New direction for higher studies

Source: The Star
            12 April 2015

Our columnist gives his take on how the blueprint for higher education will affect school-leavers in the long run.

THE Higher Education Blueprint goes beyond education. It is about charting a new direction that will determine the future of our nation – this was what Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said at the launch of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education) on Tuesday.

There is no doubt as to the importance of education to a nation and the statement reaffirms the Education Ministry’s aim in introducing the Higher Education Blueprint – to raise the standard of our higher education system, to build on our strengths and comparative advantages, and to meet the demands and needs of the ever-changing education landscape.

I would also like to state that a student-centred focus lies at the heart of the Higher Education Blueprint. All initiatives and strategies are ultimately pursued with the best interest of the students as foremost consideration.

Therefore, a question I am frequently asked is “How will the Higher Education Blueprint appear like in action?”

In answering this, allow me to share the following examples involving three friends, namely, Hasiah, Chong and Sam. These stories will reflect the future of the higher education system -- as well as explain the seamless continuity from the Malaysia Education Blueprint (Pre-School to Post-Secondary) 2013-2025.

First, there’s Hasiah. Upon completion of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, she applies and is offered a place in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to study environmental sciences. It’s a good choice because USM’s environmental sciences programme is one of the best in the world (ranking 28th overall)..

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