Saturday, November 10, 2007

Free Education in Malaysia a myth

Dr Mohamed Rafick Khan Abdul Rahman, Rights 2 Write, 10 Nov 2007
 

Dear Sir,

During the recent budget speech 2008, in the parliment, the Prime Minister said, I quote "Mr Speaker, The Government has progressively increased the access as well as reduced the cost of education. Last year, the examination fees for PMR, SPM and STPM were abolished. The only remaining fees are the examination fee for Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia and the annual fee for primary and secondary schools. Effective 2008, all these fees will be abolished."

The news that there will be no school fees in Malaysia was further strengthen by the Education Minister as part of his campaign strategy to head Unesco. I quote the Bernama report on Nov 1st, 2007 "Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said today that he was proud to mention that education in Malaysia is free when he spoke at Unesco's 34th general conference in Paris recently."

Surprisingly, the Education Ministry released an official circular SPI 13/2007 dated 30 October 2007 where several key points is worth to be highlighted. Among others:

  • The word "Yuran" has been dropped and is replaced with the word "Bayaran Tambahan" (refers to Item 6 of the SPI) I quote — " All parents will be required to make payments and not fees for all additional services and facility provided."

  • Item 10 of the SPI says that the school head can apply to imposed this charges by requesting to the Education Department and to submit their application by 30th September every year.

  • Item 11 of the SPI says that the Education Department has the rights to approve or to change the package that the school head has decided if they feels that the package requested by the school head is not appropriate to the school environment.

  • Under Item 16 (16.1, 16.2 and 16.3), the parents consent must be obtain via the PIBG committee in choosing the package.

Let us study SPI 4/1998 which has not been rescinded despite the presence of SPI 13/2007. If we were to sit down and make comparison on the "charges" the school has been imposing under SPI 4/1998 and make comparison to the new SPI 13/2007 (for the primary school), we can conclude the following:

  • Only the special Fees has been removed i.e. RM 4.50 for primary school and RM 9.00 for secondary schools.

  • They have introduce new package charges under Co Curricular activities which is between RM2.00 to RM 5.00. It is quite obvious that most school will adopt the middle package which is RM 3.00.

  • They also increase the "charges of Kertas Ujian Dalaman" from RM 5.00 to between RM 6 to RM8. Again I believe most schools will go for the middle package which is RM8.00.

  • School sports day which was not charge previously is now being charge between RM6-RM10 which again I believe most schools will charge RM8.00.

  • MSSM Fees is now increased from RM0.50 to RM2.00.

  • The other charges remain the same.

What can we conclude about the "Free Education" announced by the PM and proudly mention at the UN by the Education Minister recently based on the facts that is available to us? The following is my analysis:

  • The free school fees is merely an election gimmick. I think it was annouce without a proper studies being done or some genius in the government was actually trying to hoodwink the public.

  • In actual fact the removal of the special school fees of RM 4.50 as indicated by the SPI 13/2007 was infact replace with other charges. Not only it was being replaced but they have smartly replaced the word fees with the word "additional charges".

  • The new charges is actually RM6.00 to RM21.00 extra than what was charge by the government before the abolishment of the word shool fees. For those school that opt for package B, it means that the parents has to pay an additional RM13.50.

  • What was actually dissolved by the government is not the actual fees but the word fees which is replaced with "bayaran tambahan".

  • The role of PIBG is actually is a rubber stamping body whose voice and fuctions are being curtailed. What is the point of getting the PIBG approval if the education department has the right to change what was agreed at the school level (Item 11 of the SPI 13/2007). In the first place if the MOE via its circular has decided on the rates and the packages, why is there a need for the PIBG to get involved. It is merely a tactic to show that parents are involved the decision making. I beg to differ, the PIBG was made into a rubber stamp and its role is to endorse what the MOE has decided.

The honorable PM. My faith in you as a honest and good leader is eroding quickly more than ever before. If your intention is to increase the school fees than you should have said so in Parliment in your budget speech. Don't lie to the people in the honourable house. Just because the Parliament provides you with immunity from prosecution it does not mean that you can go and lie to the public. If the intention is to increase the school fees, then go ahead and say so. I believe most Malaysians are educated enough to understand the need to increase the fees. There is no need to lie and then our Education Minister goes to the UN (Unesco) and make more lies to the world. This is simply embarassing. It reflects poorly of us in the international level.

Pak Lah, please do the right thing. Don't preach something and do something else. As for the parents, I feel sorry for all of us as again our function is being curtailed by the Ministry. Our voices are actually not important at the school level. Maybe there are no school-going children in the whole of the Education Ministry.