who participated in this program
had started to show interest in their studies
and there was a reduction in discipline
problems at school.
18
EWRF January 2013
FOOTBALL & BADMINTON
TOURNAMENT 2012
E
WRF
Tanjong
Malim
Branch
organized a foot ball tournament for
the CSI students at SJKT Tan Sri Dato
Manickavasagam on 26 October 2012. The
Badminton Tournament was held at ELITE
FUTSAL Tanjong Malim. A total of 85 CSI
students participated in these events and prizes
were given away to the first four winning teams.
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
19
SILAMBAM
A
group of 20 Silambam experts
from Semenyih, Kajang came to
demonstrate this famous martial
arts to our Civil Society Intervention (CSI)
students on 21 July 2012 at SJKT Tan Sri
Dato’ Manickavasagam, Tanjong Malim.
90 of our CSI students witnessed the
demonstration which was full of vigor and
some daring movements gave the students
spine chilling experience. The event started
at 8.00 am and ended at 1.00 pm.
20
EWRF January 2013
Going-On’s
at the Branches
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
21
Rawang
Computer
Class
E
WRF Rawang launched
free computer classes
at Sri Selva Vinayagar
Temple, Serendah on 7 March
2012.
The official opening
ceremony was held on 3 May
2012 by Mr. V Mugilan, MIC
Youth Deputy President. Also
present to witness was Mr.
Manirajoo, president of Sri
Selva Vinayagar Temple and
the representatives from Tamil
newspapers.
Now we have 20 students
from Remove class and Form
1 to Form 3 learning basic
computer skills. EWRF Rawang
volunteers Mdm Yuga, Ms
Puvanes, Ms Kalaivani, Ms Leha
and Ms Mariam conduct these
computer classes on Tuesdays
and Thursdays from 8.00pm to
9.30pm.
We started this computer class
with 4 units of PCs and thereafter
well wishers Mr V Mugilan, MIC
Youth Deputy President and Mr
22
EWRF January 2013
Sithambaram of AMS Transport sponsored 2 units of brand new PCs.
EWRF HQ also sponsored used PCs for our computer class. Thanks to
donors, parents and temple management for the support.
Tuition Classes for
PMR Students
E
WRF Rawang was invited
by SMK Serendah to
meet 32 Indian students
who were taking the PMR
examination. The objective
of the sharing session was to
identify the reason for their
poor performance in PMR
trial exams.
The students
voiced the problems they
faced in their subjects mainly
Bahasa Malaysia. Therefore,
we had decided to conduct
special revision classes to help
them in Bahasa Malaysia. A
team was formed headed by
Mdm Gomathi, secretary of
EWRF Rawang together with
volunteers Ms Leha and Ms
Mariam.
The classes started on 11
September 2012 from 8.00pm
to 9.30pm at Sri Selva Vinayagar
Temple, Serendah.
It was
conducted on every Tuesday
and Thursday and ended on 4
October 2012. On the final day,
the students expressed their
gratitude to the teachers who
showed them care and concern.
achieve their goals in education
and career by conducting CSI
program. They are eager to join
us and we are still in contact with
them.
We will be meeting them again
to show them the right path to
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
23
Motivational Speech
E
WRF Rawang organized
a motivational talk for
Indian students at SMK
Serendah on 28 September 2012.
More than 100 students attended
this talk. Ms Selvamalar, special
guest from MySkill Foundation
was invited to give an inspiring
speech. The event kicked off with
ice breaking session.
The students were given the awareness on personal
care and society. Ms Selvamalar shared the real life
stories of students who chose the wrong path in life
and made them realize that there is no turning back
for them. Thanks to school management and MySkill
Foundation.
24
EWRF January 2013
Get Together
Dinner
R
awang Indian Business Association (RIBA)
organized a fund raising dinner on 30
September 2012 at Restaurant Yau Kee,
Rawang. We bought a table for our committee
members and volunteers. Thereafter, as a token of
appreciation to our branch, two of our well-wishers,
Raji Gold Coverings and Senthil Metals gave us
additional tables.
