SHOULD PUTRAJAYA

CONTROL EDUCATION?:
Decentralising education in
Malaysia
Members:
Eileen Morgan
Florence Sio
Michelle Lee
Jeriel Yu Liik

Main issue
Should greater autonomy be given to the state or even schools
themselves?
3 speakers have given thoughts about decentralisation in Malaysia:
i.

Daniel Rahman current G initiatives & forms of decentralisation

in Msia

ii.

Nina Adlan Disney (CEO of Asia Pacific Schools) the merits of

decentralisation and the needs of improving teacher quality

iii.

YB Zairil Khir Johari gave an alternative of decentralised

approach to decentralisation

Generally, decentralising is defined as:

process of redistributing functions, powers,
people or things away from a central
location or authority.

Current government initiatives and forms of decentralisation:

i.

Changes in policies and education curriculum (e.g. launch of

Higher Education Blueprint)

ii.

Introduction of HOTS

iii.

Capacity building programmes for English Language teachers.

iv.

Granted greater autonomy to the state education office:

-. Authority to provide intervention program in schools

-. Manage coaching programs run by high performing teachers
However, different schools might have been granted with different
statuses depending on the varying degrees of independence (e.g.
academic
institutions)

achievements,

awards

and

links

to

higher

learning

Nina Adlans points:

i. Great concern was over the quality of
teachers themselves
-. Teacher absenteeism
-. Retaining talents

Thus, reforms are needed to the Teachers

Education Institute of Malaysia and an upgrade to
the pay scale of teachers.

YB Khir Joharis points:

i.

Ministry should reduce its role to regulation and monitoring

schools as it should be left to the education professionals.

ii.

Granting Heads of Schools the authority to hire and fire its

own staff can help decentralisation to go further

iii. Using Finland school system as an example where schools

are allowed to decide their own methods of teaching the
national curriculum.

Other views stated:

Teacher training and development should
be taken up by Heads of Schools
Public schools tended to have more
bureaucracy

compared

to

private

schools, bringing more disadvantages to

students.
Shared schooling experiences for the
purpose of racial harmony.

Thank you