National pride: Zambry and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek (third from left) launching the Merdeka month celebrations in Putrajaya. — LOW BOON TAT/The Star.
A GREATER demand for higher education necessitates more financial support.
Pointing to the challenges faced by educational institutions over the years, Dr Naledi Pandor said although the number of students entering higher education had grown, the sector had not seen a corresponding increase in resources.
“With declining resources, increasing reliance on private funding, and the industry knocking at its door, higher education providers globally have had to work very hard to respond effectively.
“Amid these challenges, we had to be responsive to what the economic sector was demanding from us.
“We were being asked to do more while getting far less financing,” said the Republic of South Africa’s 12th International Relations and Cooperation Minister during her talk on “Humanity and Future Education” recently.
Pandor was invited by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir to give the talk during the ministry’s monthly assembly in Putrajaya on Aug 1.
“I hope that, with the support of the Higher Education Minister, you (ministry staff and academics) will enjoy academic freedom to ensure that Malaysia’s higher education system delivers quality students who are competent and able to support the nation in achieving all its development ambitions,” said Pandor.Citing a massive shift in the higher education sector, she said with tertiary learning becoming more accessible, there is greater demand for relevant higher education.
“During its inception around the 12th century, higher education was very exclusive and only available in the elite domain,” she said.
During the event, Zambry launched the start of the ministry’s Merdeka celebrations and its dashboard to track the progress of its projects.
The dashboard is a platform to coordinate, measure and analyse input and key performance index data for initiatives from the ministry’s divisions, departments, agencies and public higher education institutions to decide if interventions are needed.
It will also be used to track the progress of the Higher Education Roadmap Action Plan, the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education) and the National Higher Education Policy Review.
To view the dashboard, log on to https://www.mohe.gov.my/en/broadcast/dashboard-statistic
