The fact is, starting 2017, there will be no more projections from the Ministry of Education (MOE) to all public universities (UA) that offer Bachelor of Education (ISMP) programs. MOE has reasons where teachers with certain options are said to be redundant based on comparisons of UA output and MOE requirements.
Of course, the MOE took into account several aspects before this proposal was made. Following that, the UA involved took several measures, including closing some programs and reducing intake.
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However, there are also UAs that do not close their programs or faculties of education because they have a specific vision, mission and justification.
The Faculty of Education of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) was not closed, but took an open market approach and reduced the intake to one or two classes. Students are clear with this as we informed earlier in the offer letter that no placement in government schools was promised. The graduate marketability statistics is more than 85 percent of each graduate cohort and there are still many candidates who choose the ISMP UiTM program as their first and second choice.
Why is this approach taken and why do universities still choose to take on candidates? What is the purpose of the university being realized? In general, universities are established to provide education in terms of knowledge, skills and personal values to produce a knowledgeable society in the field of science and technology as well as social sciences that can ultimately have a positive impact by upgrading the lives of the community.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean those who don’t go to higher education are not educated. But of course it should be different in terms of knowledge, skills and personal values for those who continue their studies at a higher level. Like there is a family medicine course in Malaysia.
The answer to the question of why the ISMP education program is still continued is because it wants to create a knowledgeable society, skilled in educating the next generation.
Not necessarily in government schools or in private schools, but anywhere with knowledge and skills, God willing graduates can work anywhere. The problem of them not being hired is not because the degree is not working, but maybe because of some other reasons such as no vacancies, mismatched skills (generic or specific) and various other reasons to ‘no sustenance yet’.
No one in this world has a ‘perfect’ curriculum. That is why UA is constantly improving their respective curricula by taking into account the views of experts, industry, agencies and alumni.
With the situation of VUCA (volatile, uncertainty, complex and ambiguity), a world without borders, the ever -changing industrial market is causing the educational landscape to change rapidly. Therefore, UA always strives to equip students with additional skills, in addition to those acquired in their respective curricula.
Improvements of Certificates Have Been Done
Send students to follow certificates for upskill (skill improvement) and reskill (re -skill). Students and graduates should also not be too comfortable, always learn to improve their weaknesses and look for other skills because the world is increasingly challenging and not solely dependent on the university. Those who survive (safely) are independent, good at finding opportunities, creative thinking, not easily offended and always positive -minded. These skills have been applied by UA in the curriculum, but eventually turned to the students or graduates to practice them.
But the fact is, this course does not merely provide entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, but more to the entrepreneurial mind which aims to form students who are good at seeking opportunities, creative and innovative as well as positive thinking and have strong personal characteristics and are resistant to challenges.
Other Courses
So there are some other courses. Yet many underestimate the purpose and aspirations of the university. I disagree less when it is mentioned ‘degree does not work’. What does this mean? Perhaps the author’s intent is because students are hired. I hope not the author’s intent, the degree is not quality.
