Malaysian Minister admits poor education system, students are below par

Minister admits poor education system, says blueprint is the answer

Education Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh has admitted that Malaysia's education system was below par as shown in global rankings, and cited Putrajaya's National Education Blueprint as the solution.

“It is vital to assess and compare our education system against the international standards. Out of 74 countries, Malaysia ranked in the bottom third in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2009+.

"This is below the international and OECD average,” said Idris, referring to member states in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

“Primary and secondary school education standards need to improve, particularly so in bridging the gap between urban and rural areas... at the higher education level, we continue to face challenges mainly in the area of graduates' ability to be employed,” Idris (pic) said in his speech at the 18th Malaysian Education Summit in Petaling Jaya, today.

Idris said the Education Blueprint, launched in September last year and formulated with the help of 55,000 stakeholders, would benefit Malaysia as international education standards continued to rise.

He added that another blueprint for the higher education sector was currently being prepared to among others, to empower university governance, democratise access to higher education and improving employability of graduates.

He also said a “war room” was being planned to ensure that the higher education blueprint, to be launched by year's end, would be carried out smoothly.

"I know the responsibility is great, I cannot shoulder the burden alone. But we must keep on listening, we have to keep deliberating to ensure that Malaysian education is at par ‎at least with other countries.

“But that's not good enough for me.‎ I want Malaysian education to be better than other countries in the world,” Idris told some 200 delegates comprising academics and education stakeholders.

On Tuesday, the annual QS University Rankings: Asia 2014 revealed that Malaysian universities lagged behind those from neighbouring Singapore and Hong Kong.

The National University of Singapore topped the list of Asian countries, but the University of Malaya was placed at the 32nd spot. Other local universities in the top 100 include Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in the 56th place, Universiti Sains Malaysia (57), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (66) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (76).

Malaysian public universities last month were left out of the latest ranking of the annual Times Higher Education (THE) Top 100 Universities under 50 years old.

Four Asian universities were ranked among the top 10 of the world’s young universities, including South Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology which took the top spot, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (3), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (4) and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (5).

Malaysia, however, failed to get on the list for the second year running. In the first rankings list in 2012, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) was ranked 98th.

Malaysia was also absent from the Times Higher Education World Reputation rankings list which was released in March, losing out to other Southeast Asian countries.

Malaysia's continuous failure to feature in any university rankings despite a huge education budget every year has not gone down well with the opposition, which has taken Putrajaya to task for the miserable performance.

The Education Ministry received RM38.7 billion in 2013 and has been allocated a total of RM54 billion this year – the biggest allocation yet.

Contributed BY ANISAH SHUKRY, The MalysianInsider

Malaysian students are below par, says Idris

Malaysian students are below par when compared with their contemporaries in other countries, acknowledged Education Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

Although literacy rates were rising in Malaysia, it was vital to assess and compare the Malaysian education system against international standards, he added.

“Out of 74 countries, Malaysia ranked in the bottom third in the Programme for Interna­tional Student Assessment (Pisa) 2009+. This is below the international and OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) average,” he said during the 18th Malaysian Education Summit yesterday.

“Primary and secondary school education standards need to improve, particularly so in bridging the gap between urban and rural areas. Though Malaysia has achieved commendable results in terms of providing access, we have to now ensure that access comes together with quality education of international standards.”

Meanwhile, at the higher education level, he said that the challenge was producing knowledgeable, competent and globally competitive human capital.

“Employers in Malaysia face a major problem when it comes to having fresh graduates fill out vacancies,” he said, citing poor command of English as one of the reasons.

The solution to this is the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2012-2025, which was launched last September, as well as the soon-to-be-released National Education Blueprint for Higher Education 2015-2025 (Higher Education Blueprint).

Idris said the MEB offered a vision of the education system and students’ aspirations that Malaysia both needed and deserved and outlined 11 strategic and operation shifts that would be required to achieve that vision.

