Saturday, February 28, 2009

Good mathematics instruction in South Korea

JeongSuk Pang has written an article called Good mathematics instruction in South Korea. The article has recently been published online in ZDM. Here is the article abstract:
There have been only a few studies of Korean mathematics instruction in international contexts. Given this, this paper describes in detail a sixth grade teacher’s mathematics instruction in order to investigate closely what may be counted as high-quality teaching and learning in Korea. This paper then discusses several key characteristics of good mathematics instruction along with some background information on Korean educational practice. This paper concludes with remarks that good mathematics instruction may be perceived differently with regard to underlying social and cultural norms.


Good mathematics instruction in South Korea

JeongSuk Pang has written an article called Good mathematics instruction in South Korea. The article has recently been published online in ZDM. Here is the article abstract:
There have been only a few studies of Korean mathematics instruction in international contexts. Given this, this paper describes in detail a sixth grade teacher’s mathematics instruction in order to investigate closely what may be counted as high-quality teaching and learning in Korea. This paper then discusses several key characteristics of good mathematics instruction along with some background information on Korean educational practice. This paper concludes with remarks that good mathematics instruction may be perceived differently with regard to underlying social and cultural norms.


Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, issue 1, 2009

The first issue (of 2009) of Teaching Mathematics and its Applications has been published. Here is an overview of the contents:

Section A Back

Adnan Baki and Bulent Guven
Khayyam with Cabri: experiences of pre-service mathematics teachers with Khayyam's solution of cubic equations in dynamic geometry environment
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on February 17, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 1-9; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrp001 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Paul Glaister and Elizabeth M. Glaister
HMS—harmonic motion by shadows
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on November 3, 2008
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 10-15; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn022 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Yiu-Kwong Man
On Feynman's Triangle problem and the Routh Theorem
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on January 30, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 16-20; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn024 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

John Monaghan, Peter Pool, Tom Roper, and John Threlfall
Open-start mathematics problems: an approach to assessing problem solving
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on January 30, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 21-31; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn023 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Keith Parramore
Enlisting excel—again
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 32-37; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrp004 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Tanja Van Hecke
Minimizing the delay at traffic lights
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on February 17, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 38-42; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrp002 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Section B Back

Yiu-Kwong Man
A study of two-term unit fraction expansions via geometric approach
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on October 19, 2008
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 43-47; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn020 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Chris Sangwin
The wonky trammel of Archimedes
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on November 28, 2008
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 48-52; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn019 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]


Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, issue 1, 2009

The first issue (of 2009) of Teaching Mathematics and its Applications has been published. Here is an overview of the contents:

Section A Back

Adnan Baki and Bulent Guven
Khayyam with Cabri: experiences of pre-service mathematics teachers with Khayyam's solution of cubic equations in dynamic geometry environment
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on February 17, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 1-9; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrp001 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Paul Glaister and Elizabeth M. Glaister
HMS—harmonic motion by shadows
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on November 3, 2008
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 10-15; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn022 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Yiu-Kwong Man
On Feynman's Triangle problem and the Routh Theorem
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on January 30, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 16-20; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn024 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

John Monaghan, Peter Pool, Tom Roper, and John Threlfall
Open-start mathematics problems: an approach to assessing problem solving
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on January 30, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 21-31; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn023 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Keith Parramore
Enlisting excel—again
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 32-37; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrp004 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Tanja Van Hecke
Minimizing the delay at traffic lights
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on February 17, 2009
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 38-42; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrp002 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Section B Back

Yiu-Kwong Man
A study of two-term unit fraction expansions via geometric approach
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on October 19, 2008
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 43-47; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn020 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]

Chris Sangwin
The wonky trammel of Archimedes
Teaching Mathematics and its Applications Advance Access published on November 28, 2008
Teaching Mathematics Applications 2009 28: 48-52; doi:10.1093/teamat/hrn019 [Abstract] [PDF] [Request Permissions]


IJCML, volume 13, issue 3

IJCML, volume 13, issue 3

What After SPM?

