One more promise from our Education Ministry

Am I being optimistic in thinking that our Education Ministry is finally getting its act together?

I have mentioned in an earlier post about the skewed priorities in deciding where the limited funds allocated to the Education Ministry should go to. So, reading the news reported in page 10 of the Sunday Star today sort of give me hope that perhaps these guys have finally realised something is not quite right with the way they are running the Ministry.

In the report, our Education Minister said that, "In the next 5 years (in line with the agenda under the 9th Malaysia Plan), the Government will concentrate on the welfare of schools that lack basic necessities to make all schools equal, ... in terms of teachers, infrastructure and equipment."

He acknowledged that, "Some rural schools now still do not have enough teachers and are not supplied with a 24-hour power supply. We hope to change this."

I'm glad he has finally acknowledged that there are serious shortcomings in the fair distribution of public funds for the education sector.

I also hope Datuk Seri Hishamuddin will keep his promise, even if in the intervening 5 years of the plan to make things right, he may no longer hold the post of Education Minister. Because it has so often be proven that policies are changed and promises forgotten each time a new person takes over the Ministry.

And I do agree with the Minister that "Premier, heritage and residential schools with modern facilities and infrastructure are expected to source funds on their own for upgrading."

These schools have "churned out many successful Malaysians, including those from the royalty, who could help source funds for their alma mater" instead of depending too much on government allocation.

The way I see it, these schools should be proud of the fact that the govt has a high regard for their ability to set a bold example to the public that they can throw away the crutches and stand tall and survive on their own without the need for handouts. We are talking about the high number of successful Bumiputeras that have passed through the doors of these elite schools.

After all, if most of the Chinese primary schools can successfully garner the support from the public to fund upgrading of their school facilities and other necessary improvement projects for the benefit of their students, I don't see why these elite institutions can't do the same for the betterment of their own community.

It's just a matter of whether their community has a deep sense of responsibility to give back to society what they have richly reaped from the help given by others to them in the past.

That is the difference between being able to stand on your own two feet or forever playing the role of the weak and helpless.

So, is that really bad news for schools with modern facilities?

Not really.

They should look at it in a positive way.

They have finally "graduated" from being dependant on the govt for their survival and can now show us what they are truly capable of - the ability to soar high and continue to achieve milestones of successes on their own.

To be world-class. To attract the best because they can be the best given the opportunity to stand on their own.

That is something to be truly proud of, to aspire to. That will also be their first step to being glocal, err ... global.