Undergrads lack general knowledge
DEWAN RAKYAT: Undergrads lack general knowledge, says MP
By : V. Vasudevan, Eileen Ng, Irdiani Mohd Salleh and Seth Tun Ismail
2008/12/12
UNIVERSITY students are intellectually weak because they are lazy and not because they are spending time in politics, a backbencher said yesterday.
Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) said these undergraduates only read notes provided by lecturers or those obtained at tutorials.
"They don't go to the library and pursue additional knowledge to improve their minds.
"They don't read reference books as these are in English. They said it is difficult, gives them a headache. They go for examinations equipped only with the information obtained from the lecture hall," he said during the debate on the Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2008.
The bill seeks to give more freedom to undergraduates in the country's 18 public universities to take part in campus activities.
It also aims to streamline the administration of universities and provide better welfare benefits to staff and the undergraduates.
Tajuddin said the undergraduates should be concentrating on improving themselves to face the rat race.
Responding to the widely-held perception that university students were not doing well in their studies because of involvement in politics, he said: "I am not saying politics is not important. I am saying they should concentrate on improving their minds first.
"This country needs engineers, accountants, industrialists, entrepreneurs."
He said the country needed to move forward by becoming producers rather than becoming consumers.
Tajuddin said his observations were based on his experience interviewing undergraduates for work in his company.
"I have interviewed many of them and although they were graduates, they had little general knowledge. What little general knowledge they had was poor because they did not read enough," he said.
Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) said the changes in the Universities and University Colleges Act would improve the administration of universities.
He said the government should find ways to encourage idealism among university students.
"It has to be established if student activism had brought about poor performance among them," he said.
Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) did not think there was a correlation between academic excellence and politicking.
He felt there should not be double standards and the government should allow opposition parties to be active on campuses.
According to the revealed article from The Star, 12.12.2008, it is so sad to accept the fact that undergraduates lack general knowledge. Why is this happen?? I self doubt... but when I recall what had happen in my University, I feel that the behavior of self-centered play an important role in degrading one's mental progress. People are so selfish over their knowledge! And the feeling of winning and excel beat everything flat! No friendship concerned, no interaction, no discussion... Basically, NOTHING~ Even there is a discussion held, members will maintain the good old cliche - "SILENCE IS GOLDEN" and therefore the whole discussion is all about SILENCE! LOL!!! Yet, it is quite a surprise ones can even get their course works done by just dealing them with the most evil thing ever - MONEY! It is so true! How can a student enhance their mental progress in this way? These scenes are so much different than other foreign universities where students make their own notes, exchange notes, read on other subjects or even spend the afternoon in garden reading literature or some other reading material that are not related to their field. There are always good discussions constantly. What madw them so into gaining new knowledge? Is it because of culture matter, self interest, education system, or combination of all these?
I am an undergraduate of TESL (Teaching English as A Second Language) course. I am here not to complain but just to share what is actually happen in our tertiary education, in fact, education system. It is true that local lecturer are poor! Poor in knowledge, poor in interaction, poor in building good rapport with students, poor in almost everything... Reading through power point slides seems to be local lecturers' favorite (they must be major in this!). It is so dull and monotonous and so uninspiring! It seems like teaching is not their interest anymore but the income concerned. Why do I say so? Because no enthusiasm in in teaching can be seen clearly anymore. Isn't it a good educator should be educated, caring, dedicated...... I came across with one dull subject (when I say dull, I mean it! It is even worst that you are learning grammar!), and there is purely presentations throughout the semester for this particular subject! Yes, it is so right that students do take their own responsibility in their learning, but to the least, students should be informed what is the focus of this subject because degree in learning this course is ways different from PhD level~ The scope is terribly wide~ Isn't it students will demotivated in learning? They won't even have interest in reading notes provided! How sad it can be... As a lecturer, the most important element concerned is not about teaching, is about how much your learners learn.
It is so sorrowful of Malaysia running down education system. It was ages back when teaching is so professional where every educators deserve respect from students and parents. But sadly to say, nowadays, parents even work with their children to go against the teacher. The world has changed. Everything seems to be upside down and inner out... As we all can see there are numerous cases happened in between students and teachers in this couple of months and it sounds so ridiculous. Educators play an important role in education field. They can either kill a spirit or save a spirit. Overall, I will put the blame on our education system. Why? Because the production of educators they come out with! It is so unreliable! As a parent, how dare you aspect your kids to be educated under such circumstances?? I wonder... Educators are the main source to motivate one's interest in learning, therefore something appropriate and relevant should be teach rather than reading whatever you have in hand. Imagine if you are the learner, will you be interested in what you don't think is a need in your life?
Undergrads lack general knowledge
DEWAN RAKYAT: Undergrads lack general knowledge, says MP
By : V. Vasudevan, Eileen Ng, Irdiani Mohd Salleh and Seth Tun Ismail
2008/12/12
UNIVERSITY students are intellectually weak because they are lazy and not because they are spending time in politics, a backbencher said yesterday.
Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) said these undergraduates only read notes provided by lecturers or those obtained at tutorials.
"They don't go to the library and pursue additional knowledge to improve their minds.
"They don't read reference books as these are in English. They said it is difficult, gives them a headache. They go for examinations equipped only with the information obtained from the lecture hall," he said during the debate on the Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2008.
The bill seeks to give more freedom to undergraduates in the country's 18 public universities to take part in campus activities.
It also aims to streamline the administration of universities and provide better welfare benefits to staff and the undergraduates.
Tajuddin said the undergraduates should be concentrating on improving themselves to face the rat race.
Responding to the widely-held perception that university students were not doing well in their studies because of involvement in politics, he said: "I am not saying politics is not important. I am saying they should concentrate on improving their minds first.
"This country needs engineers, accountants, industrialists, entrepreneurs."
He said the country needed to move forward by becoming producers rather than becoming consumers.
Tajuddin said his observations were based on his experience interviewing undergraduates for work in his company.
"I have interviewed many of them and although they were graduates, they had little general knowledge. What little general knowledge they had was poor because they did not read enough," he said.
Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) said the changes in the Universities and University Colleges Act would improve the administration of universities.
He said the government should find ways to encourage idealism among university students.
"It has to be established if student activism had brought about poor performance among them," he said.
Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) did not think there was a correlation between academic excellence and politicking.
He felt there should not be double standards and the government should allow opposition parties to be active on campuses.
According to the revealed article from The Star, 12.12.2008, it is so sad to accept the fact that undergraduates lack general knowledge. Why is this happen?? I self doubt... but when I recall what had happen in my University, I feel that the behavior of self-centered play an important role in degrading one's mental progress. People are so selfish over their knowledge! And the feeling of winning and excel beat everything flat! No friendship concerned, no interaction, no discussion... Basically, NOTHING~ Even there is a discussion held, members will maintain the good old cliche - "SILENCE IS GOLDEN" and therefore the whole discussion is all about SILENCE! LOL!!! Yet, it is quite a surprise ones can even get their course works done by just dealing them with the most evil thing ever - MONEY! It is so true! How can a student enhance their mental progress in this way? These scenes are so much different than other foreign universities where students make their own notes, exchange notes, read on other subjects or even spend the afternoon in garden reading literature or some other reading material that are not related to their field. There are always good discussions constantly. What madw them so into gaining new knowledge? Is it because of culture matter, self interest, education system, or combination of all these?
I am an undergraduate of TESL (Teaching English as A Second Language) course. I am here not to complain but just to share what is actually happen in our tertiary education, in fact, education system. It is true that local lecturer are poor! Poor in knowledge, poor in interaction, poor in building good rapport with students, poor in almost everything... Reading through power point slides seems to be local lecturers' favorite (they must be major in this!). It is so dull and monotonous and so uninspiring! It seems like teaching is not their interest anymore but the income concerned. Why do I say so? Because no enthusiasm in in teaching can be seen clearly anymore. Isn't it a good educator should be educated, caring, dedicated...... I came across with one dull subject (when I say dull, I mean it! It is even worst that you are learning grammar!), and there is purely presentations throughout the semester for this particular subject! Yes, it is so right that students do take their own responsibility in their learning, but to the least, students should be informed what is the focus of this subject because degree in learning this course is ways different from PhD level~ The scope is terribly wide~ Isn't it students will demotivated in learning? They won't even have interest in reading notes provided! How sad it can be... As a lecturer, the most important element concerned is not about teaching, is about how much your learners learn.
It is so sorrowful of Malaysia running down education system. It was ages back when teaching is so professional where every educators deserve respect from students and parents. But sadly to say, nowadays, parents even work with their children to go against the teacher. The world has changed. Everything seems to be upside down and inner out... As we all can see there are numerous cases happened in between students and teachers in this couple of months and it sounds so ridiculous. Educators play an important role in education field. They can either kill a spirit or save a spirit. Overall, I will put the blame on our education system. Why? Because the production of educators they come out with! It is so unreliable! As a parent, how dare you aspect your kids to be educated under such circumstances?? I wonder... Educators are the main source to motivate one's interest in learning, therefore something appropriate and relevant should be teach rather than reading whatever you have in hand. Imagine if you are the learner, will you be interested in what you don't think is a need in your life?
Hmmph... Kinda right. Thats life, and let somehow cope with it. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, it is so so and so surprise to see your comment here! I never know you will ever once visit my blog! Well, like every creatures in the world agreed, LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. There are things you really need to close one eye and start accepting and of course to endure the pain. Of course one can start changing rather that forcefully to cope with things that are not willingly to cope with~ LOL~ Well well, sometime it is just beyond what we can do... Kinda sad huh! All the best in life!
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