| Students, question authority! |  |  |  |
| Posted by admin | |
| Wednesday, 09 January 2008 10:06 | |
| Below is Part 2 of the speech on "student idealism" delivered at the annual gathering of the Malaysian and Indonesian Muslim Students in Washington DC, USA, December 2007. A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE "Everything is good in the hands of the author of Things, everything degenerates in the hands of Man," said Jean Jacques Rousseau, the spiritual force of the French Revolution. "Know thyself know thy enemies, one hundred battles one hundred victories," said the legendary Chinese military leader Sun Tzi. If there is a thesis statement or a guiding idea or an inquiry theme in my speech today, it is this: question authority, break new frontiers of thinking, but listen to the voice of the inner self in order to serve humanity.
How is it dispersed? Comments (34)  ... written by Dogboy, January 09, 2008 10:56:33 No no no...questioning in Malaysia absolutely not! You will be deemed a traitor! report abuse disagree 10 agree 12 ... written by hiro, January 09, 2008 11:32:11 It's a good call to all students out there. It's not just a question of questioning the authority, but to question everything in life. It is the development of a keen and discerning mind that makes the difference between a mediocre worker, or a high flying leader in some industry or political office. Malaysians have now wasted at least 2 generations on rot learning and blind following of authority. It's time to end this and reclaim our collective higher mental faculty. report abuse disagree 10 agree 7 ... written by Raufgar, January 09, 2008 11:45:42 We all have the potential for greatness and understanding, this speech should help in bring us closer to that goal. Waiting for the 3rd part with bated breath. report abuse disagree 9 agree 6 ... written by densemy, January 09, 2008 15:00:54 I understand Buddha said something like this long before Muhammed went wandering off into the desert. report abuse disagree 14 agree 9 ... written by Century Patriot, January 09, 2008 16:51:24 In Malaysia, question once, get a hard look. Question twice, get water canon. Third time, get ISA!! report abuse disagree 9 agree 9 ... written by teo siew chin, January 09, 2008 17:12:45 "I understand Buddha said something like this long before Muhammed went wandering off into the desert." ------------------------------------------------------------------ I heard that's why Moses was lost in the desert for 40 years - he refused to stop to ask for directions. report abuse disagree 11 agree 5 ... written by kksam, January 09, 2008 17:26:58 questioning? Dr Azly, in Malaysia, there's the stupid ACT against university student. Student are bar from politics unless you supports BN. Take a look at UPM, student who stand against pro government party were threaten and beaten. Just recently a student had his laptop confisticated and suspended for a semester. That's the price to pay for standing up. Of course i'm saying that we shouldn't question authority, but there's a risk in doing so under this rotten BN government. report abuse disagree 9 agree 9 ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, January 10, 2008 03:17:40 Folks, Help me out here... How do we improve thinking skills in our schools and in our universities then if we discourage even university students to ask radical questions and to think 'outside of the box'? Who benefits from all these? Is the level of thinking deteriorating? Who's at fault if this is so? Is there a difference between the public and private schools/higher education institution in terms of how teaching is approached? How much of what is happening in our Malaysian classrooms help promote radical questioning? I'd like us to discuss the "culture of learning" in our classrooms and how teachers/lecturers/professors encourage questions that improve cognition. Would allowing radical speakers (from politics, arts, humanities, etc.) into our campuses help students develop alternative points of view? In America today, campuses are racing to grab candidates to speak to students. Today at 3:00 , Barack Obama is speaking in Jersey City New Jersey in St. Peter's College and many high school and college students are even volunteering in his campaign, -- what a beauty! Can we do this in Malaysian campuses? I think we should do this. Vice Chancellors must allow students bodies to invite radical speakers during the campaign season in order to enrich our students with alternative viewpoints. This will help them decide their future of even make much needed changes. I think VCs will be more respected too for promoting such freedom -- true to their commitment to World Class thinking. It'll be the beginning of a good way to develop a culture of intellectual/academic freedom. It is time we mature politically. What do all of you think? report abuse disagree 9 agree 13 ... written by Kritz, January 10, 2008 10:54:17 Dr, at this moment of time with BN still in power if you question or challenge the authority you'll be in trouble! Totally agree with kksam. There's no culture of learning here, only passig the examination and do as what you are told to do! Very sad situation!!! report abuse disagree 10 agree 4 ... written by InEffective, January 11, 2008 08:52:56 How seditious of you !!! Malaysians must always adhere to "Blind Deference to Authority" Our 'authorities' - the rulers, the incumbent ministers, the heads of departments, our police, our judges ALWAYS knows what is best for us. Do not