Preliminary-Blueprint-Eng

3-21
Indeed, it is likely that socio-economic factors, in terms of the
composition of the student body, contribute to many of the other
achievement gaps discussed previously—especially in terms of
location and school type (but not gender). That being said, the impact
of socio-economic status on student outcomes is less significant in
Malaysia than in other systems around the world. For example, only
10% of the Malaysian variance between schools in the PISA 2009+
assessment can be explained by socio-economic factors, as compared
to the OECD average of 55%, which indicates a far larger gap in most
other countries. This is good news for Malaysia, as it shows that our
education system is on its way to being truly equitable.
Gap in student performance persists between
private and public schools
Private schools using the national curriculum present yet another
gap in equity as they score about 6% higher than public schools at
SPM. While some of this achievement gap may be due to a better
learning environment, it is probable that much of it is due to the
self-selecting nature of these schools, which skews them towards a
student population that is more economically advantaged. Although
enrolment in private schools using the national curriculum currently
accounts for only 1% of total student numbers, enrolment is
increasing as average household income levels rise.
BUIlDING UNITy THROUGH
EDUCATION
Malaysia’s unique diversity—ethnic, religious, and cultural
—has always been its greatest strength, and its greatest
challenge. As Malaysia increasingly finds itself in a world
where differences can divide, it has never been more
important for Malaysians to forge a Malaysian identity and
to embrace our diverse heritage. As a shared space for all
Malaysians, schools have a unique potential to be a place
to foster unity. The challenge is that to date, the system
has struggled to measure unity in a systematic manner.
The best available data suggests that student and teacher
diversity in National schools has decreased, although
there is still a fair degree of interactivity across ethnicities
inside and outside the classroom.
Unity, a vital component in Malaysia’s truly unique social context,
is a key factor in realising a society of balanced and harmonious
individuals as envisioned in the National Education Philosophy. To
that end, the Ministry has taken a range of actions, from ensuring that
all ethnicities are fairly represented in the teaching materials used in
schools, to organising school-based programmes explicitly focused
on building unity. The critical question, however, is how unity can be
measured. This section considers several possible measures to paint a
picture of where the system stands.
Student enrolment in the overall public education system remains
broadly reflective of national demographics. However, there are
specific schooling options that have homogenous environments
(Exhibit 3-28). For example, primary school students across all options
are in highly homogeneous environments. The challenge is that these
homogeneous environments make it less likely for students to receive
exposure to students of different cultures and ethnic groups, and thus
less likely to develop the respect for diversity critical for unity.
However, there is some convergence in secondary school. Most
students from the various primary schools enrol in a single secondary
school format—the SMK. Nevertheless, some students still receive
limited exposure to diversity—for example, a child who transfers from
a SJK(C) to an independent Chinese school or that moves from an
SK to a National religious secondary school or Sekolah Menengah
Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA). In addition, there is a small but growing
minority of students that leave the public education system and enrol
in private schools, and therefore move beyond the Ministry’s sphere of
influence.
Range of schooling options creating ethnically
homogeneous environments
It is important that the nation’s diversity is reflected in our schools,
so as to give Malaysian children the opportunity to live with and
learn from fellow Malaysians of every ethnicity, religion, and culture.
Accordingly, one data point considered as a gauge of unity at school
level is enrolment trends in SKs, SJK(C)s, and SJK(T)s.