Improving Schools: My "Letters to the Editor"

By Liong Kam Chong

This is a selection of my Letters to the Editor that were published in two local dailies, The Star and New Straits Times (NST), over the period from Dec 2007 to August 2013.

These letters relate my experiences in leading and managing schools and embody my thoughts and propositions for school improvement, enrichment as well as innovation.

The letters are not presented in chronological order following their dates of publication. Instead, they are grouped according to specific sections of interest. Nevertheless, I am mindful of the fact that school matters often overlap and school issues cannot be tackled in discrete units. An integrated and holistic approach should be applied. And, thinking out of the box so as to bring about innovation and even transformation is very much advocated all through my letters.

Schools are where national education policies are being piloted, modified and if appropriate, then implemented in full. Stake holders for the wellbeing, upgrading and progress of a school must of necessity include more than merely its students, parents, teachers and administrators.

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The Education Ministry, state and district education offices, other related ministries, the community, private sectors and certainly some non-government organizations (NGOs), all have important roles to play in ensuring the smooth and efficient running of our schools.

I have looked within and outside of schools for causes and effects that have bearing on school matters. The letters included in the Values section in particular, bear out the familial and societal influence and impact on school life.

It is hoped that this compilation can be a useful reference and resource materials for all planners, executors, learners and evaluators of our school improvement initiatives and programmes.


August 2013 --- LIONG KAM CHONG

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Mar 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493135172

Liong Kam Chong

LIONG Kam Chong is a retired secondary school principal. He was head of SMK Bukit Mewah Seremban (1999 – 2005) and SM Teknik Port Dickson (1996 – 1999). He had served with the Negeri Sembilan State Education Department as Principal Assistant Director - Educational Technology Unit (1990-1992) and as the State Science Supervisor (1980-1987). He was appointed a School Principal Assessor, MEPADC (Malaysian Executive Principals Assessment and Development Centre), Institut Aminuddin Baki in 1999. He had attended in-service courses at INNOTECH in Manila and at the Ontario Institute of Educational Studies in Toronto, Canada. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, Malaysia (IFM). He had served as a tutor in Physics, Mathematics and Educational Studies at the Seremban Centre, Open University Malaysia. Liong holds a B.Sc.(Hons)-USM, Dip.Ed.-UM and M.Sc.(Ed Mgt)-UPM. He was conferred the P.M.C. and A.M.N. in 2005.

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Forward

VISION & MISSION

Make All Schools Take 1Malaysia Approach

Excellence In Schools: Build On Niche Factor

Quality Must Reign Supreme

The Mark Of A ‘Quality’ School

Need To Focus On Creativity And Quality

9 Ways To Better Students

PRINCIPALSHIP

School Heads: Pick Those Who Can Meet The Challenge

Headship Course For Teachers: A Must For All School Heads

Hms And Teachers Need To Lead Charge

Leadership Is A Choice

Learn To ‘Sow To Reap’

SCHOOL RANKING

Rank Schools With Care

Reward Ordinary Normal Day Schools

Don’t Neglect Poor Performers

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

The Case For Three Languages

Brush Up On Language Skills

Mastering Bahasa Essential

Learning Bm On Same Level

Stress On Grammar Not Phonics

English Teachers: Audit First

Who Has Failed Whom?

Spacemen Will Likely Speak In English

Concerted Effort Needed

English Language: Start Off With Compulsory Pass

None Spoke English In The Beginning

English Policy: Look At Policy In Its Totality

Let Them Learn To Tell Stories

SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

Why PPSMI Should Continue

Rethink Decision To Abolish Ppsmi

Options Are Available

How ‘Soft’ Will The Landing Be?

Just Being Practical

A Teacher’s Earnest Plea

Never Too Late To Revert

Science: Adopt A Practical Syllabus

Science Education: Not Too Late To Spark Interest

Making Science A Blast Again

Need For Transformation

VOCATIONAL STUDIES

Importance Of Vocational Studies

SEX EDUCATION

Define Boundaries For Sex Education

EXAMINATION

Educate Children On Real Purpose Of Exams

Scrap Pmr But Keep Upsr

History—Unnecessary To Have Must-Pass

Exam Subjects: An Spm Cap May Not Be The Best Way

School-Based Assessment: Don’t Burden Students

PBS Banding System Is Impractical

Examiners Must Work Diligently

Do Away With Trial Exams

No Need For Exact Total

SCHOLARSHIPS

Rethink Jpa Strategy For Overseas Awards

PSD Scholarships: Give Grads Space To Develop

SPM Scores Not Enough

Selection Process Can Be Improved

Select Only All Rounders

Choices For School Leavers

Education Loans: Offer Waiver, Exemption To Regular Payers

DISCIPLINE

DIFFICULT STUDENTS: A Pivotal Role For Schools

SCHOOL DISCIPLINE: Make Use Of Ad Hoc Panels

Discipline Must Start At Home

Use Holistic Approach To Deal With Wrongdoings

Truancy: Poor Bahasa Malaysia Skills The Root Cause

SPORTS & CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Co-Curricular Activities: Do It All In A Week

