14
speak up!
It’s how we educate our children
OF LATE, there have been calls to
adopt the sports science approach
to improve our physical and health
education programme in our schools
but having observed how the system
works over the years, I am inclined to
believe that all those components that
should rightly be taught in the physical
and health education (PHE) subject
will likely remain that way – looking
good only on paper.
How on earth can the sports
science approach be realised when
our students have only two periods
of physical and health education les-
sons a week? And out of these two
periods, the PE teachers also have to
find time for health education lessons
in the classroom as well as “Segak”,
the recently introduced PE pre-test
and post-test to assess the students’
fitness. As a result, students often end
up having to make do without any PHE
classes for weeks. And then we have
certain schools which sacrifice their
PHE periods to teach other subjects
If we keep adding more subjects
to the bloated school timetable, there
will be a trade-off. And it looks like PHE
will be one of the subjects which will
be sacrificed to make time for other
subjects.
All educationists agree that the
role of schools is to provide whole-
some and balanced education for our
children. And this includes not merely
striving for academic excellence and
building good character, but also to
mould our children into healthy indi-
viduals – very much in line with our
national educational philosophy.
But unfortunately, the harsh
reality is that in implementing the
“educational reforms and changes”,
instead of our schools being made
for children, it is more often the case
of our students being compelled to
fit into schools with inflexible and
Reconsider tiger park proposal
BEING a Penang citizen for 59 years,
a registered voter and a concerned
nature lover, I would like to express
my views on the tiger park issue.
Do the two tigers belong to the
state? These two animals once be-
longed to a farm. The owner should be
held solely liable for the tigers?
It is absurd to allocate 45ha for
two tigers. The tourists will have dif-
ficulty finding the animals.
The whole area will have to be
unimaginative curriculum.
Thus over the years we have more
and more unnecessary subjects such
English for science and technology,
and moral studies, to name just two,
that serve to make school life more
difficult for our children. And the poor
kids often end up being burdened
and stressed up with having to cope
with more and more academic stuff
that matters little to them in real life
except to make life more taxing for
them, less time for other meaning-
ful pursuits due to time constraints
(please don’t forget the many hours
they spend each week on compulsory
co-curricular activities) and having to
lug even heavier satchels to school
each day. Which also means that most
of our students are even less likely to
indulge in serious reading and quiet
reflection, more so when they are
exhausted by the end of the school
day. Our policymakers would do well
to bear in mind the timely reminder
of Thomas L. Friedman, who in his
best-seller, The World is Flat, pointed
out that in the truly globalised environ-
ment HOW we educate our children
may prove to be more important than
HOW MUCH we educate them.
And if we reflect on the much
debated and controversial moral stud-
ies subject, common sense should tell
us that children pick up good moral
values and habits from good role mod-
els, be they their teachers, parents or
community leaders. In other words,
values are very much caught and not
taught and that compelling students
to memorise 36 values only to regurgi-
tate them for their exam to ensure that
they can secure an “A” for this paper
does not necessarily make them bet-
ter individuals with high moral integ-
rity overnight. And the very fact that
the Education Ministry, suddenly saw
it fit to yet introduce another subject
fenced with super stainless steel or
any other structures to retain these
two free ranging animals.
Have any departments made an
in-depth study of the plants and ani-
mals within the proposed zone. Some
of them could be endemic to Penang
island only. Tigers being hunters by
instinct will hunt whatever animals
they find within the park.
K.H.Lee
Penang
theSun | MONDAY MARCH 30 2009
letters
letters@thesundaily.com
called civics and citizenship into secondary so many tedious and dry lessons in a futile educational changes that somehow failed
schools in 2005 is in a way an admission chase for as many A’s as they can possibly to achieve their objectives, I get tired of
that our moral education subject is not get in the academic rat race. hearing all this talk about the need for a
effective in moulding students into solid And when there is so little fun in learn- paradigm shift in our education system,
citizens with high moral standards to help ing and so many unhealthy distractions in the need to liberate minds and all that jazz.
check the rising cases of indiscipline in life, it is small wonder that we are witness- I take them with a pinch of salt.
many schools. But I digress. ing more and more disciplinary and bullying For as long as our education system
Really, judging by the enthusiasm and cases in schools these days. When students is politicised and changes made without
interest shown by students whenever are bored and burdened with so many deep deliberation, foresight, solid planning
they are given a chance to get out of the subjects they, especially the non-academi- and effective implementation, the quality
class to enjoy games and activities in the cally inclined students who can’t cope with of our education system would not change
field, and the disappointment registered on their studies, are not going to sit still in the for the better – not when we don’t have
their faces whenever they are denied the classroom and watch the world go by. But enough right people with open and enlight-
chance to go to the field during their PE at least by allowing them to enjoy more PE ened minds to forge sensible, practical and
periods, it is both sad and pathetic to see periods to de-stress, such students may meaningful changes to the system.
