CAN schools teach our children to be good Malaysians? The Education Ministry believes so. Beginning in January, Civics and Nationhood will be introduced as a subject in all schools.

"The ministry should be congratulated on bringing back the subject," says Associate Professor Dr N.S. Rajendran of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.

But Rajendran is quick to add: "Having said that, I have serious concerns about the way this subject is being implemented in schools." Civics Education was first taught in 1972, but it was scrapped 10 years later following a revamp. Elements of the subject were incorporated into various other subjects like Kajian Tempatan, History, Islamic Studies and Moral Education.

Civics is now coming back, albeit gradually and under a new name, Civics and Nationhood. It will be re-introduced to Year Four and Form One pupils from next year, Year Five and Form Two pupils in 2006, Year Six and Form Three pupils in 2007, Form Four pupils in 2008 and Fifth Formers in 2009.

Will it work this time around? Deputy Education Minister Datuk Mahadzir Mohd Khir told Parliament on Oct 13 that the revived subject, among others, aimed to create individuals who can solve conflicts without using force, who understand cultural diversity and who can contribute to national development.

Rajendran said the objectives were noble but added that several key weaknesses need to be looked into. The first is the way the subject teachers are trained.

Under the method, a group of "master trainers" is exposed to what the subject is all about and how it should be taught. They, in turn, will train other groups of teachers at state-level. The latter will then train teachers at district level.

"Research has shown that this type of training is not very effective in providing the knowledge and skills required to teach a new subject," said Rajendran.

His concern is shared by the secretary-general of the National Union of Teaching Profession, Lok Yim Pheng.

"Information about the subject will be diluted when it finally reaches the individual teachers in the schools," she says.

Civics and Nationhood will deal with various themes relating to family relationships, life in school and society, multiculturalism, Malaysia as a sovereign state, and the future challenges facing the nation. The subject, in other words, aims to instill noble values.

"The only way for that to happen is when teachers are properly trained and equipped," says Rajendran.

"Otherwise, pupils will end up merely memorising lessons ... one, two, three, blah, blah, blah, and they move on without learning anything meaningful." Teachers face the task of making the subject a success, but the biggest challenge will be whether pupils will be able to cope.

Civics and Nationhood will not be an examination subject, but pupils need to submit project papers. Lok said it will be tough, especially for Year Four pupils.

The fourth year in primary school, she explained, is a transition period. Pupils are exposed to new skill sets that, among others, emphasise language and essay-writing skills. The prospect of coping with a new subject will be daunting.

"The teachers don't mind teaching the subject, but they are not happy because pupils already have to cope with so much work.

"Let's not overburden the children," said Lok. She suggested that project papers for the subject should only be made a requirement for pupils in Form One and above.

Some pupils in primary school, she said, have such a poor grasp of language that they find it tough to string together simple sentences.

For them, the emphasis should be on strengthening their foundation in the basics instead of introducing a new subject that requires essay- writing skills.

Rajendran concurs. He keeps a collection of cuttings from the letters pages of newspapers on the grouses raised by parents and children about how stressful school is becoming.

"We keep adding on so many new things for pupils to deal with, without realising the amount of pressure they are facing," he said.

The pressure to cope may be a harsh reality pupils need to adjust to, but the expectations of what one subject can achieve should also be realistic.

"We seem to have developed a fast-food kind of mentality, where we expect quick solutions to problems in society," he added.

Citing an example, Rajendran said that it may be a problem when not enough Malaysians fly the flag during National Day , because it indicates we are not as patriotic as we should be.

"But can we solve this problem just by introducing an additional subject in school?" Civics and Nationhood, in other words, are collective societal responsibilities. School alone will not be able to accomplish their Herculean objectives.

No, there is no quick fix in creating the good Malaysian.

by Abdul Raazak Ahmad

Source: New Straits Times - October 24, 2004