SIBU: Comprehensive educational infrastructure and resources need to be in place before the policy allowing Form 4 students to pick their own subjects, rather than being separated into Arts and Science streams, is enforced next year.
Macky Joseph
In this regard, Sarawak Teachers Union (STU) president Macky Joseph calls upon the Ministry of Education (MoE) to assess the needs of schools in compliance with the new policy.
“Are we ready and are the schools fully equipped with all the necessities?
“The STU always wants the best for education in Sarawak, and is hoping that before the MoE proceeds with the implementation (of the policy), it would conduct checks on the schools and students’ willingness to deal with such change,” he said in a statement issued yesterday, in responding to Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching’s points about doing away with the Science and Arts/Commerce streams in the Malaysian secondary school system next year.
The federal minister was quoted as having said that with the implementation of the Standard Secondary School Curriculum (KSSM), students going to Form 4 would be able to take up subject based on their own interests and preferences.
On this, Macky commented: “The minister had said that for the 2020 intake for Form 4, (the students) can choose the subjects based on their interests and passion.
“How many subjects each student is allowed to take is yet to be made known. Our concern is that we don’t want the students to be too burdened.”