Article Review: School system is a betrayal to education

Name :SYAIFUL ANUWAR BIN JAMAL HISAMClass :ED 247 / 4ASubject :Curriculum and Instruction, EDU 555Lecturer Name: En. Mohamad Hisyam Ismail

Introduction• Writer: Anas Alam Faizli• Date: 11th March 2013• Website: The Malaysia Insider• URL:http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/is-the-modern-school-system-a-betrayal-to-education-anas-alam-faizli• Anas Alam Faizli is a former student from Kolej Islam Sultan

Alam Shah, University Technology Malaysia and Open University Malaysia.

• He is pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration and also voluntarily as an Executive Director at Teach for The Needs (TFTN).

Cont

•The main focus in this article is to question whether school is the place for the children to learn or the place they will be indoctrinated by certain parties.

•School, its early foundation, the main formation of school are for indoctrination and brainwashing of students.

Summary• George Land (1968) research stated that as children grow, the

number of geniuses people in the world are decreasing.

• "In 1968, George Land gave 1,600 5-year-olds a creativity test used by NASA to select innovative engineers and scientists. He then re-tested the same children at ages 10 and 15. The test results were staggering! 98% at age 5 registered genius level creativity, 30% at 10 year and 12% at 15 years of age. The same test given to 280,000 adults placed their genius level creativity at only 2% ! In his book 'Breakpoint and Beyond', co-authored by Beth Jarman, Land concluded that non-creative behavior is learned".

Cont

•Most of people set their mind if they go to school to learn, they will be intelligence and genius not vice versa.

•This article argues that whether school is the place for learning process or the place where people will be indoctrinated.

Cont

•Based on the BrainFacts.org, brain has the ability to adapt and modify itself to challenges and environment that known as ‘Plasticinity’.

•However, do we really use schools as medium to develop humans’ plasticity?

Cont•As we can see the concept of plasticine, it

will follow how we want to shape it. It totally depends on the shaper.

•Hence, school is the place which will be decides whether students’ brain will be in beautiful shape or ugly.

Comments

1. School as an indoctrination ground

Comments:▫ - The first school was formed by King Prussia was

in order to make people became passive and obey him, educating people was not his priority.

▫ - children in Malaysia has been indoctrinated that idea of success is from winning over others by always being at the top, paper qualifications and money.

▫ Robot▫ UPSR leak▫ Suicide attempt

2. Tabula rasa: Nature vs nurture

•Human brains are said blanked when first born.

•The emptiness brain will be filled through experiencing, perception and learning. Tabula rasa favour the proponents of nurture compared to nature.

Comment:•There are many factors that could

influences intellectual level of a child.

Cont• According to Eaves, Long and Heath (1986), in a model

where environmental effects are made continuous and cumulative, genetic effects will decrease if they do not produce comparable long-term effects through phenotyping changes.

• Today, examination system is being degraded in Malaysia because Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) were already been terminated this year.

• Focus in ‘Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3’.

• Emphasizing in critical thinking skills and soft skills.

3. Teaching versus learning• Nowadays, education system has always been

related to ‘conveying’, ‘facts and truths’ instead of ‘discovering’, ‘encouraging’ and more. It has always been about teaching pedagogy and not about learning.

Comment:• This system is too busy producing skilled teacher

but not skilled learners.• Making mistakes and failures are not often

considered as a process of learning.• Teacher also need to improve their teaching style.

4. Rethinking education for plasticity

• Education should not act as information transferring only.

Comments:• According to Dewey (1938), traditional education

consists of a rigid regimentation, ignoring the capacities and interests of the learner. Progressive education allows excessive individualism and spontaneity which Dewey says is “a deceptive index of freedom”.

• Produce children with problem solving skills, self-induced intellect, self-reliance, cooperation, innovation and human compassion instead of children whom good in answering quizzes and more.

Cont

•Should be fun and exciting to encourage students to be curious, discover new things, asking difficult questions, creating new things and more.

Conclusion

4th – School must give freedom for students to explore and learn from their surroundings to get experience for themselves.

3rd – Schools should use its functions as a transferring medium of knowledge only for cater the need of nation.

2nd – There is no valid evident no valid evident to support nature vs nurture and so nature over nurture.

1st – Education is not just something that can only occur in schools. Process happen in anytime and anywhere.

REFERENCESDewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. Toronto: Collier-

MacMillan Canada Ltd.

Faizli, A. (2013, March 11). The Malaysian Insider. Retrieved October 28, 2014, from Is the modern system a betrayal to education?: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/is-the-modern-school-system-a-betrayal-to-education-anas-alam-faizli