deviate, do not think, do not question, and above all - do not challenge. report abuse disagree 9 agree 1 ... written by Ken Liew, January 11, 2008 08:58:36 Last nite, i have a dream...... And a lovely one. NO! not tat kind of lovely you are thinking. Dream: At TV live, a 10 year old kid, are reading a speach, pin pointing the weakness of government, regarding the education which he himself are facing it. And he request that the minisir come down to the schools to see how is the situation of the school. If the schools acting can win oscar, even he may send spys to see how are the school doing. Dont just open his mouth and talk BIG when he didn't ever see a thing or two in the school. I know i was smiling and laughing, when i woke up, and too bad it is a dream. If that Kid is true, Malaysia will be brought to life again. GOOD LUCK TO US ALL ON THE FUTURE. cos there are no future on the BNs leadership. report abuse disagree 10 agree 3 ... written by antiilluminati, January 11, 2008 10:31:33 Our students have all been conditioned to being a ROBOT - How are they going to question authority - most have no balls while those has balls chose to fight for invincible enemies ...how SAD !. Some cant' even think right. Unless we got a visionary and truthful leaders or as the governing bodies. We are going back to the DARK Ages. It seems, that history will repeat itself. I feel pity for my own country, i can only cry deep inside. Perhaps, i am thinking of migrating if things doesn't change for the better. report abuse disagree 10 agree 3 ... written by sharkpitt, January 11, 2008 17:17:32 i was once a student body representative.did i question authority?heck of course!happily  ....why do we question?we are curious beings aren't we.so what do i get?a good whacking from the uni!hahaa.that aside,we need to question authority as a sign of our sensitiveness and it shows that we do care.leaders should be open to criticism.they are there and they should be aware of such things.sadly....urm  report abuse disagree 10 agree 3 ... written by sharkpitt, January 11, 2008 17:41:16 written by antiilluminati, January 11, 2008 | 10:31:33 Our students have all been conditioned to being a ROBOT - How are they going to question authority - most have no balls while those has balls chose to fight for invincible enemies ...how SAD !. Some cant' even think right. Unless we got a visionary and truthful leaders or as the governing bodies. We are going back to the DARK Ages. It seems, that history will repeat itself. I feel pity for my own country, i can only cry deep inside. Perhaps, i am thinking of migrating if things doesn't change for the better. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ brain drain does not know race?!itula...i had this thought too..after reading dina zaman's article lagila.its kinda tough for the non partisan regular malay chap in this country and apatah lagi bangsa or kaum lain.sad...even my beloved dentist plans to retire in india and she told her son to migrate to NZ.and my bapak is pestering me to cr kerja kat tmpt lain(dalam hati mmg sgt nak!hehee )insyaAllah report abuse disagree 8 agree 1 ... written by inspirasi, January 12, 2008 08:05:21 i have no name...i am just a number... i am told what to think i feel when i am told to feel... i feel what i am told to feel... as long as i obey...without question...i am given my 2 bowls of rice a day..and i am happy...while my masters debauch on caviar and champagne... i am malaysian... i am told i am happy... report abuse disagree 8 agree 2 ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, January 12, 2008 23:11:45 Brilliant comments, folks! Keep them coming... My thoughts are these: The hope for change lies in the middle class and in the public education. how do we teach students to analyze propaganda, bias, half-truths, and recognize progressive forces, institutions, and organizations of change and subsequently align with these forces? I see great potential in our students in public universities they need to equip themselves with the skills to affect changes. It is their rights -- the right to think and act and to organize for intelligent actions that will be of benefit to Malaysians of all races. At the brink of the 2008 General Election, we are in a mess, are we not?! Crime rate, mass dissatisfaction, oil prices, religious intolerance, levels of state-sponsored indoctrination in our educational institutions, number of those involved in substance abuse, dispossessed and marginalized youth, crackdown on dissenting and progressive voices of change, national concern for a fair election, cases of corruption in high and highest places, -- all these are rising and collectively has become an issue of National Security. One illustration: Growing up in Johor Bahru as a teenager who thought that I have been groomed "street smart", I don't think JB streets are now safe enough to give our present youth that kind of urban education of mastering the urban environment. In the mid 1970s, I used to walk home alone from Jalan Ah Fook JB to Majidee when I was 11 or 12. Now I'd be dead halfway. What then must we do -- since time awaits no man/woman? report abuse disagree 8 agree 5 ... written by Kritz, January 13, 2008 11:22:37 What then must we do -- since time awaits no man/woman? Vote for Oppositions in this coming GE! If we can manage to overthrow the BN Government or at least deny them 2/3 majority in Parliament, only then we can do something to uplift our education system! report abuse disagree 9 agree 6 ... written by inspirasi, January 