Bridging Rural and Urban Bridging Rural and Urban Gap in Malaysian SchoolsGap in Malaysian Schools

Opportunities and ChallengesOpportunities and Challenges

Lok Yim PhengLok Yim Pheng

Secretary General NUTPSecretary General NUTP

Common ProblemsCommon Problems

Lack of infrastructureLack of infrastructure No proper buildingsNo proper buildings No proper roads to schoolsNo proper roads to schools Lack of electricity Lack of electricity Lack of teachers / students Lack of teachers / students quartersquarters

Unfair distribution in the Fully aided and Unfair distribution in the Fully aided and Partially aided schools (govt. policy)Partially aided schools (govt. policy)

Teachers sharing tables and chairsTeachers sharing tables and chairs Congested staff rooms and class Congested staff rooms and class

roomsrooms Pupils paying RM 10.00 perchairPupils paying RM 10.00 perchair

30 % attend Pre-school 30 % attend Pre-school educationeducation

Curriculum in Pre-schools must Curriculum in Pre-schools must be standardisedbe standardised

PIPP has many new visions but we want PIPP has many new visions but we want the government to implement it fairlythe government to implement it fairly

Rural schools given priorityRural schools given priority Hasten the delivery of Educational Hasten the delivery of Educational

materials in the rural areasmaterials in the rural areas Lack of critical subject Teachers in Lack of critical subject Teachers in

remote areasremote areas Mismatch in optionMismatch in option Teachers shortage specially in Teachers shortage specially in

vernacular schools and remote areasvernacular schools and remote areas Lack of transportationLack of transportation

ChallengesChallenges Examination oriented systemExamination oriented system Teaching of Science and Maths in Teaching of Science and Maths in

EnglishEnglish

( Teachers Centre not Pupils centre )( Teachers Centre not Pupils centre )Survey on PPSMI - 1236 RespondanceSurvey on PPSMI - 1236 Respondance

Science, Maths and English Science, Maths and English teachers must undergo the teachers must undergo the English proficiency testEnglish proficiency test

Lack of “specialist teachers” are Lack of “specialist teachers” are the main cause of non-efective the main cause of non-efective teachingteaching

68.8 % agree68.8 % agree

75.20 % 75.20 % agreeagree

There is a gap between rural There is a gap between rural and urban teachers teaching and urban teachers teaching Science and Maths in EnglishScience and Maths in English

The Ministry of Education must The Ministry of Education must provide enough and provide enough and comprehensive sets of teaching comprehensive sets of teaching aids to teachersaids to teachers

Pupils understand the subject Pupils understand the subject better (science and maths) better (science and maths) using English languageusing English language

54.7 % agree54.7 % agree

92.40 % 92.40 % agreeagree

40 % agree40 % agree

Under enrolment schoolsUnder enrolment schools High maintenance cost specially ICTHigh maintenance cost specially ICT Social problemsSocial problems Information and financial divideInformation and financial divide

ChallengesChallenges IntegrityIntegrity Education opportunities for childrenEducation opportunities for children Drop out problemsDrop out problems Low performance studentsLow performance students Mentally drop out childrenMentally drop out children Role of PTARole of PTA Cluster schoolsCluster schools

Suggestions - PupilsSuggestions - Pupils Target needy children Target needy children Pool of Teachers handling drop out in rural Pool of Teachers handling drop out in rural

schoolsschools Dissimination of information Dissimination of information Easy access to educational materialsEasy access to educational materials Special schools for special group of Special schools for special group of

childrenchildren

-- Vocational schoolsVocational schools

-- Character building schoolsCharacter building schools Students exchange programmeStudents exchange programme More remedial classes in schoolsMore remedial classes in schools Parents must be penalised – indicipline Parents must be penalised – indicipline

childrenchildren

Suggestions - PupilsSuggestions - Pupils Education must be non-politicalEducation must be non-political Condusive environment in schoolsCondusive environment in schools Healthy recreation centre for childrenHealthy recreation centre for children Children’s health Children’s health

( food / time management and ( food / time management and motivation )motivation )

Financial aids to poor studentsFinancial aids to poor students Provide transportation to schoolsProvide transportation to schools Reduce the number of pupil in the schoolsReduce the number of pupil in the schools School base examinationSchool base examination Build more hostel for studentsBuild more hostel for students

Suggestions – Teachers eradicate the Suggestions – Teachers eradicate the culture of adhocculture of adhoc

Improve teaching method in schoolsImprove teaching method in schools Trained teachers locally and overseaTrained teachers locally and oversea Reward teachers who can change low Reward teachers who can change low

performance to high performance performance to high performance Teachers covered by insuranceTeachers covered by insurance Revamp the Teachers Training CurriculumRevamp the Teachers Training Curriculum High quality and worthiness course for High quality and worthiness course for

teachersteachers

Government had channel financial aids to Government had channel financial aids to improve school infrastructureimprove school infrastructure

To much of unneccessary bureaucarcyTo much of unneccessary bureaucarcy Can lead to corruption Can lead to corruption Low quality workLow quality work No proper projectionNo proper projection

ButBut

We want to have thinking children not robotsWe want to have thinking children not robots We want high morale teachersWe want high morale teachers To achive all these the managers must go To achive all these the managers must go

down to the ground and understand the down to the ground and understand the problemsproblems