Therefore, we made arrangement to take with us
our students and volunteers to the Chinese set
dinner. 30 students from our CSI program, Tuition
class, and “Thevaram” class were selected. A van
was rented to provide transport to the students.
It turned out to be the first experience for some
students and they were very grateful to EWRF
Rawang and RIBA for giving them such treat.
Out heartfelt thanks to Raji Gold Coverings and
Senthil Metals for giving this wonderful dinner to
our students.
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
25
COMMUNITY SERVICE
O
n 5 October 2012, SJKT Rawang held their 42nd Annual Sports Day. Around 18
students from EWRF Rawang’s CSI program, PMR Tuition class and computer class
came forward to help the teachers’ of SJKT Rawang. Some of the students went down
to the field on the first day itself by helping with decorating the surroundings of the school field.
The rest of them helped on the second day. As early as 8.00am, they had gone down to the field
to help in the arrangement of the sports day. The school management was very grateful to the
students from EWRF Rawang for the effort and their contribution in making their sports day
successful. Kudos! To our warriors.
26
EWRF January 2013
Charity Golf Tournament
The tournament started at
1.01pm and ended at 6.00pm.
Thereafter, we had a dinner
and prize giving session for the
winners. During the dinner, lots
of prizes were given away to lucky
draws. EWRF President, Dato A
Yogeswaran gave a wonderful
speech and led the team in
getting more sponsorship by
auctioning lucky prizes.
E
WRF Rawang had organized the
EWRF Charity Golf Tournament
on Friday, 24 August 2012 at
Templer Park Country Resort.
Around 32 players competed in this
tournament.
We are taking this opportunity
to thank all donors, players,
the EWRF Central Committee
members and staffs for their
participation in making this golf
tournament meaningful. We
also thank our EWRF Rawang
committee and volunteers for
organizing this tournament.
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
27
A day with students of
SMK Serendah
able to get straight A’s in her
E
PMR exams through self-study
WRF Rawang was invited by SMK Serendah on 22 June
and teacher’s guidance. She is
2012 to conduct a program for the Indian students. Branch
the role model for all Indian
chairman Mr Murugan with volunteers Ms Kayal and Mr
students in SMK Serendah.
Arun conducted the whole day program in 2 sessions.
In the 2nd session, Form 1 and
The 1st session was conducted for Form 3, Form 4 and Form 5 students.
Form 2 students attended. IQ
During Spiritual Talk, opinions and views of the students on our
Games and General Knowledge
culture were discussed. It was discovered during Ambition and Skills
Quiz were conducted followed
talk that around 55% of them were ambitious in studies. Another 45
by a talk by Mr Murugan on the
% were not interested in studies but showed interest in handcraft,
importance of education and
business and so on. To create excitement in the students, IQ Games
skill training. The importance
and General Knowledge Quiz were conducted. Lastly in the Sharing
of Bahasa Malaysia was briefed.
session, students were encouraged to speak about their family and
Lastly in the Sharing session,
personal life. One of the students shared her family background that
students were encouraged to
her father is a drunkard and he always beat her mother. Yet she was
speak about their family and
personal life.
28
EWRF January 2013
Melaka
Kalvi
Yathirai
T
o invoke the blessings
of the Divine, Kalvi
Yathirai was performed
on 29 September 2012 at
Jasin, Melaka. About 42
students who will be taking
the PMR, SPM and STPM
examinations
participated
in this auspicious program.
For the second year, EWRF Melaka had organised this in the Jasin
district. This time, MIYC Melaka also joined hands with us.
In a solemn procession, the students carried the Pal Kudam from
Sri Sivan Temple to Sri Siva Maha Mariamman Temple, a distance
about half a kilometre. At the end of the procession, ‘abishegam’
to the deity was performed with the milk they carried. This was
followed by prayers and ‘prasadham’ was distributed to all present
in the temple.