13, 2008 19:42:09 hey azly..we all agree that the youth and students SHOULD be free to question and learn...but its the current system and culture that does not encourage/allow that to happen... we all..who r old enough to remember..the good ole days...have fond memories of our growing up in safe and free surroundings...nowadays the young have no inkling of what it was like cos they live in the present cloud of fear from snatch thieves...mat rempits at nite...and a law enforcement which is ineffective coupled with a judiciary that is corrupt...ordained by a govt blinded only by their obsession for power and wealth... the youth have no worthwhile living mentors..their heroes and gods being footballers and rap artistes... they would associate the name Gandhi as perhaps an indian restaurant... and martin luther king...an MTV star... those who do look 'up' to local politicians...admire them only for their prowess at amassing huge personal wealth...a rags to riches fairy-tale...a lowly or uneducated civil servant today...but ...a multi-millionaire the next...(if these UMNOputras were literate enough to write a 'how i made it' book...it would surely outsell Kiyosaki...Hill and Robbins put together... whats the solution? ..the rakyat needs to realise that WE r all in the same boat...and its a sampan with too many of us in it and is being riddled with holes from years of neglect and abuse... and yes...the sampan is sinking...the murky depths indiscriminate as to what colour, class or creed the next victim will be...we all have an equal chance of being consumed...wasted... and theres only one thing to do...we work together...all of us taking turns to plug the leaking sampan with our worn fingers...while the others with their bare hands...paddled to the safety of the shore... the buaya infested waters will continue to threathen us with death...and yes we will lose some of our brethren....but the sacrifice will be necessary and the ultimate prize worthwhile..the freedom of the rakyat...not just for our entitled priviledges...but to be allowed to be human beings...again... report abuse disagree 9 agree 6 ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, January 13, 2008 20:27:24 Hello 'inspirasi', I agree with you on how we have evolved. There is also the loss of respect in the youth of today -- respect for themselves, the elders, the teachers, the family, and essentially law and order. The medium is the message though -- if youth groups such as the Mat Rempits are supposedly being used to create disrespect for others and to have disregard for law and order, and at the same time law enforcement agencies themselves are losing control over their environment, we have got a problem such as what we are reading in the news. Johor Bahru, again, is a good example. What has it become? To tell you the truth, Harlem and the Bronx in New York is now SAFER than Johor Bahru or even Alor Setar or KL. Why? -- Maybe the cops in New York are still taking bribes but the public is more vigilant and powerful in playing their role in the check and balance system. Mayor Guilianni started cleaning up New York city in mid-1990s and New York city is now safer. Local government is strong here in America. Of course, as I have written many times, democracy is evolving in America, but because citizens demand their rights to be well-represented and protected, the evolution of democracy progresses well. But if we have politicians who think that politics is a process of enriching oneself, family, and friends, and not about public service we will continue to elect people who do not want to step down after 8, 16, 22, 24 or whatever years. Look at states that have Chief Ministers that refuse to step down after 10, 15 years. What is the consequence of being in power for too long. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, as Lord Apter once said. Our political system is so messed up now that even the universities don't know what their role is any longer -- is it to use the system to create good, questioning, thinking, problem-solving, brave, transformative, life-long learning, citizens OR to create fear in students so that they cannot make good political decisions that will help them rejuvenate society. The 'respect' for students is not there, unlike in campuses in many advanced nations. We need to move forward recreate society by demanding that we make radical -- yes, RADICAL -- changes to all levels of leadership that is no longer making our nation safe and happy. Change must come from the grassroots, middle class, intelligentsia, and the policy/lawmakers. We cannot even allow a new breed of racist young leaders to take foot. We must look for those who will abandon race-based politics and fight for the rights, respect, dignity, and economic well-being of the children of ALL races -- because this country call Malaysia is founded upon the principles of MULTICULTURALISM that should have evolved as how is should be. Race-based politics is a threat to national security. We will not survive another 50 years if we continue to allow those in power to play up those the masses that will easily translate economic frustration into anger. Our children deserve a better nation that what is happening to it right now. We have evolved too much materialistically and have let politicians be consumed and intoxicated by money in the process of maintaining power. Politics has lost its noble value, in our case. report abuse disagree 8 agree 2 ... written by The dragonheart, January 13, 2008 21:09:51 How to