HELP University awards honorary doctorate to Kim Jong-Un

HELP University Malaysia has awarded an honorary doctorate in Economics to North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-Un.

News of the conferment turned viral after a blog entry on Tuesday by ForeignPolicy.com detailing the award, started circulating on social media.

The blog quoted a Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) article that reported on a ceremony conveying the certificate.

The simple ceremony was held on Oct 3 in the DPR Korean (North Korean) embassy in Kuala Lumpur and was attended by 35 invitees including the HELP University president Datuk Dr Paul Chan and the North Korean ambassador to Malaysia, who received the honour on Kim's behalf.

It was also mentioned that Kim Jong Un was the first foreign head of state to receive the honorary degree from the university.

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Don’t listen to rumours on vernacular schools, says deputy minister

Contrary to rumours, the education ministry has no intention of abolishing national-type Chinese or Tamil schools, its Deputy Minister Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching said.

"Don't believe the allegations that national-type Chinese primary schools or SJK(C) will be abolished. The ministry has no intention of carrying out such an action," the Star quoted Yap as saying.

She pointed out that the National Education Blueprint 2013-2015 specifically mentioned Chinese, Tamil, international and private schools, which clearly showed the ministry would retain these schools.

"The education ministry will safeguard the education of different religions, races and ethnic groups," Yap assured.

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Your silence is deafening, DAP tells Muhyiddin

The Education Minister’s silence and inaction in the SK Seri Pristana issue is sending out the wrong message to educators in schools nationwide.

DAP's national vice-chairman M. Kula Segaran said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s indifference to the plight of whistleblower Guneswari Kelly, who had to transfer her daughter to a vernacular school, has angered the public.

Guneswari, a parent of a pupil at the school, had exposed how non-Muslim pupils at the school were made to have their recess in a shower room during the Ramadan month after she posted a photo on Facebook.

Her nine-year-old daughter had suffered after that when she became the target of abuse by teachers of the school.

Two days ago, Guneswari told The Malaysian Insider that she will transfer her daughter to a vernacular school in Subang as a result of the bullying. The mother had also been the target of threats.

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USM: Applicants may have failed admission interview

Students with perfect scores but were not offered places in medical courses in Uni­versiti Sains Malaysia could have failed the admission interview, said the apex university’s vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Omar Osman.

He was responding to an allegation by MCA education bureau chairman Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong that there were students with cumulative grade point average of 3.92 and 3.7 who were offered dentistry courses while other top scorers with CGPA of 4.0 were not given any offers.

“We will look into the appeal cases. Special consideration will be given to them if there are places left from other students rejecting their offers,” Prof Omar said, adding that students should appeal directly to USM.

An official from USM confirmed that a student with CGPA of 4.0 was not offered a place in medicine because he only obtained a low band in the Malaysian University English Test.

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Degree a must for new teachers by 2020

BY 2020, all teachers must possess a first degree before they can join the teaching profession.

This was contained in a report of the Education Ministry’s Interim Strategic Education Plan 2011-2020 to improve the overall quality of teachers. At present, they are only required to complete the post-Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) teachers’ training course as a minimum requirement to join the profession. The report also stated that the ministry would conduct pre-screenings to identify quality and excellent teachers from as early as the selection process itself.

The ministry planned to pick only top-scoring university graduates to fill about 20 per cent of trainee teachers by 2015.

The passing criteria for teachers at training institutes would also be reviewed to ensure the quality of trainees continued to be high.

Details on PSD scholarship, Tuesday

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says the Government will announce details on the application of the PSD scholarships Tuesday.

Dong Zong wants only Chinese-speaking teachers at vernacular schools

THE Education Ministry should remove all newly-assigned non Chinese-speaking teachers and those who did not have Chinese language qualification, including Malay and English teachers, from Chinese vernacular schools, the Chinese dailies reported.

The demand was among four resolutions that were passed by Dong Zong (the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia) during a rally to protest against the shortage of teachers in Chinese vernacular schools.

Magnanimous Wee forgives alleged 'attacker'

No police report will be lodged against the person who has been accused of shoving his fist into the face of Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong at a rally in Kajang yesterday.

Wee told reporters at the Parliament lobby today that he has "forgiven" the person who tried to punch him.

"I've chosen to forgive them... I was prepared for the worst. It took guts to go and listen to their voices, that's all," he said.

Chinese educationists to go ahead with rally on teacher shortage

Chinese educationists to go ahead with rally on teacher shortage

The United Chinese School Committees Association (Dong Zong) will go ahead with a mass rally planned this Sunday to voice its concern over the shortage of teachers in Chinese primary schools.


Dong Zong said this was despite Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong’s (picture) announcement on Wednesday about the Education Ministry’s eight long- and short-term plans to resolve the issue.

“The deputy minister announced the eight plans five days after (the second roundtable discussion on March 16), on March 21,” Dong Zong was quoted as saying today by Sin Chew Daily.

Education Ministry to work with Cambridge Malaysian Education and Development Trust

Education minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says the collaboration is to enhance the teaching of English in schools.

Najib gets bags of petitions to reinstate PPSMI

A group of parents has submitted more than 12,000 petitions appealing to the government to continue the teaching of Mathematics and Science in the English language (PPSMI).

About 15 representatives of the Concerned Parents of Selangor (CPS) were at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya this morning, carrying a dozen plastic bags filled with petitions for the prime minister's consideration.

Best PMR results in last four years

A total of 34,271 (7.77%) out of 441,137 students scored straight A's in the 2011 Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examinations, making it the best PMR results in the past four years, said Education director-general Datuk Seri Abd Ghafar Mahmud.

