As I was browsing through my car’s radio channels one fine day, I heard about Teach For Malaysia. It was via a radio talk show with an interviewee named Dzameer, whom as I later found out, is one of the co-founders of Teach For Malaysia. Honestly, talk shows are not exactly what I usually listen to on the radio, but what intrigued me the most about the interview was the issue it was addressing, which is the education system in Malaysia and how Teach For Malaysia plans to tackle the issue.
Personally, I find that the education system here in Malaysia lacks one very significant yet hugely important thing: character building. I remember discussing our education system with my friends, and how it emphasises text books and factual details so much that we forget what really shapes an individual – personality and character building, which need to be moulded at an early stage.
In schools, facts and theories are taught to be memorised so that students can answer them in examinations. Though these are important, it is also important that we teach soft skills and interpersonal skills, as these can be developed and nurtured.
When I heard about Teach For Malaysia’s mission to tackle the education inequity in Malaysia, as well as to develop leadership within students in schools by with a different approach towards education, I knew that it is something that our country desperately needs. Also, seeing young Malaysians spearheading this movement signifies a change in thinking, a broader vision and a more open-minded approach towards tackling issues that our country is currently facing.
There is no place better to start this effort than at its very core, in schools. Teach For Malaysia is definitely a step in the right direction.
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