“The need for the Education Blueprint is justified in the context of raising international standards; the government aspiration of better preparing Malaysian children for the needs of the 21st century; and increased public and parental expectations of education policy,” he said.

“We have had international experts from the World Bank, Unesco, and OECD to work with our national partners to evaluate the performance of our national education system in the development process of the Education Blueprint. Overall, more than 55,000 stakeholders were consulted in its formulation.”

“The Higher Education Blueprint will also be introduced in order to ensure consistency with the primary and secondary education system, and allow for seamless progression in terms of educational offerings, opportunities and advancement,” he added.

The Higher Education Blueprint will address challenges such as empowering university governance, democratising access to higher education and improving graduate employability.

contribute by Jeannette Goon The Star/Asia News Network

Here's The New Ranking Of Top Countries In Reading, Science, And Math:

The OECD is out with new global rankings of how students in various countries do in reading, science, and math. Results of the full survey can be found and delved into here.

You can see below how Asian countries are obliterating everyone else in these categories.

The United States, meanwhile, ranks below the OECD average in every category. And as the WSJ notes, the US has slipped in all of the major categories in recent years:

The results from the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which are being released on Tuesday, show that teenagers in the U.S. slipped from 25th to 31st in math since 2009; from 20th to 24th in science; and from 11th to 21st in reading, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, which gathers and analyzes the data in the U.S.

Here are the top countries

Sources: Business Insider.com
 
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Pandas arriving from China symbolling frienship and excitement in Malaysia

Sharing the care of such precious animals strengthens the bonds that China has with its ‘inner circle’ of countries.

HERE are a few fun facts about giant pandas: While 99% of their diet is assorted bamboos, they occasionally feed on farm crops like corn stalks and wheat, wild fruits like kiwi and loquat, and herbs like Chinese angelica and ­celery.

According to the book 201 Questions about Giant Pandas, they are even known to eat charcoal and lick or bite metal-ware in the village, earning them the nickname of “iron-eating beast”.

Pandas may appear clumsy, but they can wade through water and swim.

Just like us, they fear injections and pills. The cuddly animals will actually try to escape whenever they see doctors in white robes entering their enclosures with injection needles.

In order to appear unsuspicious, vets have to don casual clothes or distract them with food.

Next week, the much-awaited giant pandas that will be loaned to Malaysia, Feng Yi and Fu Wa, are likely to arrive in Kuala Lumpur ahead of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s visit to China.

They are the latest pair to leave Sichuan in China, after Xing Hui and Hao Hao, which departed for Belgium’s Pairi Daiza zoo in February.

Malaysia will be the ninth country to receive the giant pandas from the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Sichuan.

Other countries involved in this research-based exchange and co-operation include England, Austria, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Japan and the United States.

Overall, 43 giant pandas live in 17 zoos across 12 countries.

It was said that Empress Wu Zetian executed the very first panda diplomacy by presenting two pandas to the Japan emperor in 685 AD.

Everywhere they go, the pandas become natural crowd-pullers, not just because of their rarity but also their irresistibly adorable ­behaviour.

The national treasures of China shoulder an important diplomatic mission when they embark on their overseas voyage.

On a larger scale, they are the symbol of friendship between China and the receiving country.

The loans are also often inter­preted as an exchange for trade and investment deals.

An Oxford University study in September last year pointed out that the panda loan is a “seal of approval” for important trade deals and intentions for a long and prosperous working relationship.

It said countries involved in the recent panda transactions were China’s close Asian neighbours, including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, which have signed free-trade agreements with China.

It noted that the Chinese government is now in the third phase of its panda diplomacy.

“Phase 1 during the Mao era (in the 1960s and 1970s) took the form of China gifting pandas to build strategic friendships.

“Phase 2 followed Deng Xiaoping’s rise to power in 1978 when gifts became gift loans involving a capitalist lease model based on financial transactions.