question when Malaysian university is not even the top 100 in Asia. U can imagine the quality of the students who dare to question the authorities... report abuse disagree 8 agree 6 ... written by renoir, January 13, 2008 23:26:22 I'll simply pick up one question and dwell on it. >How is a philosopher-king created?]] This Platonic concept is similar to the Confucianist's belief of such beings in "ancient times," meaning probably rulers of the early Zhou dynasty from about 1,500 BC to 600 BC. Both Plato and Confucius, together with the Buddha, lived during what some historians called "the axial age"(about 300 to 600 BC). In a sense, how the philosopher-king is created is synonymous with the question of how geniuses could arise. Now the axial age is so termed because at least three great civilizations, offering great people with great, refined, thoughts, arose during that period. From Greece we've the great masters of rhetoric and the basics of experimental science. From India we've mighty abstract thinkers who expounded on the mysteries of life. From China, we've practical socio-economic and political thinkers who laid the foundations of Chinese thought. How could such great geniuses like the Buddha, Uddalaka, or Patanjali crop up in India, at a time when the great Heraclitus, Thales, Plato and Aristotle emerged in Greece, and when Lao Zi, Confucius, Mo Zi, Hsun Zi, and a hundred schools of thought dominated China? Some historians put it down to a coincidence of good weather, urbanization, and cross-fertilization of ideas. This concept presupposes the existence of relatively advanced civilizations and also active interactions of people in those three geographical regions. Carl Sagan had commented on the relatively autonomous Greek city states, where each unit could develop its own ideas and at the same time able to share those ideas with nearby states. China was at a late Zhou period, when the former empire was unravelling, allowing each small kingdom or dukedom to go its own way. And India was seeing the end of the Upanishad period, when there were numerous small states that were yet to be united into the Mauryan Empire under the famous Asoka. All these form a pattern that suggests that people do not become geniuses out of their own genes or DNA. Geniuses often emerge when 1)they're free to think, and 2)when they're able to meet with other thinkers. The first indicates the absence of a totalitarian force that forces one-dimensional thinking. The second indicates the importance of diversity. We're lucky, in Malaysia, to have the second condition - that of diversity. What is left for us to do to achieve the first conditon is to get rid of totalitarianism. LChuah report abuse disagree 9 agree 4 ... written by harrbm, January 13, 2008 23:55:13 Students, question authority! That's a bad suggestion. Student does not have your level of intelectual maturity yet. Please dont lead them to the uncertainty they couldn't handle. > report abuse disagree 7 agree 0 ... written by inspirasi, January 14, 2008 00:15:28 i have become so cynical in my old age...that i see ALL initiatives by the govt as part of their electioneering strategy... build more schools and universities...so that the masses will vote for us (BN); send a cosmonaut(malay) to space...so that the malays will feel proud and vote for BN; all GLCs to be created...whether to succeed financially or not...so that wealth can be amassed by BN linked individuals and therefore contributing to the BN vote buying fighting fund; Iskandar and Penang bridge projects...so to enrich BN coffers; declaring Malaysia a muslim state..and not secular..so that the muslim masses will be appeaced..and their votes assured; need i go on...can anyone think of any project or plan or implementation by the govt which has had success without the political agenda? systemic and institutionalised corruption to wealth generation and sustained power dominnance... i know we r wasting our precious time debating, pleading and hoping that they will see sense...i guarantee...THEY WILL NOT...THEY CANNOT...AND THEY NEVER WILL... the current regime cannot change and unless there is a total ideology and regime change...this deep-rooted cancer will grow... the infestation has to be surgically removed...quickly and decisively...not allowing any remnants to re-infect... THAT is what we need to do... report abuse disagree 8 agree 2 ... written by Angela Ooi, January 14, 2008 10:03:17 Being educated should enable one to THINK. When this does not happen, we are NOT educated! report abuse disagree 7 agree 1 ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, January 14, 2008 10:47:16 Welcome back, LChuah! Our Republic certainly need you to guide us through these cross-cultural perspectives on the issues discussed. Indeed, the Axial Age (as pointed out by Karen Armstrong in her book A History of God) brought so much changes to the world of religious/spiritual thought -- thanks to the multicultural/globalist environment these thinkers were in. How do we create such an environment in our educational institutions -- environments that would give birth to frontier thinkers? "Angela Chooi", I couldn't agree more with you -- education for critical consciousness is paramount to the development of a thinking society. Are we doing this in Malaysian schools and universities? What do we need to create environments that will help students develop higher-order thinking skills. Let us analyze, for example, the mission statement of our public and private universities and see if the