Schools not a 'magical place' for solving problems, says NUTP

The National Union of the Teaching Profession has called for schools not to be treated as a 'magical place' for solving all the problems plaguing society.

NUTP president Aminuddin Awang said various quarters had done this in the past by pressuring schools to teach new subjects every time a new issue crops up.

"All parties should avoid turning schools into a magical place for solving all problems, where they try to introduce a new subject each time a new issue emerges," he told Malaysiakini.

Aminuddin said this in response to a proposal from the Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) for the introduction of a new subject to teach about non-Islamic religions at schools and universities.

On Saturday, MBM president Jufitri Joha said that the move would foster mutual understanding and harmony between adherents of different faiths in Malaysia.

Despite the Islamic Studies subject taught in schools being a good thing, he noted, it only focuses on one religion while neglecting understanding of other faiths.

According to Aminuddin, the NUTP rejects MBM’s proposal, and supports Education Minister Maszlee Malik’s call to improve students' cross-cultural experience at schools and universities instead.

"What is more important is to create more space for all students to better understand the culture of others," he said.

"The reality now is that many school administrators think extracurricular activities to have no educational value and offer no returns to the school."

In actuality, Aminuddin added, extracurricular activities offer the best platform to foster interracial unity, which underlines the need for these to be reinvigorated. - Mkini