“In the emerging phase 3, panda loans are associated with nations supplying China with valuable resources and technology and symbolise China’s willingness to build ‘guanxi’ – namely, deep trade relationships characterised by trust, reciprocity, loyalty and longevity,” the study’s abstract read.

The study’s lead author Dr Kathleen Buckingham said sharing the care of such a precious animal strengthens the bonds that China has with its “inner circle” of countries.

“Countries that can successfully breed pandas will demonstrate their technological strength,” she said.

Meanwhile, the recipient countries are likely to benefit from the presence of the giant pandas in terms of revenue for the zoos.

Besides entrance tickets, various panda-themed memorabilia are selling like hot cakes.

The Guardian reported in May last year that the panda duo, Tian Tian (Sweetie) and Yang Guang (Sunshine), have helped boost Edinburgh Zoo’s income and visitor numbers to record levels.

It quoted the zoo’s charitable owners, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, as saying that the zoo’s overall income increased by more than £5mil (RM27mil) to nearly £15mil (RM81mil) in 2012.

The number of visitors also shot up by 51% after the duo’s arrival in December 2011.

In 2011, the society reported a £1.2mil (RM6.5mil) deficit after ­taking out two bank loans to help cover its earlier losses, the report said. With the arrival of the giant pandas, its overall surplus was £2.4mil (RM13mil) last year.

The report added that the extra ticket and merchandising sales have “more than covered the heavy costs of keeping the pandas”.

Perhaps Zoo Negara would also be able to duplicate Edinburgh’s success and attract more local and ­foreign visitors to the establishment.

And zoo goers can hopefully learn more about protecting local wildlife as well.


Check-in China by Tho Xin Yi The Star/Asia News Network

The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.


Excitement over pandas' arrival

China’s ambassador to Malaysia, Huang Huikang, confirmed the pandas would arrive next week and said Beijing’s gesture is aimed at fostering better relations with Malaysia.

The two pandas will be on loan to Malaysia for 10 years and will be given new names, names that depict Malaysian identity..

Pandas are not a new phenomenon in China’s diplomacy. They have been used as a diplomatic tool in the past.

China sent its first panda named Ping-Ping as a gift to the Soviet Union in 1957. Two years later another panda An-An was sent to Moscow. North Korea received five pandas from China between 1965 and 1980.

Following US President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, Beijing sent two pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing as a gift to Washington.

Beijing also gave two pandas LiLi and Yan-Yan to France to mark President Georges Pompidou’s visit to China in 1973.

Malaysians highly appreciate China’s goodwill and cooperation that will further enhance ties between the two countries. 

Contributed by S. SUNDARESON Petaling Jaya

Vietnam's anti-China riots 'hurt its image', burning nationalism cornering Hanoi

Mobs chanting anti-Chinese slogans have set at least 15 foreign factories on fire in southern Vietnam.

An analyst said the incidents were among the country's most serious riots and would tarnish its image as an investment and tourist destination.

The rioting started late on Tuesday when about 19,000 workers protested at a Singapore-run industrial park and others nearby in Binh Duong province, 1,120 km south of Hanoi, the capital.

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Authorities said rioting and looting forced the closure of 1,000 factories, but no casualties were confirmed. About 500 people were arrested.

 The incidents came after anti-China street protests over the weekend following Beijing's recent deployment of an oil drilling rig in its territorial waters in the South China Sea, which are also claimed by Vietnam.

In a phone conversation with his Indonesian counterpart on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China wanted Vietnam to calm the situation.

"China's stance of protecting its legal sovereign rights is firm, clear and will not change," he said.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing had lodged protests with the Vietnamese ambassador, asking the Vietnamese "to immediately take effective steps to stop and punish these crimes, and to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in Vietnam."

Hua said Hanoi had deliberately escalated tensions by allowing its vessels to ram Chinese boats around the rig on 169 occasions on Tuesday and by arranging for reporters to cover the process.

"This was all done for show in an attempt to present a false picture and deceive the public," she said.

