This paper examines how Malaysia's 1996 Education Act, which is based on a multiculturalism-type approach, has influenced ethnic polarization in primary and secondary education. This is done through research on the enrolment trend of Chinese Malaysians. Most Chinese have not regarded the Act as an expression of a multiculturalism-type approach but rather as a continuation of the assimilationism-type approach that had been practiced since 1961. This is due in part to many ambiguities in the 1996 Act and in its implementation. The Act has, therefore, not influenced Chinese enrolment trends to any notable extent. The Act and its many ambiguities have not worsened ethnic polarization either nor has it had much impact one way or another on national integration.
Disciplinary problems among school children in most part of the world have become a major topic of discussion among the community. Frequently mass media keep on giving report about the matters. One of the disciplinary problems is vandalism. Vandalism in schools had created great loss to the government in terms of money. Breaking of desk, chairs, writing and damaging notice board, kicking and damaging doors, windows, fans, lights, toilet, throwing of chairs and desk and other properties belonging to the school, teachers, staffs and their peers. The government is looking at the matter seriously. In order to build a strong and stable nation, the younger generation should be equipped with a strong bond of moral values. This study was to evaluate the effectiveness of The Penalty System Program (PSP) which was implemented in the state of Selangor Malaysia in handling the problems of vandalism in schools. The study was carried out in a secondary school in the district of Ampang, Selangor, Malaysia.
The commercialization and widespread provision of higher education in Malaysia probably does eat away at what special status students can rightly claim as political actors, but it is not clear how much it does so (or whether this same dynamic applies generically to contemporary developing or newly-industrialized states). In sum, then, while its course has been inconsistent, student engagement has remained a persistent part of the Malaysian political scene and offers a useful lens on the changes in and distinctiveness of the nation’s politics. Publication: 4th International Malaysian Studies Conference; 3-5 August 2004, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi. Author: Weiss, Meredith.
Posted by Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Ab. Latiff & Kamaruzzaman Yusoff
The paper attempt to critically analyse the controvesy involving the Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) or Islamic School. Article written in Malay. Publication: 4th International Malaysian Studies Conference; 3-5 August 2004, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi. Authors: Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Ab. Latiff & Kamaruzzaman Yusoff.
Posted by Mohamed Rashid Navi Bax & Mohd Nasir Abu Hassan
Since a unique feature of Malaysia is its cultural heterogeneity, the primary goal of educational and training policy has been to foster national unity and personal/moral development, therefore the mainstream schooling sector has received the most emphasis compared to the other sectors. Nevertheless, there has been an increasing awareness, perhaps some consensus in Malaysia today that lifelong learning will need to be at the centre stage now and in the future, and that it should play a major role as a integral part of the national education and training system with equal importance and status to the general stream education and training. Publication: International Policy Seminar Co-organised by IIEP/UNESCO and KRIVET on Making Lifelong Learning a Reality; Seoul, 24-26 June 2003. Authors: Mohamed Rashid Navi Bax & Mohd Nasir Abu Hassan.
