Education Minister Will Focus On English And Look To Finland For Inspiration
"There's a need to master other languages as well."
By John Lim — 23 May 2018, 11:39 AM
Newly appointed Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said in a recent interview that the learning system in the country will be one that's tech-centric and focuses on the English language
In an interview yesterday, 22 May, with Malay daily Sinar Harian, Maszlee said this is in line with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's aspirations for the country's education system.
The Simpang Renggam MP said the English language is crucial for the country's education system to flourish
"I believe in the freedom of choice among parents and students. But if we look into the country's education plan, there's a need to master other languages as well," he said.
Maszlee added it is not just about mastering the English language alone.
"We do not see this as an issue with the English language only, but it is about Malaysians embracing different languages and ethnicities to be our strength, such as training an individual who can speak more than two languages."
Through his own experience as an academic, Maszlee also said using technology as an educational aid will help ease the burden of students and teachers
He cited examples from other countries like Finland. The Northern European nation is known for having one of the best education systems in the world. For example, Finnish students only take one standardised test during their entire primary and secondary schooling.