Monday, 9 November 2009

3M @ 3R (Reading, Writing, Arithmetic) Issue in Malaysian Primary Education

I found this article in Berita Harian Online interesting and worth sharing with all~~

Taken from: http://www.bharian.com.my/Current_News/BH/Tuesday/Pendidikan/20091103073642/Article

Bicara Akademia: Penguasaan 3M



PENGAJARAN menerusi lagu atau alat muzik sesuai untuk murid Orang Asli.

Laksana pelbagai kaedah P&P ikut kategori murid

IKUTI pandangan Dekan Fakulti Pendidikan, Universiti Malaya, Prof Dr Saedah Siraj, mengenai keperluan kaedah pengajaran dan pembelajaran berbeza bagi mengatasi masalah penguasaan kemahiran asas membaca, menulis dan mengira (3M) di kalangan murid sekolah seperti disampaikan kepada wartawan pendidikan Berita Harian, Khairina Yasin.

KEGAGALAN atau ketidakupayaan sebahagian murid sekolah rendah menguasai kemahiran asas 3M adalah antara cabaran getir dunia pendidikan hari ini.


Biarpun sukar mengenal pasti angka sebenar murid dikategorikan bermasalah itu setakat ini, ramai pakar pendidikan bimbang implikasinya yang mungkin boleh menyebabkan mereka hilang minat ke sekolah.

Jika kelemahan murid menguasai 3M ini tidak diatasi sejak Tahun Satu, masalah itu akan berlarutan apabila mereka memasuki Tahun Dua dan seterusnya.

Di manakah silap atau apakah kekurangannya? Dalam memperbetulkan keadaan, tidak dinafikan banyak usaha dilaksanakan Kementerian Pelajaran bagi menangani masalah penguasaan 3M ini di kalangan murid.

KAEDAH P&P berbeza perlu meningkatkan penguasaan 3M di kalangan murid.

Antaranya mengadakan kelas pemulihan, kelas khas untuk kanak-kanak istimewa, latihan guru berpendidikan khas, perluasan kempen membaca dan penempatan kaunselor di setiap sekolah.

Namun, keberkesanan pelaksanaannya tidak menyeluruh dan belum mampu memberi perubahan besar terhadap perkembangan penguasaan kemahiran 3M di kalangan murid terbabit.

Dalam sesetengah keadaan, kurangnya komitmen pengurusan sekolah antara penyebab pendidikan murid tergolong dalam kategori ini, gagal mencapai matlamatnya.

Menyisihkan murid terbabit daripada mengikuti pendidikan seperti rakan lain hanya akan menyulitkan langkah mengatasi masalah mereka kemudian hari.


Ada juga yang menegaskan kepentingan peranan ibu bapa dalam membantu anak menguasai kemahiran asas berkenaan, namun ia tetap tidak membebaskan guru daripada membantu murid yang lemah itu.

Berdasarkan kajian sebelum ini, keperluan langkah penyaringan dan pengesanan awal murid yang belum menguasai 3M penting bagi mengenal pasti pelaksanaan program pemulihan bersesuaian dengan mereka.

Langkah awal itu membolehkan murid dikelompokkan berdasarkan punca sebenar kelemahan mereka menguasai 3M sama ada akibat persekitaran, pemakanan atau kesihatan.

Pemerhatian mendapati murid lemah 3M boleh dikelompokkan lima kategori, iaitu anak Orang Asli, kanak-kanak istimewa atau pendidikan khas, murid menghadapi masalah psikologi, kanak-kanak terbiar dan mereka yang sememangnya berketurunan tidak boleh membaca atau dungu.

Setiap kelompok murid terbabit memerlukan kaedah pengajaran dan pembelajaran (P&P) berbeza bagi memastikan kelemahan pembelajaran mereka dapat diatasi secara berperingkat.

Pencarian kaedah P&P mengikut kelompok perlu ditekankan Kementerian Pelajaran kerana jika dilaksanakan secara tunggal, ia tidak boleh diguna atau diaplikasikan kepada semua murid yang gagal menguasai 3M.

Keadaan ini wajar dikaji semula di peringkat akar umbi dengan merujuk faktor mempengaruhi masalah penguasaan 3M dalam setiap kelompok murid terbabit sebelum menentukan kaedah P&P yang tepat dan bersesuaian.