School Sports: Standards For Students

School Societies: Nurture Faith-Based Societies In Schools

TEACHERS’ DUTIES & REWARDS

EDUCATION: Minimise Uploading Of Data

To Teach Or To Manage

Stringent Selection A Must

Teachers Have Moral Duty To Give Their Best

Reward Afternoon Senior Assistants

Motivating Teachers

With The Right Spirit, Success Can Be Yours

Making A Difference

Teachers, You’ve Got Perks, Now Give Your All

Ministry’s Survey On Workload A Further Burden On Teachers

TEACHERS’ AWARDS: Not So Excellent Any More

TEACHERS’ DUTIES: A Balanced Approach Is Called For

Adopt A Humane Approach

Intrigued By NUTP’s Stand On Maternity Leave

A Win-Win Situation For All

Teachers Need Help To Improve Their English

Teachers Must Be Accountable

Teachers: Let Their Peers Grade Them

Later Retirement Option

SCHOOL BREAKS

Too Many Long School Breaks

RESOURCES

Enhance Resource Centres

Tuition: Set Up Centres For The Poor

PARENTAL ROLES

PARENTING: Get Kids On Right Track With A Good Upbringing

Nurture Family Relations

Parents Must Change Mindset

Let Parents’ Voices Be Heard

Leave Children Out Of Fund Raising

Mother Of All Duties—Giving Kids A Full Life

VALUES

Fear Of God Is Missing

Keeping Time Is Good Etiquette

Lessons From Azhari’s Fall

Abide By Faith, Hope And Love

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to acknowledge The Star and New Straits Times for publishing my letters for the past six years and look forward to many more years of similar engagement with them.

FORWARD

This is a selection of my Letters to the Editor that were published in two local dailies, The Star and New Straits Times (NST), over the period from Dec 2007 to August 2013.

These letters relate my experiences in leading and managing schools and embody my thoughts and propositions for school improvement, enrichment as well as innovation.

The letters are not presented in chronological order following their dates of publication. Instead, they are grouped according to specific sections of interest. Nevertheless, I am mindful of the fact that school matters often overlap and school issues cannot be tackled in discrete units. An integrated and holistic approach should be applied. And, thinking out of the box so as to bring about innovation and even transformation is very much advocated all through my letters.

Schools are where national education policies are being piloted, modified and if appropriate, then implemented in full. Stake holders for the wellbeing, upgrading and progress of a school must of necessity include more than merely its students, parents, teachers and administrators.

The Education Ministry, state and district education offices, other related ministries, the community, private sectors and certainly some non-government organizations (NGOs), all have important roles to play in ensuring the smooth and efficient running of our schools.

I have looked within and outside of schools for causes and effects that have bearing on school matters. The letters included in the Values section in particular, bear out the familial and societal influence and impact on school life.

It is hoped that this compilation can be a useful reference and resource materials for all planners, executors, learners and evaluators of our school improvement initiatives and programmes.

August 2013—LIONG KAM CHONG

IMPROVING SCHOOLS: my Letters to the Editor

The Star Tuesday December 1, 2009

MAKE ALL SCHOOLS TAKE 1MALAYSIA APPROACH

OF late, numerous calls have been made for a single-stream school system Support single-stream move (The Star, Nov 27).

These calls should be made with caution since at the primary level, vernacular Chinese and Tamil schools are guaranteed under the Constitution.

A single-stream school system does not have to mean upholding one stream and discarding the others. It should mean having all schools, national as well as vernacular primary schools, pursuing the goal of becoming more national and more 1Malaysia in character.

Much has been written about measures national schools (SKs) can take to attract more non-Malay parents to enrol their children in these schools.

Measures like including the teaching of POL (pupil’s own language) in the mainstream timetable, intensifying the learning of English and engaging a more racially balanced teaching/administrative staff are thought to be effective contributory factors. It is good to know that the Education Ministry and some school authorities are taking heed and acting on some of these matters.