Li Jinming, a Xiamen University professor of maritime law and South China Sea studies, said, "Vietnam is provoking China on land and sea in a high-stakes gamble."

Tran Van Nam, deputy head of the province's people's committee, was quoted by VnExpress as saying that the protests were initially peaceful but had been hijacked by extremists who incited people to break into the factories.

Hundreds of other factories were vandalized or looted, while some security guards and technicians were assaulted, the official said.

He said people attacked factories they believed were run by companies from the Chinese mainland, but some were run by people from Taiwan, Japan or South Korea.

On Wednesday morning, nearly all the factories in the area were closed and riot police had been deployed.

Global exporter Li & Fung, which supplies retailers such as Kohl's Corp and Wal-Mart Stores with clothing, toys and other products, said it had suspended production in Vietnam.

Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings, a Taiwan manufacturer with headquarters in Hong Kong, also suspended production. It makes footwear for firms including Nike and Adidas.

Vietnamese Internet users have questioned the motivation and impact of the rioting.

"Young people should be more cautious and avoid being used by bad people. The (foreign) companies have brought jobs — what is wrong with them?" a netizen nicknamed muoihcm commented in the VnExpress report.

The Vietnamese government gave rare permission for the weekend protests, which were enthusiastically covered by state media.

Li Guoqiang, deputy director of the Research Center for Chinese Borderland History and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, "It is high-profile propaganda for the Vietnamese authorities and media regarding the collision of ships in the South China Sea that enraged public opinion and resulted in the riots.

"The incident will not only harm relations with China but also endanger Vietnam's international image, especially as an investment and tourist destination."

Wang Jian and Xinhua contributed to this story.

Burning nationalism cornering Hanoi

Vietnam's anti-China protests have turned into turmoil since Tuesday. Companies and investment projects from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and other Asian countries and regions have been affected. It was reported that Taiwan investors suffered the greatest loss.

This is the most serious riot since Vietnam reunited, and the most stunning attack and looting foreign businesses in East Asia in recent years. Street politics in some Asian countries in recent years have caused havoc for social order and business, but few were like that in Vietnam, which deliberately targeted industrial parks and factories. Workers even ransacked their own factories.

Authorities from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan as well as other countries and regions such as Singapore have lodged stern protests with the Vietnamese government. Some international media, shocked by the chaos, called Vietnam an anarchy-dominated country of burning nationalism.

The turmoil is the outcome of Hanoi's years of anti-China propaganda. Without legitimate grounds and practical capability, Vietnam fabricates and hypes up its jurisdiction over the Xisha and Nansha Islands. This uncompromising stance, in an attempt to bring its people together, has actually cornered itself.

The rising turmoil in Vietnam has jeopardized the interests of foreign investors. Vietnam is probably no longer a rich land for investment and business, but a pariah in the eyes of these investors, especially East Asian investors. Vietnam is making a fool of itself, showing how uncertain its market is.

Vietnam has to offer compensation for the losses incurred to foreign investors, who will not allow Hanoi to duck its responsibilities. Otherwise Vietnam will pay an additional political price.

When large scale anti-Japan demonstrations broke out in China, wherever vandalism took place there was much less damage caused by the Chinese protestors, and public opinion urged prompt reflection.

The Chinese government and mainstream society were clear in their attitude against violence in demonstrations and the vandals were pursued according to the law.

But violent demonstrators in Vietnam, starting Tuesday, were obviously indulged by Hanoi. The situation was still out of control a day later. There was no collective condemnation of the violence by local media.

Arrogance makes Hanoi misjudge the situation in the Asia-Pacific. The geopolitics of the South China Sea will not be easily changed by its harassment.

 It's time that Hanoi sober up, or those looters will finally make the whole country suffer. Hanoi's over-tolerance must not test China's patience beyond the limit.  - Global Times

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Stop fueling maritime provocation, Beijing tells Washington   

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