Then, all the students, parents and other attendees took part in the
Bhajans led by the Jasin Sai group members. Then, a speech was
delivered by the organizing chairman, Mr.Mathiyalagan. He spoke
on the human and spiritual values which should be practiced by all
Hindus. Finally, the temple priest spoke on divine power and the
importance of regular prayers to lead a peaceful life both in school
and at home. This in turn will lead to instil self confidence and ability
to face all challenges in life.
This Kalvi Yathirai also created an opportunity for the students to
show their love and appreciation to their parents, teachers and the
elders for all the guidance and care they had rendered to them in
one way or another. The event ended at about 11am with some light
refreshment served for all who were present at the temple.
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
29
1 MALAYSIA
RANGOLI COMPETITION
E
WRF Melaka Branch had
organised the 1 Malaysia
Rangoli
Competiton
on
21 October 2012 at Dewan SMK
Air Keroh, Melaka. A total of
280 students from 70 schools
throughout the State of Malacca
comprising of Indians, Chinese and
Malays took part in the competition
in conjunction with the Deepavali
festival.
The objective of this event was to
bring students of different races
together to participate and show
their talents through teamwork in
producing an Indian Art piece in
the spirit of 1Malaysia. Cultural
activities such as this could forge
unity, teamwork and co-operation
among the various races of our
student community. At the end
of the event, the students had
displayed their creativity and talent
to produce an excellent art piece
signifying the Indian culture.
While waiting for the judges
to evaluate the winners, the
participants and the rest of the
audience were entertained by the
students of SMK Iskandar Shah,
30
EWRF January 2013
Jasin, Melaka. The judges comprising of Mr.Raymond Tan, Datin Leela
Brito, Puan Saraswathy and others had a tough time in deciding the
winners.
The organizing team had ensured that many of the participants if
not all went home with some sort of prizes. When the results were
announced, the Under-15 category Challenge Trophy, donated by Datuk
Dr. P.T.Aiyaroo, was won by SMK Infant Jesus Convent. The Senior
category Challenge Trophy, donated by Dato A.Yogesvaran, was won by
SMK Iskandar Shah, Jasin.
The opening ceremony of the 1 Malaysia Rangoli Competition was
officiated by YB Datuk Md Sirat Bin Abu, Member of Parliament for Bukit
Katil, Melaka. The EWRF National President, Dato Yogesvaran, handed
over the prizes to the winners and officially closed the competition.
The success of the Rangoli Competition is the result of the support from
Mr. Ananthakumar –Timbalan Pengarah Pendidikan Bahasa Tamil
and all the schools in Melaka State. We also acknowledge the support
of Encik Razali bin Ali, the Headmaster of SMK Ayer Keroh, Melaka
who allowed us to use the school hall for the event. We also thank
Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara, Cawangan Melaka, Melaka
Holidays Sdn Bhd, Melaka Water Theme Park, Nestle Food Products, F
& N Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd and Carjen Food Industries for their
kind contribution.
Credits for the success of this program also go to the organizing
chairman, Mr.Sandrasegar and his team. And last but not least, to
Madam Mageswary, teacher from SMK Iskandar Shah, Jasin who gave
invaluable time, energy, commitment and dedication in co-coordinating
the event. EWRF Melaka will continue to organize the 1 Malaysia
Rangoli Competition annually.
Tanjung
Malim
PASS program
P
ARENTS
ASSURING
STUDENTS
SUCCESS
(PASS), an innovative program
from the Tamil Foundation
was conducted for 60 parents
in Tanjong Malim. These three
hours per week program was
conducted for a period of 8 weeks
starting in July and ending in
August 2012. The program was
designed to empower Tamil
School parents to educate their
children study well. It was like
a bridge between parents and
the school whereby parents
appreciate the role of teachers
in educating their children and
supplements the teachers’ role
at home by guiding the students.
The teachers were from Tamil
Foundation and a nominal
sum of RM10 per parent was
charged. It turned out to be a
very successful program. EWRF
Tanjong Malim branch was
the first to organize this PASS
program outside Selangor and
it was the first outside the Tamil
Foundation given chance to
do so. Once we have sufficient
number of parents in Perak
completing the PASS program,
a graduation ceremony will be
held to honor the “graduates”.
