Bridging Rural and Urban Gap in Malaysian Schools Opportunities and Challenges

1. Bridging Rural and Urban Gap in Malaysian SchoolsOpportunities and Challenges Lok Yim Pheng Secretary General NUTP

2. Common Problems Lack of infrastructure No proper buildings No proper roads to schools Lack of electricity Lack of teachers / students quarters

3. Unfair distribution in the Fully aided and Partially aided schools (govt. policy) Teachers sharing tables and chairs Congested staff rooms and class rooms Pupils paying RM 10.00 perchair

4. 30 % attend Pre-school education Curriculum in Pre-schools must be standardised

5. PIPP has many new visions but we want the government to implement it fairly Rural schools given priority Hasten the delivery of Educational materials in the rural areas Lack of critical subject Teachers in remote areas Mismatch in option Teachers shortage specially in vernacular schools and remote areas Lack of transportation

6. Challenges Survey on PPSMI - 1236 Respondance • Science, Maths and English teachers must undergo the English proficiency test • Lack of “specialist teachers” are the main cause of non-efective teaching Examination oriented system Teaching of Science and Maths in English ( Teachers Centre not Pupils centre ) 68.8 % agree 75.20 % agree

7. 54.7 % agree 92.40 % agree 40 % agree There is a gap between rural and urban teachers teaching Science and Maths in English The Ministry of Education must provide enough and comprehensive sets of teaching aids to teachers Pupils understand the subject better (science and maths) using English language • Under enrolment schools • High maintenance cost specially ICT • Social problems • Information and financial divide

8. Challenges Integrity Education opportunities for children Drop out problems Low performance students Mentally drop out children Role of PTA Cluster schools

9. Suggestions - Pupils Target needy children Pool of Teachers handling drop out in rural schools Dissimination of information Easy access to educational materials Special schools for special group of children - Vocational schools - Character building schools Students exchange programme More remedial classes in schools Parents must be penalised – indicipline children

10. Suggestions - Pupils Education must be non-political Condusive environment in schools Healthy recreation centre for children Children’s health ( food / time management and motivation ) Financial aids to poor students Provide transportation to schools Reduce the number of pupil in the schools School base examination Build more hostel for students

11. Suggestions – Teachers eradicate the culture of adhoc Improve teaching method in schools Trained teachers locally and oversea Reward teachers who can change low performance to high performance Teachers covered by insurance Revamp the Teachers Training Curriculum High quality and worthiness course for teachers

12. But Government had channel financial aids to improve school infrastructure To much of unneccessary bureaucarcy Can lead to corruption Low quality work No proper projection

13. We want to have thinking children not robots We want high morale teachers To achive all these the managers must go down to the ground and understand the problems