Will Budget 2023 prioritise the right things for higher education?

KUALA LUMPUR: The higher education sector saw severe disruptions in recent years, with around 1.3 million university students in Malaysia suddenly forced to transition into virtual learning.

As part of the first batch of students who sat for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations during the pandemic, youth activist Nurul Rifayah Muhammad Iqbal said her generation faced various unprecedented challenges.

Now pursuing her tertiary education, she told Astro Awani the biggest issue was the uncertainty surrounding online classes which impacted the learning process.

This includes worrying about attaining proper laptops and the quality of their Internet connection at home.

“We’re supposed to be enjoying our first year of degree or foundation, but we’re not. We’re actually at home and continuing our studies online,” she said on It’s About YOUth.

Citing various efforts such as food vouchers under the Food@Campus Keluarga Malaysia initiative and allocations of RM150 per student under the eBelia programme, Rifayah said more can be done to help students tide through tough times.

“We need support from the government, to think of ways for us to better survive while in university. Not only in terms of money, but also our wellbeing.”

Ooi Tze Howe, President of the Higher Education Malaysia Association (HEYA) noted that many university students were indeed struggling with rising cost of living.

A recent survey conducted by HEYA found that accommodation, higher food prices and transportation were among the youth’s main concerns.

“It’s very inconsistent across all public universities in Malaysia. Some universities have ample and affordable campus accommodation but others do not,” he said, adding that the government should look into allocating more funds for affordable student housing in Budget 2023.

Another way to address this, said Ooi, was to provide more opportunities for students to get involved in entrepreneurship so they could earn a living and "take responsibility for their lives".

“Provide more opportunities for them to work on campus, have part-time jobs, things like these. I think that would be really crucial for students to sail through these challenges.”

With several universities still adopting hybrid learning models, Ooi called for more investments in electronic resources and up-to-date software for institutions to move forward.

There should also be considerations to amend syllabuses that meet the needs of the post-pandemic labour market.

Employers, said Ooi, now often look for adaptable youths with critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

“Universities really need to be prepared to produce such talent. The whole learning algorithm would have to be revamped in such a way that it is not only training students with good computation power.

“Computational power is no longer important nowadays because it can be replaced by computers and Artificial Intelligence (AI).”

Women-only university: Does it meet the aspiration of youths?

The Higher Education Ministry previously mooted the idea of establishing a university that only caters to women, saying it would increase Malaysia’s visibility in higher education and strengthen its position internationally.

There are currently more than 350,000 women in local public higher education institutions, constituting 61 per cent of overall student enrolment.

Commenting on this, Rifayah said a university specifically for women would do little to address problems faced by her and her peers.

She urged the ministry to channel its funds towards helping those struggling financially or with their mental health instead.

Ooi agreed, saying a better way to combat gender equality would be to focus on actively addressing sexual harassment cases within the higher education sector.

“If you’re talking about upholding women’s rights and gender balance, we should be protecting their lives and status in universities. Not by building a new infrastructure for them," he said.