Now, what about the SJK(C)/(T)? What roles do these schools have to take on to be more national or more 1 Malaysia?

First, the teaching and learning of Bahasa Malaysia (BM) should take on a new and greater dimension.

We are 52 years into our Merdeka. It is time that the SJK(C)/(T) pupils begin to take the same BM papers in their UPSR (Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah) as their counterparts in the SK do.

At present, they are taking BM papers of a lower standard. At this point in our nation building, no excuse from schools or pupils can be accepted for wanting to learn BM at a lower level or at a slower pace.

BM is a fast-developing language. With the recently announced policy of Upholding BM and Strengthening English, SJK pupils will be found wanting and lacking in their command of BM when they enter mainstream secondary schools (SMKs), if the present system of separate UPSR BM papers continues.

When pupils need to master a higher level of BM, their attitude, values, motivation and approach towards the learning of the language will take on a new perspective.

The whole school will be put on a new, diligent and urgent priority to learning BM.

This, I believe, will lead to greater BM language proficiency, which in turn will contribute towards national unity and nation building.

The present practice of putting some SJK pupils through a year of remedial class (kelas peralihan), purportedly to help them improve their command of BM, in their first year in secondary schools can then be done away with. Besides, these classes have a humiliating impact and negative effect on the pupils involved.

Second, SJK schools should attempt to use more than the vernacular language in their communication with their pupils. Announcements can be bilingual: Mandarin/English or BM/English in the case of SJK(C), and Tamil/BM, Tamil/English or BM/English in SJK (T).

Certain co-curricular activities can be conducted in BM or English. Learning of BM and English should not be confined to formal classroom lessons. The headmaster can deliver his weekly assembly speech in two languages: Mandarin and BM or English; Tamil and BM or English.

These measures will help make our younger generation more proficient in two or more languages early in their life. The immediate gain, of course, is their greater confidence when moving on to national secondary schools.

Third, SJK schools should be encouraged to attract and enrol children of other races. Some of the vernacular schools are endowed with top-notch physical facilities, and are known to provide very conducive learning environments.

Other parents will be more ready to enrol their children in these schools if they can be convinced that these are national and 1Malaysia in their approach.

In this respect, the Education Ministry should reward SJKs that manage to increase the percentage of their non-vernacular-speaking pupils.

Give these schools bigger grants and provide them with more and better hardware as well as software facilities.

I would like to think that the single-stream school system need not mean upholding just one stream and discarding the others. It should mean having all our schools pursuing the single objective of becoming more national and more 1Malaysia in their character.

IMPROVING SCHOOLS: my Letters to the Editor

NST 2009/01/26

EXCELLENCE IN SCHOOLS: BUILD ON NICHE FACTOR

IN its quest for excellence, the Education Ministry has called on schools to explore and identify its own niches in the broader education system and then strive hard to excel in those chosen fields.

This is a laudable move. When our schools can each take pride in specific areas of achievements, our students will benefit vastly.

In this context, I would like to share a catchword—Success and excellence—which I used to inspire my students when I was a school head.

I strongly believe this catchword had been effective in bringing confidence to my students and propelling them to greater heights.

I agree that every child is blessed, in good measure, with multiple abilities. At the same time, each child is gifted in specific area(s) of ability.

With proper nurturing and discipline, these abilities will flourish. Therefore, each child can and should develop into a confident being, sure of what he or she can do.

This means that with reasonable effort and discipline, every child can achieve success in all aspects of his or her schooling. At the same time, every child can strive for excellence in his or her gifted areas of study or learning. Success and excellence should not elude any child.

Not every child needs to achieve a string of A’s in his or her exam: That is excellence. But every child should strive to pass major exams: That is success.

Not every child can aspire to be a top-notch sportsman or sportswoman (excellence), but every child should strive to do well in physical education classes and enjoy sports and games (success).

Not every child achieves excellence by aspiring to be a famed pianist, violinist or artist. But every child who tries can learn the rudiments of music and achieve success.

As parents and teachers, we should impress upon our children and students the real meanings of success and excellence. Everyone can and should strive to achieve success in whatever one sets out to do. We are endowed with sufficient inborn abilities to master the basics of most things that need to be learnt or done. With proper teaching or coaching, we can succeed in everything we put our hearts to. Every child should know this.

Nevertheless, excellence, as it rightly should, demands a higher standard of achievement. Excellence in a particular field is the reserve of the selected few. Every child should also know this. There is no need to be envious or fearful of others so long as we are confident of our own niche.

