Malaysia education sector has various strengths and weaknesses. The country has a high literacy percentage of the Malaysian population, who are educated and have critical life and professional skills. The challenges faced by the education industry revealed by the assessment must be addressed through comprehensive strategies that will promote the growth and success of the sector.
Based on data provided by UNESCO’s Institute of Statistics (UIS), Malaysia had a literacy rate of 94.64%. At the same time, GlobalData stated that Malaysia had a literacy rate of 95.71% in 2021, demonstrating that nearly all the citizens have foundational education (Access-Library Learning Space, 2023). The literacy rate shows that the Malaysian government and citizens are committed to creating a literate society. Literacy covers various aspects, including reading and writing ability, critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability, which are crucial for individuals to survive in the fast-changing world.
The Malaysian education system is advantageous as it promotes various languages. The country’s educational system entails languages like English, Malay, Tamil, and Chinese, which allows learners to communicate with others in a globalized environment and indicates Malaysia’s diverse cultural composition (Naidu & Rajanthiran, 2021). Integrating various languages into Malaysian education makes the learner competitive internationally, and diversity should be nurtured and celebrated.
Schools in Malaysia are admitting student from diverse backgrounds. This promotes diversity as a positive aspect embraced by learning institutions as the learners gather to study together. Subjects such as Sejarah and Sivik teach the learners about various values like peacefulness, unity, and understanding. Therefore, education in Malaysia promotes harmonious coexistence as it offers opportunities for cultural integration.
Despite the literacy levels, various disparities cannot be assumed. Malaysia faces disparities in English levels and Mathematics proficiency compared to neighboring countries such as Singapore. The country should, therefore, pursue reforms in the educational system to improve the curriculum and teaching methods to raise the teaching standards (Hussan Sahib & Stapa, 2021). The reform will minimize gaps, thus ensuring the Malaysian education system aligns with the global education system.
The presentation outlines the disparity in educational resource distribution and learning facilities between Malaysia’s rural regions and urban centers. Some areas in Malaysia are underdeveloped, with poorly developed infrastructure and inadequate funding from the government thus leading to poor quality education (Saifullah et al., 2021). In partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Malaysian government should promote equitable access to education for all citizens. Individuals from rural areas should be able to access quality education and infrastructure for national development and demonstrate social justice.
The Malaysian government should partner with various stakeholders, communities, and agencies in the education sector to promote collective efforts towards improving the education system. Providing quality education ensures a country’s progress and prosperity (Khairi et al., 2023). Therefore, the Malaysian government must adopt strategies to solve the existing issues in the education system, thus providing the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure the future generation’s success in the increasingly competitive digital world.
Therefore, based on the group discussion, all the stakeholders in the Malaysian education sector must partner to transform the education sector positively. The Malaysian government and the relevant stakeholders need to invest in education, reduce the proficiency gaps, and offer equal educational opportunities for every learner in Malaysia. Thank you.
References
Access- Library Learning Space (2023, August 8). Malaysian reading habits encouraging, but more must be done. https://librarylearningspace.com/malaysian-reading-habits-encouraging-but-more-must-be-done/
Hussan Sahib, F., & Stapa, M. (2021). Managing english language curriculum reform in Malaysian primary schools issues and challenges. https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/45161/
Khairi, A., Ahmad, I., & Zainal, S. (2023). Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and education for Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. Environment and Social Psychology, 8(2). https://esp.apacsci.com/index.php/esp/article/view/1915
Naidu, S. N. M., & Rajanthiran, S. (2021). Education in Malaysia: Educating for Inclusive-Holistic Growth, Political Needs…?—The Transformation of Vernacular and Particularised Education towards Integration into “Malaysian Education”. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 9(03), 471. https://www.scirp.org/html/31-1764371_108157.htm
Saifullah, M. K., Masud, M. M., & Kari, F. B. (2021). Vulnerability context and well-being factors of Indigenous community development: a study of Peninsular Malaysia. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 17(1), 94-105. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1177180121995166
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