Education, by very simple definition, is the process of acquiring knowledge through learning.
Schools are institutions to facilitate the process of learning.
Teachers are experts trained to guide, facilitate and teach students in the acquisition of knowledge in a structured and systematic way.
Examinations are a form of assessment to gauge a students’ proficiency in studies based on an accepted syllabus.
It cannot be denied that education is a very powerful weapon of change – for better or for worse.
Better, when the knowledge is put to good use, for the betterment of man and society, and ultimately, the nation.
It can also be for the worse, from the negative and destructive perspective – when the knowledge is misused for sinister and evil intentions, with dire consequences for all – the Holocaust and Japanese atrocities during World War 2 being two gruesome examples of education systems gone awry.
Education is not indoctrination. It should encourage critical thinking, not just meek acceptance of what’s being taught.
It’s the creation of minds to realise that ‘the more one knows, the more one knows there is more to know’ – the thirst for knowledge being unquenchable.
That’s the spirit behind the smartphone – replacing the camera, recorder, radio, television, videocam, computer, dictionary, telephone directory, encyclopedia, typewriter and what-not into a simple, yet immensely powerful palm-size hand-held gadget.
Same for education.
Students are defined by the ‘cans’ rather than the ‘cannots’. But is that just what education is all about?
Of course not!
The true purpose of education lies not only in producing students with brilliant academic results but more importantly, in inculcating the right moral and ethical values in ‘the leaders of tomorrow’ – the future of the nation.
A wholesome education defines a person, his character and behaviour together with his ability to differentiate between right and wrong.
It can only happen when our ‘future leaders of tomorrow’ are educated in the true sense of aligning the needs of humanity with the needs of the nation, and ultimately, the world.
It’s about universal values, not specific religious values.
But doesn’t religion teach us to be good? If that being so, why aren’t we focussing on religious teachings in schools?
Religion is one’s personal relationship with the Almighty.
All religions teach us to do good but not all religious teachers are necessarily good, especially when they start indoctrinating instead of teaching or enlightening those under their charge.
This is dangerous as the poisonous seeds of destruction are slowly and systematically being sowed in the young and fertile minds, turning them into zombies instead of thinkers – under the guise of ‘doing good’.
This is the challenge confronting the world today – if religions teach us ‘to love one another’, why are so many wars fought over religions, resulting in hate, pain and suffering?
It’s so dangerous, isn’t it? So destructive indeed.
Back to Sarawak and Dr Mazlee Malik.
Sarawak has no official state religion although Islam is the official religion of the Federation of Malaysia.
Sarawak has autonomy over religion, among the other assurances and guarantees enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963, popularly referred to as MA63.
We do not accept Dr Maszlee’s statement urging religious teachers from Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah not to return to their hometowns but to make Sabah and Sarawak their “medan dakwah” (Islamic propagation field).
This statement by our Education Minister goes against the very basic spirit of MA63 and appears to sanction teachers from Malaya to promote Islamisation and propagation of the religion to local students in non-religious schools in Sabah and Sarawak, particularly in the rural areas.
We strongly urge Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his capacity as our Prime Minister to seriously consider appointing a new Education Minister to replace Dr Maszlee who has largely failed in his duties to give priority in uplifting the quality of our education system over other matters.
We voted for change under the Pakatan Harapan government’s “Malaysia Baru”.
We voted for reforms, not for more deformities in our education system.
Dr Maszlee stands out like a sore thumb on this.
As a Sarawakian, may I say this: Please conduct yourself like an Education Minister for all, not an evangelist, especially in Sarawak, of all places.
With this in mind, it may be too late to expect too much from him.
To borrow a line from the late Jim Reeves – “He’ll have to go”.