commitment to the teaching of thinking is explicitly stated. Would anyone take up this fact-finding? "Inspirasi", would a change in government solve the problem of malaise in our daily affairs? Perhaps we can pick up on your excellent thoughts on this with the question below: -- What changes might we see should a new government or at least, a stringer Opposition come to power? -- What kind of changes do Malaysians actually want and how much "risk" are they willing to take? I invite university students and faculty to offer their ideas on this issue. We have till March to talk about change. report abuse disagree 7 agree 1 ... written by charcoy feng, January 14, 2008 18:08:42 I'm 31 years old now and thanks to the ALIRAN Magazine that my uncle used to bring back home that I read when i was in primary scholl, I had a different way of viewing things. The BMF scandal, The Ops lalang, The Lord President's sacking, The General Eelction observers, ....etc I was fond of the opposition simply because the goverment actually controlled the thinking capacity of the nation one way or another and i felt it was unfair. The manipulation continues till today. Those who are enjoying the current scenario chose to not only close their eye bur also of their children. What i personally feel is that even before we move on to those students, we should ask the professionals who graduated more than 22 years ago to start the ball rolling. The 22 year period created a cloud or even a black out to the thinking capacity. History books needs to re-written with the actual truth. People like Prof Khoo Khaik Kim and Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye should be asked to give statements with some conscience. report abuse disagree 6 agree 0 ... written by inspirasi, January 14, 2008 18:29:15 hey azly...boy u do ask tuff questions... to answer your questions... we will have to set the scene to project the 1st new day of the new malaysia after BNs defeat.. more questions: will BN exit quietly with tail between legs? probably NOT...what mischief can they trigger? they could play the race/religious card...if not already... how about their minions...in the police...armed forces...judiciary...will they overnite change their colours...and abandon their old paymasters? even if they did...can we trust them again? BUT assuming..BN did just leave quietly...AND there were no nasty repercussions and backlash from the losers...then the rakyat would be dancing in the streets...PARTY TIME..rongeng..disco..chinese wayang..hindu stick dancing...bhangra...u name it... its been too long since the last time we malaysians shed our BN issued uniforms...categorised by race and religion...and practically danced 'naked'..we may be made up of different shades of colour...but we are ONE nation... this partying will go on for days...as it would be impossible to suppress the joy that has been bottled up for so long... here we also assume that the opposition have worked out and agreed a routemap of power sharing when the GE was won...in whatever form of power sharing...they would begin the long road to maintaining stability in the country... it would take a considerable time to rid the many stratas of govt and semi-govt depts of the undesirables...this would be via a strategy of 're-education'...very akin to what errorneous maids in malaysia have to go through when they misbehave in the tuan's house...(FYI ive never had a maid) i would also hope that the opposition would have between now and the win..redrafted the constitution..or facets of it to reflect the new malaysia...one where there is equitable distribution of wealth...where every rakyat has equal access to education, health and the countrys rich resources... where the brilliant are encouraged and environments created conducive to harnassing their talents...and the weak...assisted, encouraged and nourished... where there is freedom of religion..muslims and christians...buddhists and hindus...live side by side...sharing...learning...respectfully...at peace one with another... soon we will be able to trust the law-makers...and the implementors..the police..where the law of the land is upheld...gone are the days...where the priviledged can get away with murder... Malaysia will once again gain the respect of the international community...where 'corruption' isnt our middle name...and its citizens recognised as net contributors to world development and stability. the above probably describes your 2nd question...'what do malaysians actually want'...and as to the amount of risk?... in my simple laymans thinking...what have i got to lose...to gain this wonderful new nirvana...of trust and respect..integrity and authenticity...in my new Malaysia? EVERYTHING... as i would lose everything anyway...IF we didnt succeed... am i naive and a dreamer?...u r right...but isnt it a wonderful dream? report abuse disagree 8 agree 5 ... written by renoir, January 15, 2008 04:22:39 Dr. Azly wrote: >How do we create such an environment in our educational institutions -- environments that would give birth to frontier thinkers?]] Hahaha!...it needs more than a posting to do justice to that question! So I'll just touch on some pedagogical aspects and the general environment. In one of our earlier discussions, I warned about the danger of instrumentalizing education, though that kind of thing is as old as axial age. For Confucius and Plato, an important purpose of education is to produce the good citizen. The problem is: who's the "decider" of what is good or bad? Is being a "good" citizen