Envy over M’sian education reform plan

South Korea’s former education minister is among foreign experts who have given the thumbs up to Malaysia’s new education blueprint, to be unveiled tomorrow.
Speaking to reporters today, Byong-Man Ahn said the reform plan is beyond anything his country has ever attempted.
“I confess that I very (much) envy what your country is doing now. The project is very huge and very detailed. We have never done that in Korea before,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters today, after meeting with Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (right) on the blueprint, which aims at producing students who can compete internationally.
Ahn, one of several international experts consulted over the past eight months, said the breadth of the blueprint is “enough to cover important aspects of education reform”.
Sufficient time was taken to ask “intellectual questions and take scientific approach” to meet the plans goals, he noted.
Ahn currently serves as the vice-chairperson of the presidential advisory council on education, science and technology in South Korea.
‘Success depends on implementation’
Also meeting Muhyiddin today was Lee Sing Kong, who is director of Singapore’s National Institute of Education.
He said he was impressed that input from stakeholders, including parents, has been incorporated into the plan.
The blueprint incorporates best case practices from “high performing systems”, he said, including areas of teaching quality.
While Lee gave a glowing review of the blueprint, he cautioned that success depends on whether implementation is carried out well.
“It is up to the ministry to discuss (the implementation),” he said.
Others at the meeting today were Andreas Schleicher, the OECD head of indicators and analysis division of the directorate of education, and Michael Fullan, special adviser in education to the Canadian education minister.

tunku : in malaysia's case, it it always outsiders that appreciate and value what the government is doing. normally some people here in malaysia can't see that clearly because they have been blinded with the hatred politics played by the opposition.