He said the National Average Grade (GPN) for the examinations improved from 2.74 to 2.71 this year (a lower GPN indicates better results).

(In 2010, the percentage of straight A's scorers was 7.02%.)

"This year's GPN indicator is also the highest of the past four years.

Ultimatum for Saifuddin Pro-govt students want deputy minister to quit if demands not met

TAKE BLAME OR GO: The student protesters marching to the Higher Education Ministry. They have given its deputy minister 14 days to meet two demands

A pro-government student group led by the Malaysian Student Leaders Alumni Aspiration Association (Persatuan Pemimpin Alumni Mahasiswa Aspirasi Malaysia — Aspirasi) has called for Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah’s resignation if their demands submitted to his office are not met.

In the memorandum which they submitted to Saifuddin’s senior private secretary Mohd Nazri Noh, Aspirasi demanded that Saifuddin be fully responsible for the Dec 17 flagswapping incident which “shamed the dignity of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak”.

Chua: Make Mandarin a compulsory exam subject

The MCA will push for Mandarin to be made a compulsory Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) paper for students in Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan (SMJK).

Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said making the subject compulsory was important because there should be a minimum level of language proficiency for those wishing to teach in Chinese schools.

He added that the boards of SMJK nationwide were unanimous in their decision to request that the language be made a compulsory subject.

Dr Chua, however, said there would be a shortage of Mandarin teachers to teach the subject.

The party has directed its Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who is also Deputy Education Minister, to look into the matter.

Less than 10% of 489,101 UPSR candidates obtained all As

Less than 10% of the total 485,160 Year Six pupils who sat for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) exam scored all As this year.

Education Ministry director-general Datuk Seri Abdul Ghafar Mahmud said the 9.48% accounted for 46,012 pupils, marking a slight decline of 0.54% from 2010's 10.02%.

Last year, 48,327 of 482,334 candidates obtained all As.

"This is just a small drop compared to those getting at least the minimum C Grade which has increased by 1.07% from 54.38% in 2010 to 55.45% this year.

"Such fluctuation in results is normal," he said announcing the overall results of the UPSR exam at the ministry here today.

However, he said, the overall performance of UPSR candidates this year is the best since the past four years when the National Average Grade (GPN) was first introduced.

Flexible PPSMI option is feasible, Muhyiddin says

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin defended the government's decision to allow some flexibility in choosing the medium to learn Science and Mathematics for those affected by the scrapping of the policy to teach the subjects in English, saying it was feasible.

“Parents need not worry because the schools will be able to facilitate (the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English or PPSMI) according to the needs and suitability in the respective schools.

“It can be done,” he told a press conference after meeting the first batch of 50 top graduates, who will teach in schools in disadvantaged communities, under the Teach for Malaysia programme.

Reiterating the policy is “only to make things easier” for the students, Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister said the most important issue is in ensuring that the classes continue without any confusion in schools, especially in regards to the ministry's decision to allow students to transfer to schools that offer the subjects in English.

In 2009, the government decided to scrap the policy in stages starting 2012, but decided on a "soft-landing" approach following protests from some quarters.

PPSMI: Let it stay

PAGE and JMM hopes the government will consider Year One students to study Science and Maths in English.

DAP’s Loke slams ‘hypocrite’ Wee over UUCA remarks

Loke says Wee and MCA Youth were only now jumping on the bandwagon.

DAP MP Anthony Loke has labelled Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong a “hypocrite” for backing today’s court ruling against the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), reminding the MCA Youth chief that his party leaders had previously supported the controversial law.

The Rasah MP pointed out that when amendments to the law were tabled in Parliament in 2008, Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers — including MCA MPs — had not objected to them.

“Not one MCA MP fought for the repeal of Section 15 of the Act and suggestions for its amendment by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs at the committee stage were also opposed by BN MPs, including those from MCA,” Loke said in a statement here.

PAGE holds BN to ransom on PPSMI issue

Noor Azimah (left) with the letter of appeal the lobby group presented to the PM, outside the PM’s office in Putrajaya on October 31, 2011


The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) today admitted holding the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) to ransom over the use of English to teach science and mathematics in schools.

Yesterday, PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim had bluntly said BN risks losing votes in the upcoming general election if it continues to bar students from learning science and maths in English in schools.

Today, the parents lobby group denied any political affiliation, saying it was only doing what was best for their children.

“Because it is real. If we don’t get this and I’m going to vote and I’m a believer. And unfortunately, if I don’t get this for my children that is what I will do,” Noor Azimah told reporters today after sending a letter of appeal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on the matter.

Sex education, finally Submitted by Najiah on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 * Local * sex education * Sex education in schools * Shahrizat Abdul Jalil Green light given by Education Ministry to teach subject next year

SHAHRIZAT: The subject will first start as a pilot project in several identified schools


AFTER a six-year delay, sex education is likely to be taught to Year Six and Form Three students next year as a pilot project in several schools in the country.

The decision to introduce social and reproductive health education (SRHE) into primary and secondary school classrooms came about from discussions between the Education Ministry and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.


Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil told The Malay Mail it would be taught as a co-curricular subject after the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examinations.

"We have sent the proposal for the subject to be taught in schools to the Education Ministry and they have agreed, in principle, to study the implementation of teaching the subject in schools.

"Hopefully, it could be implemented next year after the UPSR and the PMR examinations.

"If everything goes well, the implementation of this subject will start as a pilot project first in several schools we have identified."