KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry wants teachers to emphasise and inculcate 14 fundamental virtues and values among students through a natural and spontaneous approach.
Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said, the 14 virtues, represented in the abbreviation “SEJAHTERA”, will not burden teachers with additional workload since the initiative will not involve a new subject or any insertions to the current syllabus.
“Teachers should inculcate these values, either while teaching in classrooms (direct approach) or during co-curriculum activities (indirect approach) that will be allowed to resume at the right time.
“Children, during their early years, build a mental model in their mind as they try to connect few concepts together.
“These concepts will develop an understanding, that eventually will be structured and articulated in a proper manner.
“We need to encourage them to hone their ability to articulate their thoughts until they leave the schooling system.
“A successful generation is one that produces a far better generation than itself, and that is precisely our aim with the “Sekolahku Sejahtera” campaign,” he said, during the launch ceremony of the campaign today.
The 14 values include creating a safe, fun and healthy school environment; promoting ethics and empathy, shaping self-identity (jati diri) of students; emphasis on good manners (adab) and a harmonious living; raising a rational-minded and an innovation led generation with the ability to articulate their thoughts persuasively.
Radzi said, students must willingly choose to attend schools rather than coerced to do so.
This, he said, was vital to reduce the dropout rates in the country.
“Part of the reason why the ministry abolished the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) was because the exam pressured both students and teachers.
“Some parents started to enrol their children to tuition classes at seven years old to ensure their kids scored a string of “A’s” in UPSR when they turn 12.
“Teachers were pressured to finish the syllabus and consequently, spent lesser time to shape the character and personality of students.
“So, we started by correcting the education structure (at primary school level) by enhancing classroom-based assessment and by allowing them to learn through playing.
“This will eventually contribute to their character development,” he said.
The government, he said, will continue to provide and upgrade infrastructures in schools, particulary for children with special needs.
“Last year, the government allocated RM45 million to build, manage and maintain four key facilities for special needs students in schools.
“For this year, the Finance Ministry has increased the allocation to RM50 million for this purpose,” he added.
Source: New Straits Times
