The never-ending nightmare that is the Malaysian education system

If there is a precise description of our national education system, it has to be “a never ending nightmare.”

Most Malaysians are subjected to this nightmare, some for eleven years and others, thirteen years. Not many of us are lucky enough to be educated outside the country, in private schools or international schools that caters mostly to the privileged. You got to have wealthy parents to escape the national education system that was designed for all and sundry.

Military camps

We all started schools as naïve and curious little seven-year olds. A new world is about to unfold before us. Schools were perceived as places to acquire knowledge and skills, to interact with other children and to grow into unique individuals. Honestly, how many of us got what we went there for? I for one did not.

Our schools became military camps to mass produce submissive and obedient citizens. We were trained not to question policies or rules. For example, when the school set a certain policy or rule that you think is not fair or logical; can you march up to the principal office and demand an explanation or a deferment until a consensus is reached? No, you cannot do that, not as a parent and much less as a student. A policy is a policy; a rule is a rule. Just follow what was laid down or else pack your bags and leave.

Some schools required all female students to wear baju kurung on Friday even though you are not a Muslim. For Physical Education, all boys and girls are required to wear long pants. Shorts are not allowed even though the weather is scorching hot and you are perspiring. Non-Muslim students are not allowed to bring non-halal foods to the school canteen. The list goes on but the answer is always the same, “Not allowed or tak boleh!”

Not allowed, tak boleh!

In schools, we are not encouraged to be unique individuals. When I was sixteen, there was an English writing competition. All the students wrote essays. I wanted to be different; I wrote a poem instead. My poem was about an innocent man who was wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit and was sentenced to death. Of course this topic does not go down well with the teacher.

I was called out and got a big scolding. “Next time write something more common like your ambition, a trip to the beach or a fire in your neighborhood, do not write controversial things that could upset people,” the teacher barked and threw back the piece of work to me.

From the ministry of education, the school principals, the teachers right down to the prefects, they are nothing but a bunch of psychopaths. Policies and rules are stone casted. Any student caught going against them will have to face the music. In this country, facing the music simply means being caned on the bottoms or palms, slapped on the face, squat up and down with hands pulling the ears, made to run round the field, stand under the hot sun, fined a dollar or two or wash the toilet and pick rubbish. I am sure many of you will find these punishments familiar.

The poor bullied

If you came from a poor family or if you do not have a presentable appearance, too bad – you are a target to be bullied. As a child, I was often physically abused by some teachers simply because they knew my father was poor, uneducated and he could not do anything to them. They knew they can get away bullying children from poor families as these families dare not complain against them.

It can be nightmarish too for a child with learning disabilities to be put into a regular Malaysian school. My daughter told me of one particular incident during her school assembly. A 13-year-old boy from another class was summoned out to be caned right in front of other students because he did not finish his art project. When his name was called out, he refused to come out on his own.

In the end, the discipline teacher ordered a few prefects to drag him out. The poor boy put up a wild struggle and groaned as the teacher gave him a few strokes of the cane on his bottom. One of his classmate, a girl, stood up and said bravely, “Teacher, please do not punish this boy further. He was a slow learner and he had difficulties with his homework.”

Only then the caning stopped but the boy was squatting down and shivering with fright. He was sobbing and pleading sorrowfully. Needless to say, the rest of the students were distressed by what they saw. They were helpless and traumatized. My daughter and some girls even cried.

Making monsters of our kids

I would not jump for joy if my children were chosen to be school prefects. During her primary schooldays, my daughter was chosen as one but I went up to the teacher the very next day and told her to drop my daughter from the prefect roll.

Of course the teacher was surprised and asked for a reason, “Many parents wanted their children to be prefects, you should be happy your daughter was chosen!” she said. “Thanks but no thanks. I do not want my daughter to become a bully, like those prefects you are having now. I wanted her to remain a pleasant child.” She was dumbfounded but finally relented. I saw with my own eyes, how prefects, some as young as ten-years old, yelling and cursing at their school-mates to keep in line.

It is obvious Malaysian schools do not train their students to be creative, to have critical thinking skills, communication skills or problem solving skills. Instead we were trained to memorize and regurgitate facts just to get straight ‘As’ in public examinations.

At the end of the day, guess who benefit the most? Do we still want this type of education system for our future generations?

Malaysia Chronicle