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Wednesday January 17, 2007

Pak Lah: Think out of the box

Education plan: Abdullah and Hishammuddin receiving the masterplan book from a student during the launch of the National Education Blueprint 2006-2010 in Putrajaya yesterday. — Bernama
PUTRAJAYA: Students who can think out of the box – that is the type of students that the Prime Minister wants schools to produce.

Schools need to produce students who are not only literate but who can also think creatively and critically, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said at the launch of the National Education Blueprint 2006-2010 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday.

While commending the Education Ministry on its comprehensive five-year education plan, Abdullah said it was vital that the “content of schools”, including the students, curriculum and facilities, be of quality.

“Many schools in Malaysia have good infrastructure but the content is not as good,” he said.

“There are many students who are educated and can read but not many who can think out of the box.”

He urged the ministry to cultivate the minds of students to develop human capital that could add value to their knowledge and compete globally.

He added that the country needed people who not only knew how to use technology but could also create new technology.

“We need a benchmark to rate teachers’ performance. Ensuring their students’ success should be teachers’ personal mission,” he said.

Abdullah also threw down the gauntlet to Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed to improve tertiary education.

“Datuk Pa, (Education Minister Datuk Seri) Hishammuddin (Tun Hussein) wants to send you the best students. Can your universities produce the best graduates?”

He added that human capital development was important if Malaysia was to achieve developed nation status by 2020.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference after the launch, he said the development of rural schools was also important in the overall upgrading of the quality of education.

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