Aim:
To establish a nation that is socially conscious, ingrained with high moral and ethical values, progressive & scientific in its outlook, and more importantly, a Nation that takes care of its people.

The transformation in the education system requires us to invest our energies in two key directions

• Wawasan 2020 (Vision 2020)
• The nation’s aspiration should be an education system, wherein Schools focus on educational upliftment of individual communities and universities work toward development of knowledge based societies.
• The aim of education is to fashion and nurture individuals that serve their community.
• Varsities are not just for the selected few.
• Intellects should be public-owned, and the teachers should be revered as “adiwira” (heroes).
• Direction #1 – Reinvigorating the passion for learning
• Education is key to solving most of the problems in a society.
• “It takes a village to raise a child” – So, Everyone has to become a teacher in their own capacity, and not rely on just those “professionally trained” teachers.
• Education is a dialog, and dialog needs to be reciprocal and continuous.
• The journey of education does not entail some “destination”, but is a “journey”.
• Teachers can learn from their pupil too, and not just the other way round. The process of learning is indispensable for both teachers and learners.
• Education should allow our children to attain their potentials, instil the qualities of respect and right judgment – viz., Humanise the humans – Membaca, Menulis, Mengira dan Manusiawi (3+1M)

Direction #2 – Improvement in quality of Education

• The concept of learning should not be limited to the four walls of a classroom. Learning is now a ubiquitous and integrated activity, which encourages an inquisitive mind, aligned with the industry, and together they works towards a solution of various VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) issues.
• Upgrades in technological infrastructure – Block-chain, AI, IoT (note the Malay translation: Pensejagatan Internet. Much better than Internet Benda!).
• Focus should not be on just STEM, but on whole STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics)
• Acknowledgement of the English language – a relevant add-on value.
• Autonomy & Accountability: Autonomy to the schools to run their own programmes in conjunction with third parties participations (PIBG, Alumni, NGO, private institutions etc.). This would give a more practical solution and ease of implementation.
• Other initiatives include:
  1. Upgrades and renovations of schools with poor infrastructure.
  2. Reduce workload of teachers by redistribution of administrative duties to non-teaching workforce.
• Inclusive learning process (elimination of class segregation based on academic achievement, OKU, zero-rejection policy, SBP for B40, among the few).
• Restoring the academic standing of Institutions of higher learning (encouragement of dialog culture, debate, forums, and other programs of intellectual nature)
• Ethics! (Producing more visible and ethical publications)
• Grants disseminated should encourage knowledge transfer.
• The reduction of red tapes in the university promotion system (automated signing up for promotion)
• Better networking system among Malaysian public libraries.
• Internationalisation of Higher Education (Public university also as International student hubs)
• The abolishment of KPI system that is of a one-size-fits-all nature._
• Empower the alumni
• Investment in marketing & mobility
• Recognition of vocational colleges to the same grade as TVET institutions.
• Collaborations between TVET institutions and Tahfidz institutions to equip Tahfidz students with technical knowledge

Final words from Dato :
“This is not a one man’s show; it should be a collective effort. EDUCATION FOR ALL!”

Summarised and translated by:
Syaheerah L Lutfi, Ph.D, USM