Meritocracy in Education

Hentikan meritokrasi pendidikan

"Hari ini meritokrasi telah mewujudkan ketuanan Cina. Tidak ada yang menguntungkan pelajar Melayu. Bayangkan pelajar Melayu di IPT kini hanya kira-kira 35 peratus dan selebihnya kaum Cina.

"Dalam aspek biasiswa pula, pelajar Melayu gagal menjadi dominan dalam merebut biasiswa kerana pada tahun lalu, sejumlah 80 peratus pelajar Cina menerima biasiswa kerana mendapat keputusan cemerlang berdasarkan penetapan kerajaan melalui meritokrasi," katanya.

Return “justice” to Malay students, Govt told

Abolish meritocracy in education and return justice to Malay students. This was the proposal by Malay Consultative Council president Ibrahim Abu Shah at a forum, and it drew support from several Malay educationists.

"Today, meritocracy has created Chinese supremacy. There is nothing to benefit Malay students. Imagine Malay students only make up 35 per cent of those in higher education institutions and the rest are Chinese.” Ibrahim was quoted as saying this as a panel speaker at the ‘Malay and Bumiputra Education Convention’ organised by Yayasan Pelajaran Mara, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris and Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung on Saturday.

“In terms of scholarships, Malay students have failed to dominate the allocation of scholarships. Last year, 80 per cent of Chinese students received scholarships as they obtained outstanding results based on the government’s policy of meritocracy.” he said.

The former Universiti Teknologi Mara deputy chancellor's proposal was for the Education Ministry to restructure the education system in order to return 'justice' to Malay students, from pre-school right up to tertiary level.

It's called blaming others for your own failures. Conveniently, it has to be the Chinese right? People would think that the Chinese Malaysians are all born geniuses.

I can't fathom why an ex-educationist would view meritocracy in education as something bad.

"Ketuanan Cina" or Chinese supremacy? Seriously? What on earth is Chinese supremacy? Supremacy in what? There's a limit on how far you can bend the truth before the truth smacks you right in the face.

Anyway, what is meritocracy but merely a label. Has it been implemented in it's true form? It doesn't matter what you call it, it's the results that matter. You can revert to previous systems, whatever it's called. Actually I don't know what they call it, is it mediocrity? hypocrisy? frivolity? stupidity?

Like they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. 

1. "Malay students only make up 35 per cent of those in higher education institutions and the rest are Chinese." 
- What is the percentage of Malay students in public institutions? What's the percentage of Chinese students who had to study in private institutions? What is the percentage in UTM itself? And how much it costs to study in private institutions compared to public ones?

- I remember not too long ago, there was a hue and cry over the low enrollment of Malays in private IPTs, you know, those that costs half your house, like Sunway, Help, Taylors, Inti, etc. Maybe they were thinking that these colleges would offer more scholarships to Malay students? Or perhaps they are passing the buck, because public IPTs cannot accommodate the ever increasing number of students?

2. "Last year, 80 per cent of Chinese students received scholarships as they obtained outstanding results based on the government’s policy of meritocracy."

- Let's just say that, we are very fortunate that he is not the Education Minister. What is wrong with students studying hard to obtain good results? How many Chinese students applied? What are the absolute numbers of Chinese compared to Malays? Why is it wrong for Chinese students who qualify to obtain scholarships?

- I strongly object to the use of education as a political tool. Already, our education standards are declining because of people like him in the system. There are other more effective ways to help a certain community. Lowering standards and increasing intakes for the sake of it, is doing more harm than good for the students who are supposed to be helped.

Children and students are not objects for political manipulation. Their future should not be toyed with by adults like these. We must appreciate talents. The reason USA and other developed countries are advancing is because they appreciate talents. Any kind of talents.

Most importantly, do these kinds of statements made by ex-judges, ex-VCs, ex-whatever, reflect the views of the majority Malays themselves?

If it is true, our future looks bleak.