in Nazi Germany a virtue? Or would a "bad" citizen in such a state a vice? Plato's Republic, after all, does include slavery. Still, we can surely accept Plato's insistence that education should include not only the mental, but also the physical; not only the acquisition of knowledge but also skills useful for daily living; not only the sciences but also the arts. We also agree, I think, with the Platonic idea of education for all citizens, irrespective of social status. Confucius too believed that all people have the potential for learning. At the same time, both Plato and Confucius agreed that some people are more "educable" than others. This need not mean that anyone should be denied an education - rather, it means that the choice of subjects and the method of teaching should be tailored to the individual instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach. This child-centered approach is known to all trained teachers, though it's by no means universally practiced. Predicated on the assumption that we're educating autonomous individuals for a democratic society, this Deweyian approach involves a pedagogy that stresses on students discovering facts for themselves, instead of being told what are facts and what are not (the latter approach is known as the "banking" concept of education). For example, in my art lesson, I would not make cute statements like "the sky is blue" or things like that. Instead, I would take students out to see the sky and let them find out for themselves. Quite often, they would discover that - wow! - the sky didn't have the kind of blue they'd in mind after all, but a mixture of, perhaps, cobalt blue and Payne's Grey immediately above, with a touch of purplish ultramarine some distance away. On other days, the sky could even be yellowish or reddish, depending on the hour and the location of the viewer (the color changes when seen between, say, some dense leaves). Today, Paulo Freire's concept of education is well-known (as is Vigotsky's). Freire rejects a teacher and student dichotomy - to him both teach and at the same time learn from each other. Experienced teachers know this too: I learned so much from my students - college level or below - that sometimes I wondered whether part of my salary should go to them! Of course, most of the time students are not aware of this: mine didn't realize, for instance, that their response would help me see better the merits of a part-part-whole approach versus a whole-part-whole approach (gestalt). Freire's idea involves the student participating in his mutual effort with the teacher to gain a higher understanding of an issue or a subject. This effort can take the form of a dialogical argumentation, or a collective project that represents the creativity of all involved, including the teacher. When this happens, not only the goal, but the MEANS towards achieving that goal becomes democratic. Such methods of teaching cannot, if it's to be universal, exist in a vacuum. It calls for the setting up of institutions that are democratic, both in "hardware" and "software." By "hardware" I mean physical infrastructures such as libraries and computers, which must be accessible to all. Buildings such as museums and research centers should be people-friendly and utilitarian and not imposing monuments designed to make some contractors millionaires. The school environment should be conceived with the same principle - cunters at the administration office should take into consideration the height of students. Teachers should often hold discussions with students grouped around them instead sticking to the old format of standing in front of a class, lecturing to a bored audience. The democratic ethos should be reflected not only in students' assignments, but also in the way teachers set up the educational experience. "Software" involves having a people-based ideology over a material-based ideology, a policy of inclusiveness instead of exclusiveness, a democratic worldview instead of a feudalistic, predatory one, and a national spirit of togetherness instead of communal and religious separateness. Will elaborate on this aspect another time. LChuah report abuse disagree 7 agree 1 ... written by renoir, January 15, 2008 04:28:54 A drawback of this blog format is that we cannot correct typos, as below: "cunters at the administration office should take into consideration the height of students." I meant "counters" and not something reminiscent of Lady Chatterly. LChuah report abuse disagree 6 agree 0 ... written by renoir, January 16, 2008 01:53:23 Part 2 Dr. Azly wrote: >How do we create such an environment in our educational institutions -- environments that would give birth to frontier thinkers?]] ----------------------------------------------- I'd deliberately focused on the way we approach the education of children to arrive at the question of creating an environment that "gives birth to frontier thinkers." And I mentioned, after stressing the importance of suitable "hardware," the "software" as well. This "software" involves an extension of the pedagogy discussed. Thus, in terms of national policy, we need to proceed from a child-centered approach to a people-centered approach, from a learning environment where child participation is encouraged to a situation where citizen participation is imperative (hence all draconian laws that limit basic freedoms must go). We need to proceed from the idea that children have their diverse ways of problem-solving to a recognition that a multicultural population have