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
31
TUITION
Classes for PMR
R
egular classes for PMR students were held at
EWRF Tanjong Malim branch. Students who
attended our Total Immersion Camp (TIC) in the
year 2009 also attended these classes. The subjects
taught are Bahasa Melayu, Sejarah, Mathematics,
Science, Geography and English. A total of 45
students from SMJK Katholik , SMK Methodis
and SMK Khir Johari are currently attending the
32
EWRF January 2013
classes. The classes are conducted from 7.00 pm to
10.00 pm on weekdays except on Fridays. 8 qualified
secondary school teachers in and around Tanjong
Malim conducted this program.
Night classes are also conducted for SPM /STP
students who are taking Tamil as an optional subject.
HQ Events
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
33
O
n 2 November 2012, EWRF
Awareness Dinner was held
at Thean Hou Hall, Robson Heights,
Kuala Lumpur. The highlight of
this dinner was to showcase all the
projects and activities which have
been implemented by EWRF in line
with its objective of transforming
community. It was also aimed
to attract new organizations and
individuals to contribute towards
EWRF’s
efforts
and
enhance
fellowship among members of the
EWRF family, funders and wellwishers. Carrying the theme It’s Not
a Choice but an Obligation for Our
Better Future, the dinner attracted
more than 300 individuals who
made the event a great success.
34
EWRF January 2013
EWRF
Awareness
Dinner
Down
Memory Lane
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
35
Student We Touched
N
ageswari Nayar Valiyutham
is the only child in a family
who was studying in Form 5 at
SMK Methodist when she got
introduced to EWRF. She was
one of the participants of CSI
programme funded by EWRF
HQ. She participated in ‘The
Change 2010’, one of the camps
under CSI. When she joined
CSI, she was a timid and shy
student with poor academic
performance. Her mother’s
death affected her deeply.
After the camp, she attended
weekly follow up session where
academic guidance and coaching
was provided by the facilitator.
She sat for SPM in 2010.
She passed the examination
and applied to ILP. With the
guidance of EWRF, she managed
to secure a place at ILP Ipoh and
is currently pursuing a course
in Certificate of Technology
Computer System.
Interviewer: Hi Nageswary!
Good evening. How are you?
Nageswary: Good evening. I’m
doing good. Hope you are good
as well.
Interviewer: On behalf of
EWRF, I would like to know
about your involvement in EWRF
and how EWRF has helped you.
Nageswary: I am glad to share
my experience here.
36
EWRF January 2013
Interviewer: What were your
SPM results and why have you
chosen to further your studies with
ILP?
Nageswary: I did not get good
results. I just got one credit. At that
time, I am unsure what to do at
that time since I did not get a good
result.
Interviewer: When and how did
you get to know about EWRF?
Nageswary:
When I was in
Form 5, I was called up by one of
the teachers to participate in a
camp called “The Change 2010”, a
camp funded by EWRF HQ. After
attending the camp for 3 days and
2 nights, I started to involve in Civil
Society Intervention Programme.
That’s how I got to know about
EWRF.
Interviewer: Can you tell how
EWRF has helped you?
Nageswary: During the camp,
the activities conducted were really
an eye opener for me. I would also
say that was the turning point
in my life. After the camp, every
week, Ms Dinesweri, our facilitator
would give free tuition classes for
3 main subjects; Malay, English
and Math during the weekend. The
extra classes have helped me a lot
as I was exposed to techniques of
answering questions since during
the classes we discussed about the
past year questions. After SPM,
through EWRF, I have managed to
secure a place at ILP Ipoh.
Interviewer: What is the
environment like studying at
ILP?
Nageswary: Earlier it was
difficult to cope up but later on
I managed to cope up with the
guidance of the teachers.
Interviewer: Besides basic
academics, what do you think
you have learned from life at the
campus?
Nageswary: I have learned to
mingle with people from different
background. Besides that, now I
know how to handle and solve
problems independently.
Interviewer: What would you
like to say to our youths?
Nageswary:
I
strongly
recommend to youths out there
to seek EWRF’s help if they are
not sure what to do after SPM.
