Preliminary-Blueprint-Eng

E-1
executive summary
In October 2011, the Ministry of Education launched a comprehensive
review of the education system in Malaysia in order to develop a new
National Education Blueprint. This decision was made in the context of
rising international education standards, the Government’s aspiration
of better preparing Malaysia’s children for the needs of the 21 st century,
and increased public and parental expectations of education policy. Over
the course of 11 months, the Ministry drew on many sources of input,
from education experts at UNESCO, World Bank, OECD, and six local
universities, to principals, teachers, parents, and students from every
state in Malaysia. The result is a preliminary Blueprint that evaluates the
performance of Malaysia’s education system against historical starting
points and international benchmarks. The Blueprint also offers a vision of
the education system and students that Malaysia both needs and deserves,
and suggests 11 strategic and operational shifts that would be required
to achieve that vision. The Ministry hopes that this effort will inform
the national discussion on how to fundamentally transform Malaysia’s
education system, and will seek feedback from across the community on
this preliminary effort before finalising the Blueprint in December 2012.
Education plays a central role in any country’s pursuit of economic
growth and national development. There is no better predictor of a
nation’s future than what is currently happening in its classrooms.
In today’s global economy, a nation’s success depends fundamentally
on the knowledge, skills and competencies of its people. It is no
surprise that nations with higher education levels tend to enjoy
greater economic prosperity. Education is also fundamental to nation
building and unity. It provides individuals with the opportunity to
improve their lives, become successful members of the community
and active contributors to national development. Through interacting
with individuals from a range of socio-economic, religious and ethnic
backgrounds – and learning to understand, accept and embrace
differences – a shared set of experiences and aspirations for Malaysia’s
future can be built. It is through these shared experiences and
aspirations that a common national identity and unity is fostered.
In recent years, the Malaysian education system has come under
increased public scrutiny and debate, as parents’ expectations rise
and employers voice their concern regarding the system’s ability to
adequately prepare young Malaysians for the challenges of the 21 st
century. Given the nature of the education system, it will take several
years for fundamental changes to be felt. This makes the need for
ambitious actions now both important and urgent.