Dalam kes anak Orang Asli contohnya, kesukaran memberi fokus kepada apa yang diajar menyebabkan mereka gagal menguasai 3M.

Hubungan antara pemikiran dengan pergerakan mata agak lambat berikutan wujudnya gangguan yang menjejaskan fokus mereka terhadap pembelajaran.

Bagi menanganinya, penggunaan alat muzik dalam proses P&P disifatkan antara kaedah sesuai untuk meningkatkan penguasaan kemahiran asas itu di kalangan anak Orang Asli.

Ini kerana mereka amat peka terhadap deria pendengaran. Oleh itu, alat muzik adalah perantara sesuai diguna pakai guru bagi menarik tumpuan kelompok murid masyarakat minoriti itu terhadap pengajaran guru.

Malah, banyak kajian luar negara membuktikan penggunaan alat muzik mengikut etnik atau budaya berjaya membangunkan kemahiran 3M di kalangan murid sekolah.

Bagi kes murid istimewa atau pendidikan khas, kepekaan ibu bapa terhadap proses pengembangan anak dituntut bagi membolehkan kelemahan mereka dikesan sejak awal.

Murid disleksia antara kelompok murid yang gagal menguasai 3M, namun disebabkan pengetahuan ibu bapa yang rendah mengenai penyakit itu menyebabkan masalah berkenaan tidak dipandang serius.

Malah, ramai ibu bapa termasuk golongan profesional cuba menafikan anak mereka berdepan masalah berkenaan hingga merasakan tidak perlu dibantu.

Murid disleksia melihat sesuatu dengan pandangan yang berbeza terutama berkaitan pembelajaran. Sebagai contoh, mereka tidak dapat diajar abjad dengan cepat kerana ada huruf yang akan ditinggalkan disebabkan pemikiran tidak dapat 'membaca' huruf berkenaan.

Dalam usaha menangani masalah ini, kaedah P&P haruslah lebih khusus dan perlu dipraktikkan guru yang mahir mengenainya.

Selain guru dan murid, keberkesanan program pemulihan ini memerlukan kerjasama dan penggemblengan tenaga semua pihak, termasuk sekolah dan ibu bapa.

Apa yang penting, pelaksanaan tindakan progresif menangani masalah penguasaan 3M di kalangan murid ini sepatutnya sejak awal lagi, bukan pada peringkat mereka sudah terlalu jauh tercicir.

Thursday, 5 November 2009

My Dissertation My Baby~~

Only 22 days left before we submit our dissertation~~ I still have a lot of things to write and editing is a big YES~~~ well that serve you right for doing things slowly SUHAIMI~~ hahah btw just wanna share a few motivation quotes from Michael (my supervisor for this dissertation) that really push me to do my dissertation....

"Your dissertation is like your baby.. you have to do justice to it before you hand it in... When you let it go then you should be proud of it"



"I know it hard... But there is only one way for you.. move forwards... "


and my FAVOURITE~~~~

"LESS IS MORE, QUALITY is more important than QUANTITY"

I just can't wait to finish my dissertation as I have been sleeping less than what I usually have~~ haha not dreading this precious learning experience but I just can't wait to be free (my friends NZ and Aussie a few of them are already packing their stuff to go back home.. siapa tak jeles?? cakap2)...

p/s: Nanti mesti asyik teringat proses ini~~ huhu nk smbg MASTER lepas nie camne lah nk smbng kalo 10,000 pp pon terkial2 Master 20,000 kan?? and to all my MARJON C4 friends berusaha sehingga ke titik kekunci laptop terakhir ngeh2 Semoga semua dapat wat yang terbaik~~

Friday, 23 October 2009

Malaysia 2010 Budget Summary from The STAR

Budget 2010: "1Malaysia, Together We Prosper"

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has tabled Budget 2010 with the theme "1Malaysia, Together We Prosper". Totalling RM191.5 bil, he said it would be the foundation of a new economic model and precursor to the 10th Malaysia Plan.

These are the main highlights of the speech as per delivery.

