Malaysia ranks 39 out of 44 countries in problem-solving test for 15-year-olds

Malaysia once again fared poorly in a world student performance assessment test conducted in 2012, ending up in the bottom quarter among 44 countries – a result that reinforces the concern that the country’s education system is in tatters.

Malaysia ranked 39 with a mean score of 422 in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) first assessment on creative problem-solving, while neighbouring Singapore came out tops with a mean score of 562, said the report released yesterday by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The overall mean score for all countries was 500.

Malaysia had more than half of the share of low achievers, which means the students tested lacked the skills needed in a modern workplace.

In contrast, Singapore only had 8% share of low achievers. The mean share was 21.4%.

On the other hand, Malaysia only had 0.9% share of top performers compared with Singapore's 29.3%. Malaysia's share was below the average percentage of 11.4%.

This showed that only one out of 10 Malaysian students, aged 15, is able to solve the most complex problems, compared with one in five in Singapore, Korea and Japan.

Asian countries like Korea, Japan, Macau-China, Hong Kong-China, Shanghai-China and Chinese Taipei make up the top seven of the list.

Students from Canada, Australia, Finland, England, Estonia, France, the Netherlands, Italy, the Czech Republic, Germany, the United States and Belgium all scored above the average.

"Eighty-five thousand students from 44 countries and economies took the computer-based test, involving real-life scenarios to measure the skills young people will use when faced with everyday problems, such as setting a thermostat or finding the quickest route to a destination," said the OECD, which carried out the tests.

Malaysians scored 29.1 on solution rate on tasks measuring the acquisition of knowledge and 29.3 on solution rate on tasks measuring the utilisation of knowledge while Singapore scored 62 and 55.4 respectively, way above the average score of all countries, which are 45.5 and 46.4 respectively.

"Today’s 15-year-olds with poor problem-solving skills will become tomorrow’s adults struggling to find or keep a good job,” said Andreas Schleicher, acting Director of Education and Skills at OECD.

“Policymakers and educators should re-shape their school systems and curricula to help students develop their problem-solving skills which are increasingly needed in today’s economies.”

Malaysia had also performed poorly in an earlier PISA assessment which measured how students in 65 countries did in mathematics, science and reading.

According to the PISA's 2012 results, Malaysian students scored below average or ranked 52 out of the 65 countries. In contrast, Vietnamese students ranked 17 out of 65.

Just a week ago, a World Bank senior economist pointed out that the poor quality of Malaysia's education system was more worrying than the debt level of its households.

Dr Frederico Gil Sander, who is senior economist for Malaysia, had saidMalaysians should be "alarmed" that their children were doing worse in school than children in Vietnam, a country that was poorer than Malaysia.

Malaysia's continuous dismal performance in international assessments highlights the weaknesses in the country's schooling system, despite the fact that education gets the largest share of funds every year from the national budget.

Critics have pointed out that the PISA results contradicted Putrajaya’s insistence that Malaysia has a world-class education system.

Critics have also questioned the real worth of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) which produces many students who scored As, but who can't compete with their peers from Singapore, China and Taiwan.

Opposition politicians have relentlessly attacked Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over Malaysia's poor results in international assessment tests.

Muhyiddin subsequently announced that the ministry would set up a special committee tasked with elevating students’ assessments in these tests. – April 2, 2014.

True Story......

JBU interviews Justin Tan, a Malaysian based in Singapore. 

JBU: What is your background (age, hometown, profession)?
Justin: I am 35 year old, originates from Kampar, Perak, currently working as
a medical doctor in Singapore.

JBU: When did you emigrate from Malaysia?
Justin: I emigrated from Malaysia in October 2008.

JBU: Why did you emigrate from Malaysia?
Justin: I have a story to tell about myself. This is what happened to me that
i do not want to recur to any other Malaysians, ever again.

I was born in Kampar, Perak. This is a small town that i had my early education. I had a lot of fun childhood memories in this town. I was among
the top in my class since primary school and early secondary school. Due to my academic results, I was accepted in Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) in 1993. I remember there was about 13 MRSM nationwide in 1993. I was accepted to the college in Terengganu, one of the best MRSM in the country.

To those who may not know what MRSM is. MRSM is a full boarding school, managed by MARA agency, especially built to nurture elite Bumiputra students. Good Malay Students are selected into this school. MRSM has full facilities,
with the best teachers, in the college to teach the group of elite students. You cannot imagine how many hundred times of allocation to one MRSM a year, paid by government, compared to the normal national school.

In 1993, I was among the few non-Bumiputras being selected into this school. During my intake, there were about 300 over Malay students, 3 Chinese and
3 Indians. I was one of the three Chinese being selected into this elite school.
I was told then that we were recruited into the school in order to create competition among students so that the Malays can do even better. I decided to go for it. Reason for my decision was with the hope that i could secure a MARA scholarship after i finish my SPM. I have 3 elder brothers and one younger sister. To me, it's a heavy financial burden to my parents to send all
of us to universities. It was almost impossible for my parents to send any one of us overseas. To go overseas for my higher education, this was the only way. Malaysians know how much MARA spends a year in sending students to further their studies after graduating from Secondary Five. When i first joined MRSM in Terengganu, i was told by the school principal that i will be 'treated equally'.
I just had to work hard.

