Introduction
Despite the remarkable progress in Malaysian economy over the last few decade, the next few years are extremely crucial to decide about its future stand. With the recent productivity slowdown, when technology imitation and cheap labor has a diminishing marginal returns, there is a growing concern if Malaysia has been falling into a middle income trap (Flaaen. A et.al 2013). While middle income trap is defined as the stagnated or slowed down growth of an economy for a long period of time (leading to low income level and therefore low savings & low production); with some proficient advocacy and policy reforms, Malaysia can possibly escape this trap (Kharas and Kohli 2011). This article thus recommends some policy reforms in Malaysian …show more content…
For instance, Education Services of Australia has developed a separate web-portal having teaching and learning resources as well as some lesson plans. Likewise, giving support to the secondary students for a STEM related or any advance diploma degree through P-Tech pilot policy (an education-industry collaboration) was a success (ACOLA 2013). By this, students would have the option to continue to their tertiary education or job sector related to STEM including work opportunities with industry partners. As Malaysia is consisted mostly by indigenous people, targeting them for the STEM education could be a wise way to move forward. Having a budget and a certain period for mentoring before the start, a STEM advocacy could be set at a specific period of time of the year by which the participation of indigenous people could be ensured. Balance in the gender attending STEM should also be a focal point in this respect. The study of Mathematics and at least one science subject should be made obligatory upto year 12. Inclusion of more mathematics in the curriculum would help build the numeric and calculative analytical ability to develop. And from year 12, number of science subject to be undertaken can be increased. As an incentive, STEM institution’s teachers should be paid an extra bonus or higher salary. But again without …show more content…
This way technology could be incorporated in the schooling system getting students acquainted with the use of computer and internet in their day to day tasks & assignments. Singapore can be followed in this aspect making all the ICT, Curriculum, culture of the school integrated with one another in order to make sure there is no coordination failure amongst them. As ICT is an effective means of knowledge and technology sharing, it would pave the way to the road of high growth path and connecting to the high-value global knowledge economy. Tertiary sector could engage in a dialogue with the business sector in order to align a curricula with the requirements of the companies for high skilled labor force. For example, Finland created polytechnic tertiary institutes for specific regional and business needs while South Korea did it for chemical and heavy industries (Foxley.A & Sossdorf.F 2011). Prioritization of budgets to deliver quality and universally-available basic education before expanding higher levels of schooling is another thing to be considered (Jimenez.E ,Nguyen. V & Patrinos H.A 2012). Ethnic stratification in education also needs to be removed as Bumiputeras are mainly enrolled for public universities and non-bumiputeras for private universities where it is believed that students from public
Despite the remarkable progress in Malaysian economy over the last few decade, the next few years are extremely crucial to decide about its future stand. With the recent productivity slowdown, when technology imitation and cheap labor has a diminishing marginal returns, there is a growing concern if Malaysia has been falling into a middle income trap (Flaaen. A et.al 2013). While middle income trap is defined as the stagnated or slowed down growth of an economy for a long period of time (leading to low income level and therefore low savings & low production); with some proficient advocacy and policy reforms, Malaysia can possibly escape this trap (Kharas and Kohli 2011). This article thus recommends some policy reforms in Malaysian …show more content…
For instance, Education Services of Australia has developed a separate web-portal having teaching and learning resources as well as some lesson plans. Likewise, giving support to the secondary students for a STEM related or any advance diploma degree through P-Tech pilot policy (an education-industry collaboration) was a success (ACOLA 2013). By this, students would have the option to continue to their tertiary education or job sector related to STEM including work opportunities with industry partners. As Malaysia is consisted mostly by indigenous people, targeting them for the STEM education could be a wise way to move forward. Having a budget and a certain period for mentoring before the start, a STEM advocacy could be set at a specific period of time of the year by which the participation of indigenous people could be ensured. Balance in the gender attending STEM should also be a focal point in this respect. The study of Mathematics and at least one science subject should be made obligatory upto year 12. Inclusion of more mathematics in the curriculum would help build the numeric and calculative analytical ability to develop. And from year 12, number of science subject to be undertaken can be increased. As an incentive, STEM institution’s teachers should be paid an extra bonus or higher salary. But again without …show more content…
This way technology could be incorporated in the schooling system getting students acquainted with the use of computer and internet in their day to day tasks & assignments. Singapore can be followed in this aspect making all the ICT, Curriculum, culture of the school integrated with one another in order to make sure there is no coordination failure amongst them. As ICT is an effective means of knowledge and technology sharing, it would pave the way to the road of high growth path and connecting to the high-value global knowledge economy. Tertiary sector could engage in a dialogue with the business sector in order to align a curricula with the requirements of the companies for high skilled labor force. For example, Finland created polytechnic tertiary institutes for specific regional and business needs while South Korea did it for chemical and heavy industries (Foxley.A & Sossdorf.F 2011). Prioritization of budgets to deliver quality and universally-available basic education before expanding higher levels of schooling is another thing to be considered (Jimenez.E ,Nguyen. V & Patrinos H.A 2012). Ethnic stratification in education also needs to be removed as Bumiputeras are mainly enrolled for public universities and non-bumiputeras for private universities where it is believed that students from public