National education system is a mess, needs review - DPM Zahid

The education system is cluttered and therefore does not emphasise with national unity as a major pillar, said Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid admitted that the education system failed to form a unity because there is no meeting point in the community.

He said it was difficult to control the education system at preschool level but he wanted only one stream that should be established in the country’s current education system.

“But please, use the same stream at the secondary level. Where else in the world where there are three types of education systems. No where... (but) only in Malaysia!

“The leaders in Malaysia are so nice. In the end there is no meeting point, no equilibrium point,” he said, after the launch of 'Budaya Ilmu Teras Kekuatan Negara' at the Institut Tadbiran Awam Negara (Intan), here today,

Citing the national education system at secondary level as an example, Ahmad Zahid said there would be no cross-cultural communication barrier should the students are not separated.

“Those in maahad tahfiz (religious schools) ... have they met students from Chinese schools? They’ve never met.

“Where will there be a cross-cultural communication meeting point? Then they go to universities abroad or locally. When there is no meeting point, then there is no national unity,” he said.

Therefore, he wants the education system to be reviewed in order to put national unity as main pillar in its implementation.

“The education system should be reviewed. We respect all mother tongue but we must have a similarity to establish a national unity. Retain the knowledge with each language as a subject but do not let it be a main root that will cause problems.

“That are the values that should be there. It will be jumbled up when the education system does not take national unity as the main pillar.

“The mix will eventually create a society that will result in not having good values," he said.