Interviewer: Is there anything
you want to say?
Nageswary: EWRF has helped
me a lot. EWRF is one of the
reasons for what I am today. I
hope in the future I will be able
to join hands with EWRF to
transform and touch more lives
as how it did to me.
Food for
Thought
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
37
Review of Malaysian Education Blue Print Draft
Review
of National Education Blue Print Draft (2013-2025)
(2013-2025)
To:
The Education Minister, Malaysia
From:
Educational Welfare and Research Foundation of Malaysia
Subject:
Review of Malaysian Education Blueprint Draft (2013-2025)
Date:
28 December 2012
Purpose of Review
To communicate the views of EWRF with regards to the Malaysian Education Blueprint Draft
(2013-2025) in order for issues in the Blueprint to be addressed in line with producing a
National Blueprint that will benefit the nation at large.
Summary
EWRF is a leading NGO in Malaysia that focuses mainly on uplifting academic attainment
among underachievers. EWRF with the help of educationists, stakeholders and volunteers
plan and implement a variety of programmes that not only concentrates on enhancing
literacy and numeracy skills among primary school children but also to address at-risk
students in secondary schools. EWRF also provides career guidance and counselling to help
school leavers plan their future to bring out the best of their strengths and abilities.
As an organization who has a keen interest in the advancement and betterment of the
society, EWRF has taken the opportunity tom present its views with regards to the Malaysian
Education Blueprint Draft (2013-2025) Draft so as to inform the Education Ministry about
issues regarding the Blueprint that should be essentially reviewed.
Discussion
The discussion below is based on the concepts and shifts recommended in the Blueprint and
as such comments and suggestions are made in the same order.
DISCUSSION ON THE FEASIBILITY OF THE NEW EDUCATIONAL BLUEPRINT 2012
AREAS
1
EWRF January 2013
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
28
Two issues of equity for
Tamil Schools;
i) Between themselves
ii) Against SK and SJK(C)
CONCEPT/PRELIM
CHALLENGES REMAIN IN ACHIEVING EQUITABLE
STUDENT OUTCOMES
The achievement gap between National and
National-type primary schools is also closing. The
difference between National schools or Sekolah
Kebangsaan (SK) and National-type Chinese
schools or Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina)
38
PAGE
ON
BLUE
PRINT
(SJK(C)s) is insignificant. Over the past 5 years,
National-type Tamil schools or Sekolah Jenis
Kebangsaan (Tamil) (SJK(T)s) have more than
halved the gap between themselves and both
SJK(C)s and SKs, and are now less than 4
percentage points behind.
2
RANGE OF SCHOOLING OPTIONS ARE CREATING
ETHNICALLY HOMOGENEOUS ENVIRONMENTS
The best available data shows that more Indian 28
and Chinese students enrolled in National-type
primary schools in 2011, in comparison to
enrolment 10 years ago. The proportion of
Chinese students enrolled in SJK(C)s increased
from 92% in 2000 to 96% in 2011. The shift for
Indian students was even more dramatic,
showing an increase from 47% to 56% enrolment
in SJK(T)s. As such, 90% of students in SKs are
now ethnically Bumiputera. At the secondary
level, the presence of a single secondary school
format, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK),
does create convergence. Nevertheless, there
are still students who receive limited exposure to
diversity, such as a child who transfers from a
SJK(C) to an Independent Chinese school, or one
who moves from an SK to a religious secondary
school.
3
The blueprint needs to
address ways to bridge
these gaps in order to
achieve equitable student
outcomes
SYSTEM ASPIRATIONS
Access: Every child in Malaysia deserves equal
access to an education that will enable that child
to achieve his or her potential. The Ministry thus
aspires to ensure universal access and full
enrolment of all children from preschool through
to upper secondary school level (Form 5) by
2020.
Equity: Top-performing school systems deliver
the best possible education for every child,
regardless
of
geography,
gender,
or
socioeconomic background. The Ministry aspires
to halve the current urban-rural, socio-economic,
and gender achievement gaps by 2020.
i) It would be impossible
to
foster
racial
integration and unity
with 90% of students in
SKs being Bumiputera
ii) We need to address
the plight of non-Malay
students in SKs being
the scarce minority.