* Time for country to move to an economy of innovations to face the challenges of the future

* GDP for 2009 expected to be -3%, better than previous projections of -4% to -5%

Prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak - with Secretary General of Finance Tan Sri Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung and Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussein - is ready with his briefcase containing the Budget 2010 speech outside the Finance Ministry's Office in Putrajaya Friday. - Starpic

* Focus of Budget 2010 will be on well-being of the people

* Three strategies:

- driving the country towards a high-income economy,

- ensuring holistic and sustainable development,

- focusing on the well-being of the rakyat.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tabling the 2010 budget at the Dewan Rakyat, Friday. - RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star

* Government to make it easier for skilled/qualified people to get permanent residence status. Visa to be granted for family within 14 days.

* CSR Fund of RM100mil to be set up to carry out social programmes.

* Tax breaks for registration of patents and copyrights.

* Big scale factory outlets to be set up to boost tourism besides having major events like KL Grand Prix Fest, National Water Festival, Malaysia International Golf Exhibition and Rain Forest Eco-Challenges

* Taxpayers will get tax relief on broadband subscription fee of up to RM500 from 2010 to 2012. Civil servants can apply for computer loans up to a maximum of RM5,000 from the govt once in every 5 years.

* RM6bil for agriculture sector for irrigation of paddy fields, fish production, fruit farming, livestock farming infrastructure, training

* RM2bil subsidy for farmers and fishermen including subsidies for fertilisers, incentives for padi yields and allowances for fishermen

* RM9bil to finance infrastructure projects including road and bridges projects and rail, sea ports and airports facilities

* RM1.5bil fund to promote green technology by providing soft loans to companies that supply and use green technology

* RM200mil Creative Industry Fund to finance film, drama, music productions, animation, advertisements through Bank Simpanan Nasional

* RM30bil to be allocated to enhance primary and secondary school education nationwide

* Rewards for students who excel in studies:

- 30 National Scholarships for the creme de la creme of students, stictly based on merit

- Conversion of PTPTN loans to scholarships for students who graduate with 1st class honours degree, beginning from 2010,

- Offer of netbook package, including free broadband service, to university students for RM50 per month for 2 years.

* The Permata programme, which emphasises on early childcare and education, including the gifted child programme, to get RM100mil

* Insurance industry to be improved to meet market demand.

* Govt to clamp down on the abuses committed by Ah Longs by enforcing Anti-Money Laundering and Anti Terrorism Financing Act 2001. Moneylenders Act 1951 to be also reviewed.

* Allow 100% foreign equity participation in corporate finance and financial planning companies compared with the present requirement of at least 30% local shareholding.

* To ensure rapid development of financial services, the existing tax incentives to be extended to 2015.

* Among steps to combat corruption is to set up 14 Special Corruption Sessions Courts and 4 Special Corruption Appeal High Courts.

* Tax of 5% to be imposed on gains from the disposal of real property from Jan 1, 2010. Existing tax exemption will be retained for gifts between parent-child, husband-wife, grandparent-grandchild.

* To promote prudent spending, a service charge of RM50 a year to be imposed on each principal credit card and charge card; and RM25 a year on each supplementary card, effective from Jan 1, 2010.

* To ensure that fuel subsidies only benefit targeted groups, Govt will implement a fuel subsidy management system in early 2010, which will utilise the MyKad.

* All ministries and govt departments are required to provide day care and education centres for children of civil servants.

* The maximum income tax rate for individuals to be reduced to 26% from assessment year 2010. Personal relief increased to RM9,000.

* Police force to get RM1bil to improve its services in govt's efforts to reduce crime. Major measures include to increase police presence, including mobile police stations in 50 crime hotspots.

* To promote house ownership, Govt will launch a scheme that enables EPF contributors to utilise current and future savings in Account 2.

* Employees' EPF contribution to be increased to 11% again, on a voluntary basis, effective immediately. However, from Jan 1, 2011 employees' EPF contribution will revert to 11%.

* Personal relief for EPF and life insurance schemes to be increased to RM7,000.

Taken from: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/10/23/budget2010/20091023161104&sec=budget2010

It is good that Education is still one of the main agenda for this budget. I don't really understand about this Budget actually but from the look of it.. . not much money will be spend for Teacher Education (correct me if I'm wrong)... Anybody want to share their view of this Malaysian 2010Budget?? especially for Education huhu be it Schools, Tertiary level and Teacher Education?