Meritocracy system for varsities to remain

Tuesday May 4, 2010
Meritocracy system for varsities to remain

THE Government will persist in its practice of meritocracy in the intake of students into public universities, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said.
He said the meritocracy system on education should be seen as a move to ensure that no Malaysian of any race would be left behind in the country’s development programmes.
As such, he said the Malay community’s worries about the performance of bumiputra undergraduates should not be used as an argument to reject meritocracy.
“The Government’s affirmative actions will ensure that no Malaysian will be left out of development programmes. We should apply meritocracy in the best way possible that will not create a negative environment for all races,” he told Senator Ahmad Husin in winding-up the debate on the motion of thanks on the King’s speech.
Ahmad had earlier called on the Government to withdraw the meritrocracy system, adding that it was not written in the Constitution except for the word “quota”.
Meanwhile, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the Government’s review of the school curriculum would stress on the acquisition of knowledge through fun learning.
The curriculum transformation programme begans this year for pre-schoolers, 2011 for Year One schoolchildren and 2012 for Form 1 students.
“It will focus on creative and innovative literacy knowledge of students,” he told Senator Datuk Abdul Rashid Ngah.
The curriculum transformation programme is to ensure that the system is no longer exam-oriented.