how they long to be released from all stress well put them in a better frame of mind to
and pressure getting cooped up in their pay more attention in class. Teacher’s Blues
overcrowded classrooms and subjected to To conclude, having witnessed so many Ipoh
Financial turmoil and an
unrivalled opportunity
WITH unbelievable speed, Japan and China.
the global financial turmoil is Fourth, economic rela-
driving an increasing number tions between Malaysia and
of East Asian economies into Singapore are now more bal-
a recession. anced. Although Singapore
Joining the roll call of companies have invested
countries likely to register in this country, Malaysian
negative growth this year is companies seldom, if ever,
Malaysia. Economic growth in ventured significantly across
this country may be negative the Causeway. Today, some
in the first half of this year, Malaysian companies are go-
Bank Negara says in its latest MakingSens ing offshore with a vengeance
annual report while Singa- – and some of their forays are
by Tan Siok Choo
pore’s economy contracted in in the billion ringgit category.
the fourth quarter last year, a Malaysian companies
trend that is likely to continue
this year.
Malaysia’s growth pros-
pects this year could be
are now among the biggest
investors in the republic. In
However, sombre eco- negative. Bank Negara says December 2006, the Genting
nomic prospects offer an un- the worst-case scenario could group won the bid to build
rivalled opportunity for better see Malaysia experiencing and operate a US$3.4 billion
A stronger ties between Malaysia and -1% growth while pessimistic (RM12.3 billion) casino and
Malaysia- Singapore. Some may argue private sector economists resort in Singapore’s Sentosa
Singapore if the Asian Financial Crisis forecast a 5% contraction. island, beating international
bilateral in 1998 failed to draw both Second, in 1998, exports competitors like Eighth
countries closer, why should helped the crisis-hit countries Wonder and Kerzner Interna-
relationship the current financial turmoil tional.
like Malaysia to recover. This
could anchor prove to be different? time round, exports are the More recently, in Decem-
broader There are several reasons conduit for transmitting the ber last year, YTL Power,
and deeper why the current global finan- US recession to East Asia. through a wholly-owned unit,
intra-Asean cial turmoil may be a better According to the World Trade bought the republic’s electric-
catalyst. Organisation, global trade ity generator, PowerSeraya,
economic First, the 1998 Asian Finan- will plunge by 9% this year, for S$3.6 billion (RM8.6 bil-
linkages. This, cial Crisis was largely limited the sharpest drop since World lion) and agreed to assume
in turn, could to only four East Asian coun- War II. its adjusted net debt of S$201
enhance tries – Thailand, Indonesia, East Asia is already experi- million (RM480 million).
the regional Malaysia and South Korea. encing a slump in its exports. Fifth, from next month,
This time round, the crisis In January this year, Malay- Datuk Seri Najib Razak will
grouping’s is global with the US at the sia’s exports plummeted by become Malaysia’s sixth and
appeal to epicentre. 27.8% and Singapore by a youngest prime minister.
foreign Additionally, this global steeper 35%. Given expecta- Unlike the Asian Financial
investors recession looks set to be the tions that this trend is likely Crisis, this time round, both
worst since the 1930s with to continue this year and pos- countries will be headed by
and provide output likely to shrink by 1% sibly next year, this suggests men who are in their 50s.
greater to 2% this year, World Bank export-led growth for both Admittedly, the fathers of
leverage in president Robert Zoellick said countries is a non-starter. both Najib and Prime Minister
the region’s in an interview earlier this Some economists believe Lee Hsien Loong were pro-
dealings with month. His remarks echoed the global financial turmoil tagonists in the drama that re-
a warning by International underscores the fact that an sulted in Singapore’s unhappy
Japan and Monetary Fund head, Domi- export-growth strategy teth- separation from Malaysia in
China. nique Strauss-Kahn, that the ered to the economies of the August 1965. Hopefully, both
world would be gripped by a US has exceeded its sell-by can make a determined break
“Great Recession” this year. date. from a bilateral relationship
During the Asian Financial That South Korea, Singa- that has often been fractious
Crisis a decade ago, Singapore pore and Taiwan face bleak rather than fraternal.
emerged largely unscathed growth prospects because In short, pragmatism cou-
while Malaysia’s economy their manufactured exports pled with economic impera-
experienced its worst slump are highly dependent on the tives offer the hope that both
in 50 years. This time round, American market only serves men will be able to turn the
although both countries will to reinforce the need for an page and start a new chapter in
be adversely affected, Sin- East Asian policy revamp. cross-Causeway ties between
gapore could be one of the Third, a stronger Malaysia- Malaysia and Singapore.
hardest hit economies. Singapore bilateral relation-
Singapore’s Minister Men- ship could anchor broader and
tor Lee Kuan Yew said re- deeper intra-Asean economic Opinions expressed in this
cently the city state’s economy linkages. article are the personal views
this year could plunge by 10%. This, in turn, could en- of the writer and should not be
Under a pessimistic scenario, hance the regional grouping’s attributed to any organisation
it could take up to six years for appeal to foreign investors she is connected with. Com-
the city state to bounce back and provide greater leverage ments: schoo@noordinsopiee.
from the recession, he added. in the region’s dealings with com.