Rope in experts to assess education system

Local and foreign experts will be asked to assess the country’s education system.
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this was to ensure the education system was effective and to identify any weaknesses.
“Quality is the key word here as we can’t compromise on our children’s future,” he told reporters after delivering his first message at the ministry’s monthly gathering.
Muhyiddin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said the assessment would be headed by an individual within the ministry.
“But I would want to find some experts in education from within the country and outside to assess how good our system is or how can we make it better,” he said.
Muhyiddin said time management and decision-making were very important.
“If we can correct any problems, we must do so. Otherwise, those who lose out will be all of us,” he said.
On the 1Malaysia concept in education, Muhyiddin said it was already in the existing syllabus.
“What we want is to give a new understanding for education to integrate people of different races, cultures and religions. Schools are the best platforms to promote integration among students.”
Asked about his deputy Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong’s statement on reviewing history books, Muhyiddin said he was open to ideas.
“People can make propositions. I am always open to ideas and we will see whether the propositions are reasonable and (if) there is a need to make changes to books, it must be based on certain principles of correctness.
“People cannot re-write or re-invent history. What is past and has been recognised as part of history of this country should be recognised and of course hopefully written in a manner that is correct,” he said.
Asked about Dr Wee wanting all races’ contributions to be noted, Muhyiddin said no one stated there were no contributions to history or development of this country.
“We do recognise contributions of various races in the development of Malaysia from before, during and after independence but what is important in history is to recognise whatever the races have done.
“Malays fought for independence first, joined in by leaders of other races,” he said.
It was reported last month that Dr Wee had said a review was timely to correct the “selective representation of facts” in history textbooks.