During my 2 years in this school, i worked very hard. In the school, i got to know many Malays. I could see how we live in harmony. We helped each other in our studies. We spent our weekend in town together, shopping for groceries. I felt how Malaysians should live together. In the boarding school, i do not see any barriers between us. Very often, it is the politician who divides the society by using racial sentiments. In fact, i made many new Malay friends in the boarding school. No RACIAL sentiments felt at all. We are all EQUAL in the school.

In all my 4 semesters in the school, i was the top student in all the 4 semesters. I scored the highest in the SPM Mara Preparatory Exam. This exam was more important than SPM as it was based on this result, MARA would decide which students they would sponsor to go overseas. As other students in my batch, i had asked for an application form to fill for the upcoming interview. I was denied to have the form. Reason given by the MARA Headquarter Office - I am not a Bumiputra. Despite being born here and live as a Malaysian since
i was born, i was told by my own country that i was not entitled to the scholarship's application as i am a non-Bumiputra. Everyone in my school wondered why they had accepted me at the first place. My college principal, with my class teacher, were kind enough to write me a letter to the MARA headquarter to appeal so that my case can be an exception. I felt disappointed being treated this way in my own country. Despite being the top in the school, I was denied of education. This is with one reason - that I am a non-Bumiputra. Everyone in my family was disappointed as it had meant that I had "wasted" two years. I felt like i was 'used and then dumped'

Frankly, even though i did not get the scholarship in the end, i had real good memories in this school as the school made me felt that i was a Malaysian.
The people in the school, who include my teachers and friends who are mostly Malays, treat me the same. After Form 5, most of my Malay friends were sent overseas, fully sponsored by MARA, for courses that i had dreamt of going for - Medicine. I had no choice but went back to Ipoh to pursue my Secondary Six.

I worked very hard for another 2 years in Ipoh. I scored 5As in STPM Exam. With this result, i secured a place in medicine in the top local University in Malaysia. I finally made it. Looking back, i have to work double hard, if not triple hard, to achieve my dream compare to my other fellow Malaysians. However, i see it as a challenge. It indeed made me stronger. After 5 years,
i graduated with a medical degree in 2003. I served my country for 4 years before i decided to move to Singapore.

JBU: Any plans to head back to Malaysia ?
Justin: It depends on the change in the country. I hope that i will be able to return to Malaysia to serve my Malaysian people one day.

JBU: Do you have any message of hope for Malaysia?
Justin: It has been 5 years since i reside in Singapore. I work as a medical specialist now. Despite being in Singapore for 5 years, my heart has never changed. I still love the country - Malaysia that makes me feel that change
is needed. Even all the stories about what happened to me 10 years ago,
i am still a Malaysian at heart. I joined BERSIH and 428, as a medical volunteer.

No matter how the policy in the country divides us, we believe that things will change one day. We still have hope in the country.

. When Singaporean asks me if i am a local, i am quite proud to tell them that -
" I AM A MALAYSIAN" 

I Need Your Generosity

I am not getting any paid from blogging nor make money from advertising. I just contribute my time and knowledge towards Malaysian education on volunteer basis. For those who are greatly blessed by this blogsite, I sincerely appeal to your generosity to contribute towards my church building fundraising project. Every cents count. Thank You So Much!

The church welcomes your contribution towards its fundraising project which is underway to raise RM8 million to complete a Multi-purpose Ministry Complex (MMC) built mainly to be of service to the community.

This building is on a 2.33 acre piece of land acquired 10 years ago. The entire cost of this project is RM24 million and is expected to be completed by the end of 2013. With just about 30% of the required costs to be raised, we appeal to your generosity to make this vision of the ministry complex a reality.

Mode of contribution:
A.	Cheque / Demand Draft / Postal Order
	Payable to :	PENANG FIRST ASSEMBLY OF GOD
	Address to :	The Chairman  Penang First Fundraising Committee  5-1-1, Jalan Gangsa, Hunza Complex, Greenlane Heights  11600 Penang.
B.	Direct Credit
	Bank :	Public Bank Berhad
	Acc No :	3103389714
	Swift Code :	PBBEMYKL
	Kindly fax banked-in slip to :	+604-658 4394
C.	Further enquiries, call +604-6584404; or write to enquiry@penangfirst.org

Voter's Education on 5 MAY 2013

If you are Malaysian Voter, Please Know your RIGHTS

The World's Longest Bridge Over Water

The world's longest bridge over water, connecting China's port city of Qingdao with an airport on the other side of Jiaozhou Bay, has finally opened. The bridge is 26.4 miles long, making it the longest bridge in the world.

The building of the bridge has generated some amazing statistics:

• It stands on 5,200 pillars.

• It cost around $1.5 billion to build.

• It uses enough steel for almost 65 Eiffel Towers - 450,000 tons, along with 81 million cubic feet of concrete.

• It can withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake, typhoons, or the impact of a 300,000 ton ship.

The bridge will hold its title for about 5 years; in 2016, a 30 mile bridge is expected to be completed that links Hong Kong with Macao and Guandong province.