their diverse ways of contributing to the general welfare (hence no artificial barriers in education, business opportunities, etc.). The fact that children that are less "educable" ought to be educated as well should tell us that individuals and communities that show less affinity for certain trades ought to given the opportunity to excel in other fields. We ought to do all the things stated here because all individuals and communities are equally precious. When this inclusiveness becomes a national policy - a common Malaysian ethos - opportunities would be enlarged for all, and rewards would be there for every person who works at what he or she is good at. In such a caring environment, how could frontier thinkers not arise? Even more so when our "hardware" - the things we build - are tailored towards the needs of all instead of a few, are channelled to the needs of millions instead of the wants of a few tens or hundreds. We can have a few great frontier thinkers only on top of a large base of ordinary, educated, thinkers. We're not likely to have even one great thinker if four-fifths of our population are semi-literates, or if none of our universities are considered excellent even by Asian standards. LChuah report abuse disagree 6 agree 3 ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, January 16, 2008 05:31:59 Dear LChuah (and all), Again, you have helped us elaborate a fundamental aspect of education -- "conscientization" -- as Paulo Freire put in his seminal work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. I once was questioned by a dean of a Malaysian university for having this book on my reading list for a new course I was offering. That dean became a vice chancellor many years later. I doubt if he ever understood what Freirian pedagogy promises, or even read the book thoroughly. I am glad that I am able to use this text in the States, making it a compulsory text for a philosophy of education course for teachers in the Bronx, New York. But as Freire would say, education is about hope and love, about naming the world and transforming it. Education, slow as it may seem, is the only way for social progress, peace, and social justice. It is the surest way to educate us about the dangers of racism and racially and racist-based politics.Education for critical consciousness is the way to get Malaysian of all races to see that it is not race but class that may be at fault in the deteriorating condition we are in. What we need now in Malaysia is a total permeation of critical consciousness in the minds of educators, especially those in our graduate schools of education. This is to counter any form of hegemonic thinking that has permeated the psyche of Malaysians. Hegemony is even more dangerous than direct banning of books. Hegemony, as Antonio Gramsci would say, assumes the the "intellectual and moral" leadership provided by the ruling class/regime is to be accepted in toto, so that society will continue to progress as how industrialism as ideology would dictate. We are seeing the ideology of the "Malaysian corridor" permeating a hegemonic formation, making the masses feel like citizens of a developed world. It is perhaps making the Johoreans, Perlis-ians, Sabahans, etc. feel that their "little corridor projects" will make them important "post-modern citizens" whose thinking will be at par with the advanced industrialized nation. Little is done to help them analyze the political-economic dimension of th process of big-time, big-business exploitation that is going to happen under the name/slogan/shibboleth of "developmentalism". These corridors are merely real estate projects with questionable value to the indigenous cultures of the people, especially those who have been historically marginalized. We need to have more courses that takes the Freirian approach, in our universities. We need to hire and groom radical thinkers as our lecturers so that they will help develop the critical faculties of the students who are perhaps now walking mundanely on campus and later in society, devoid of critical sensibility. A great university prides itself in not only the diversity of its faculty but also the multiple perspective of thinking that the faculty members bring into the classroom. Let us hear from others as well. report abuse disagree 6 agree 5 ... written by Compadre45, January 18, 2008 03:11:44 This is one of BN's agenda to make general public and upcoming local Uni students, stupid and dumb, eventhough all of us can see and hear. BN's strong advise for education : 'It is better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubts (from us).... Thats what they are afraid of, we being smarter than them. There is a saying: There is no greater crime, than to stand between a man and his development; to take any law or institution, and put it around him like a collar, and fasten it there, so that as he grows and enlarges, he presses against it, till he suffocates and dies. Another thing for BN's current and future plan. They will send their children overseas for higher tertiary education while making the local ones stupid with limited knowledge. Finally, they pass the baton to their children after returning back from overseas to join politics. Its a ritual cycle forming a customary practise since 1960's among our BN politicians. report abuse disagree 2 agree 5 Write comment This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comment. You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet. |
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