Students in rural schools
including national and
national type schools lack
in several fundamental
aspects; transportation to
school, schooling needs,
healthcare etc…Until and
unless this needs are all
taken care, we cannot
even expect all children to
attend school what more
acquiring the equal access.
The issues of dilapidated
condition of rural schools
which lack in electricity
and potable water supply.
Such basic needs are
fundamental to ensure
conducive
environment
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
39
for schooling and such
they need to be primarily
addressed.
4
SIX KEY ATTRIBUTES NEEDED BY EVERY
STUDENT TO BE GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE
These were all already in
the existing curriculum?
KBKK, Problem Solving,
Constructivism, Self
Access-Self Paced-Self
Directed Learning through
the Smart School Concept?
Unless the blueprint
addresses how these
aspects are going to be
implemented differently
to achieve better
outcomes, all resources
that have been spent on
consolidating these skills
in the past will be of a
total waste.
Thinking skills: Every child will learn how to
continue acquiring knowledge throughout their
lives (instilling a love for inquiry and lifelong
learning), to be able to connect different pieces
of knowledge, and, most importantly in a
knowledge-based economy, to create new
knowledge. Every child will master a range of
important cognitive skills, including problemsolving, reasoning creative thinking, and
innovation. This is an area where the system has
historically fallen short, with students being less
able than they should be in applying knowledge
and thinking critically outside familiar academic
contexts.
SHIFTS
SHIFT 1: PROVIDE EQUAL ACCESS TO QUALITY
EDUCATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
• Benchmark the learning of languages,
Mathematics, and Science to
international standards.
•
40
EWRF January 2013
Launch new Secondary School Standard
Curriculum or Kurikulum Standard
Sekolah Menengah (KSSM) and revised
Primary School Standard Curriculum or
Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah
(KSSR) in 2017
•
Revamp national examinations and
school-based assessments to gradually
increase percentage of questions that
test higher-order thinking (HOTS).
•
Raise quality of all preschools and
encourage universal
enrolment by 2020
32
For this reason the
medium of instructions for
T&L for Maths Science
should not have been
changed to Bahasa
Melayu.
The Blueprint lacks in
clarity as to what is found
to be lacking in the current
curriculum to warrant the
new curricula. Rather, it
should only address the
shortcomings and pay
attention to what lacks for
example immersion
programmes in English for
those in National Schools
and in Bahasa Melayu for
those from Vernacular
Schools. It should also
address a comprehensive
remedial programme for
underachieving children in
all schools.
HOTS should be essentially
applied in daily T&L for
this aspiration to be
achieved. The Blueprint
should explain ways in
which this can be
achieved.
The Blueprint failed to
address the preschool
programmes for
Vernacular Schools?
SHIFT 2: ENSURE EVERY CHILD IS PROFICIENT IN
BAHASA MALAYSIA AND
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
• As the ethnic groups move through
different primary schools, there are
differences in outcomes by ethnicity.
Bumiputera students perform very
strongly on Bahasa Malaysia proficiency
with 84% achieving a minimum credit
at SPM, in contrast to 63% of Chinese
students, and 57% of Indian students.
For English, only 23% Bumiputera,
42% Chinese, and 35% Tamil students
score at a level equivalent to a
Cambridge 1119 credit or above (all
results based on the 2010 SPM
examination).
33
Again this disparity can be
taken care of by
implementing Immersion
Programmes as mentioned
above.
•
Introduce a standard Bahasa Malaysia
curriculum at the primary level, with
intensive remedial support for struggling
students.
Will after school
compulsory classes work
out for students from poor
families who face the
issues of no transport; lack
of motivation etc?
•
Upskill English teachers and expand
opportunities for
greater exposure to the language
The training programmes
for teachers need to be
seriously reviewed to
achieve this. Some of the
existing 27 teacher
training institutes can be
coverted to colleges that
specialize in the teaching
and learning of English
Language and to train
teachers to teach Maths
and Science in English.