It is the rare individual who can excel in a myriad of fields or endeavours. But each child can strive to excel in a niche of his or her own. The important thing is that each child knows where his gifts lie and be given the opportunity to explore and exploit them. Then, with hard work and discipline, he or she will achieve excellence.

On the other hand, each child must know it is his or her own responsibility to achieve successes in the basics, the minimum standards and the general things required of schooling. In this, there should be no compromise.

If schools promote the concept of Success and excellence among their students, they will see more successes and excellence exhibited by their students.

The Education Ministry’s grand objective of establishing niche schools can be realised sooner rather than later. We can then march towards Vision 2020 with confidence. Success and excellence—that’s the way to go!

IMPROVING SCHOOLS: my Letters to the Editor

The Star Tuesday August 28, 2012

QUALITY MUST

REIGN SUPREME

I REFER to We want a bluer than blue blueprint (Sunday Star, Aug 26) and would like to commend Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, the chairman of PAGE (Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia), for her precise and forthright comments on some current educational issues and her hopes in the soon-to-be revealed draft of the new education blueprint.

Lest I be accused of dabbling with puns, interestingly the column has identified a number of blues in our schools and education system that need urgent redress.

There is little communication and interaction between school managements and parents and the community, school heads missing in action, teachers absent from classes to attend all and sundry, improper and ineffective downstream implementation of national education policy (soft landing of PPSMI is a case in point), non-proficient English teachers, students’ rote learning and stifled creativity, unappealing co-curriculum and others.

Yes, there can be many and different factors contributing to each of the above blues. But, I would venture to ascribe the root cause of all these to the need for a better quality teaching and administrative personnel in our schools and, by extension, the whole education system.

Ours is a closed system as far as career upward mobility is concerned. It is therefore most critical to pick the right candidates as new teacher recruits.

It is from these rank-and-file teachers that future leaders and managers of our schools and education system are drawn. Poor seeds do not yield good crops.

Quality entails and demands much. Teachers must first and foremost know well, very well indeed, their subject matter and the related pedagogy. We don’t want teachers who are half-past-six in their understanding and knowledge of their subjects, least delivering them effectively and efficiently.

Their love, passion, dedication and commitment for teaching—a profession least associated with monetary rewards—must be genuine and demonstrable.

Then from this crop, those who also possess leadership traits and qualities are selected to be heads of school or promoted to be officials in the district education offices, state education departments and divisions in the Education Ministry.

And, it is from these positions that they are later further promoted to be heads who have discretion and power over policy matters. They also advise the ministers.

Therefore, for schools and the education system to excel, we must have excellent top officials. And, they come from and can eventually be traced back to the recruits of teachers first taken into the system.

We cannot and should not compromise on the quality of teachers we take in from the very beginning. There is just that much polishing that can be done with effect after that.

It is common knowledge that our schools still have teachers who are lackadaisical in their approach to duty, not confident in their subject matters, prone to taking MC (medical certificates) and always finding excuses to evade responsibilities in co-curricular activities.

We have also heads of school who either fail to perform satisfactorily or simply indulge in their own queer ways of building up a school (implementing ideas that have little schooling or educational values).

There are also school heads who are known to use their positions to advance their own personal agenda which, more often than not, has no bearing on school welfare or education.

These heads are always absent from schools and are quick to direct work to their subordinates. Such heads demoralise the committed and responsible teachers in their schools.

The teachers become frustrated and students suffer. Imagine the cancerous effects these heads spread if they are further promoted. Disciplinary action, even punitive ones, should be bravely taken to arrest this negative development.

On the other hand, we should reward in all ways possible the genuine top performers in our schools and education system.

Strictly, let not nepotism, mediocrity, favouritism, biases, injustice and other unfair practises seep into our system.

It is not difficult to imagine what damage an incompetent, less-than-committed and lackadaisical teacher/school head can do to a school. And, by extension, a head of department does to all those under his charge. We must have the best right to the very top.

Schooling and education affect our children and they are all that we have. We do not gamble with our future generation.

A good blueprint is as good as its implementation. And, an implementation is as good as its implementers.

We must put good, quality people to be teachers and school leaders and managers.

Quality must reign supreme. There can be no compromise here!

IMPROVING SCHOOLS: my Letters to the Editor

NST 2012/05/11

THE MARK OF A

‘QUALITY’ SCHOOL

THE high-level Education Revamp Committee will review and deliberate on nine