All must play role in education

V.K. CHIN, The Star, Asia News Network, Selangor, Malaysia

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will continue to give priority to education, which has always received the special attention of the Barisan Nasional Government.

This is one key sector which never fails to produce vast benefits if the policies are properly carried out.

The public will be happy with the reassurance as parents are now aware of the importance of a proper education for their children.

The government has long recognized that education can make a difference in national development as an educated workforce is a valuable asset in making the people more productive and competitive.

The key feature in all developed societies is the emphasis on universal and not just university education.

The citizens of the rich world are almost 100 percent literate while the number of university graduates or those from technical institutes is also very high.

The government has tried to bring the level up to the standard of the rich world and this is reflected in education being given the highest allocation among the sectors in all the five-year development plans.

In recent years, the government has also provided study loans to ensure that no qualified school-leaver will be deprived of higher education due to lack of finance.

Tens of thousands have benefited from the loans each year and school-leavers who have been accepted by both public universities and private colleges can apply for such loans from the revolving fund.

At the same time, parents are encouraged to send their children for formal education as soon as they have reached the enrollment age and assistance in cash and kind will be provided to the hardcore poor for this purpose.

With such assistance, there is no reason why parents should deny their children a proper education.

To ensure this, the government has made it compulsory for a child to be admitted to a national school, national-type vernacular school or a private but registered institution for their education.

It will be an offense from next year for any parent not to do so and those who have not done it will need to give a proper explanation to the Education Department.

But the government is just one party to make the education system a success as it also has to depend on the teachers, parents and pupils.

Teachers provide the vital link in this exercise and if they show a keener interest in their pupils' welfare, the people and the nation will enjoy the benefit.

However, the commitment of some of them is still a big question mark.

The government may have smart schools in place eventually but if the teachers are only prepared to work smart, then the objective will not be achieved.