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
41
Such an environment and
background will prove to
be more conducive for
student teachers to have
the right exposure and
experience to acquire the
English Language.
•
What are the provisions
for the continuation of the
teaching of mother tongue
in Secondary Schools?
There was no mention to
formalise this.
Encourage every child to learn an
additional language by 2025.
SHIFT 4: TRANSFORM TEACHING INTO THE
PROFESSION OF CHOICE
• Raise the entry bar for teachers from
2013 to be amongst
top 30% of graduates
35
How can we be assured
that the supposedly
‘cream of the crop’ have
the passion to teach or
rather even desire to be
teachers? Academic
achievement may not
precisely correlate with
desirability to teach.
Hence the Blueprint has to
address ways to make the
teaching profession the
profession of choice.
Some of the things should
be considered would be
exceptional physical
facilities, better
allowances, assurance of
scholarships for further
studies etc..Allowances for
those teaching in rural
schools can be doubled.
40
All of these addressed in
the Smart School concept
in the late 90s. We should
now we be thinking of
effective implementation
instead.
SHIFT 7: LEVERAGE ICT TO SCALE UP QUALITY
LEARNING ACROSS MALAYSIA
•
42
EWRF January 2013
Maximise use of ICT for distance and
self-paced learning to expand
access to high-quality teaching
regardless of location or student skill
level.
SHIFT 8: TRANSFORM MINISTRY DELIVERY
CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY
• Strengthen key central functions and
rationalise structure
from 2016.
SHIFT 9: PARTNER WITH PARENTS,
COMMUNITY, AND PRIVATE SECTOR AT SCALE
• Equip every parent to support their
child’s learning through
a parent engagement toolkit and online
access to their child’s in-school progress
•
41
The existing system and
structure has to be really
reviewed. Is there a
surplus of human resource
in certain areas that are
actually incurring
expenditure that can very
well be channelled for
areas that are in dire want
of it.
There isn’t a separate unit
for Vernacular Education
under MOE. The highest
official responsible for
issues pertaining to
Vernacular
schools/education is only
an Assistant Director.
There should be
somebody at a much
higher level.
42
What about parents from
the rural areas and the
uneducated ones? Will
they be able to effectively
use these toolkits. The
Blueprint fails to outline or
rather address the
situation of this group of
parents.
Expand Trust School model to 500
schools by 2025 by including alumni
groups and non-governmental
organisations, (NGOs) as potential
sponsors
SHIFT 10: MAXIMISE STUDENT OUTCOMES FOR
EVERY RINGGIT
• Link every programme to clear student
outcomes, and
annually rationalise programmes that
have low impact.
• Capture efficiency opportunities, with
funding reallocated to
the most critical areas such as teacher
training and upskilling
Again there is no mention
of the inclusion of
Vernacular Schools in this
programme.
43
All programmes in
Vernacular schools should
be clearly spelt out in this
shift as well.
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
43
Conclusion
In a nutshell although the Blueprint has exhibited the recognition of significant developments
and achievements in education, nevertheless one cannot deny the existence of
shortcomings within the recommendations made. These shortcomings need to be addressed
and remedied immediately in order for the National Education System to achieve the desired
outcomes. We should be rational in selecting countries to be benchmarked so as to
strategically attain the gains that we desire. We should learn from countries who have a
similar issues such as us, eg the issues that our rural children face are more to that in
Mexico than in South Korea and as such we need to look at the sound measures such
countries have taken to arrest these issues. The Blueprint also lacks in terms of providing
convincing measures to address the national unity agenda and to capture the multi cultural
diversity that exists to be soundly integrated in the education system. The MOE should
convene a high powered panel, comprising of people of all ethnicity without any one ethnic
group dominating to seriously study this issue and make recommendations. Although there
is a meaningful Philosophy of Education in place the blueprint fails to project measures and
strategies that will realise this philosophy.
44
EWRF January 2013
EWRF Jan u a r y 2 0 1 3
45
46
EWRF January 2013