A plug for what I think is a really really great project spearheaded by a few young Malaysians - Chong Yong Wei Gabrielle, Goh Jing Pei, Kimberley Mei Kay, Tara Thean, Charis Loke - and project advisor Chen Chow (sorry Chen Chow, can't really call you young anymore). The aim of this project is to collect stories of 'young Malaysians who have pursued different pathways after SPM'. You can find out more details about the project here. I especially like this paragraph from the link above:

It does not matter whether you are a scholar with stellar results and a 3-inch thick resume, a typical student who went to a local university after finishing Form 6, or a youth who has to work in the pasar malam at night to foot your technical college fees in the day. It does not matter whether you have chosen the oft-beaten path or the road less travelled. We believe that there every education background offers its own boons and banes. And we believe that there are merits in telling any story.

“The End of Education”: Will the Social Foundations Stand Up?

In the most recent issue of the Journal of Teacher Education, the editors—Dan Liston, Jennie Whitcomb, and Hilda Borko—offer a provocative editorial on “reclaiming the role of social foundations in teacher education.” They suggest that teacher education has become overly instrumental, calcifying into a “growing professional orthodoxy.” Even if that orthodoxy is seemingly “progressive” and “child centered,” the editors suggest that teacher education should demand more than a narrow and singular vision for what teaching and learning should be. The editorial is seemingly prompted by the ever-expanding emphasis on the ever-decreasing vision of what constitutes appropriate teacher preparation. In turn, the editorial calls for a re-engagement with the liberal arts (through the social foundations) that can provide a more expansive and reflective and critical take on the multiplicity of perspectives of what constitutes education.

This vision, the editorial acknowledges, has massive obstacles: the progressive master narrative can be dismissive of alternative perspectives and countervailing arguments; the visions propounded by foundations may be sorely lacking in preparing prospective teachers for the realities of the classroom; accrediting standards shortchange foundational perspectives and theorizing; the self-marginalization of foundations faculty; and the utilitarian approaches of alternative routes that make little, if any, time for deep and careful reflection and critique.

(I of course have quibbles with some of the specifics of the editorial. For me, the social foundations are about much more concrete and varied aspects of the schooling process: the role of schools in a democratic society (philosophical and historical foundations), the relationships between school and social change (multicultural and sociological foundations), and the perspective of school as an organization (anthropological, political, and legal foundations). Moreover, the readings held up as exemplars (Parker Palmer, Sam Intrator, Tom Barone, Mark Edmundson), are, for me, inspirational texts much more so than foundational texts. Give me some good classics anytime: David Tyack and Larry Cuban on the grammar of schooling; Phillip Jackson on the hidden curriculum; John Ogbu on voluntary and involuntary minorities; Audrey Thompson on whiteness. This makes my students not just “reflect”; it helps them to act in new ways by helping to break the cycle of teaching as we were taught and thinking in the default narrative of radical individualism. But these are “insider” debates. Let me stick to the big picture of the editorial.)


In one respect, this editorial is an extremely useful support for and an acknowledgement of foundations faculty and the field as a whole. It suggests to me that the acrimonious and fruitless debates about the relevance of teacher preparation have somewhat cooled off, enough at least to take a step back and see what has occurred in teacher preparation since NCLB. It also indexes current broad debates about the value of a “liberal arts” perspective in all too-instrumental times.

Yet such support is also saddening. It reminds me of when politicians start speaking in superlatives of their opponents; as the political pundits will tell you, such good words are a sure sign that the other candidate is done for and everyone in the room knows it.

The marginalization of the social foundations in teacher preparation has been long in the coming. It has been a combination of self-marginalization and external pushing and prodding. See my past posts on marginalization, CSFE, the role of AESA (here also), and writing (here and here also), as well as those of many others, to see the context for this. Suffice it to say that the social foundations field (as embodied by AESA) has no voice at any major educational policy table that I am aware of. It is no longer a part of NCATE; it is no longer a part of AACTE; the last comprehensive study of the state of the field of social foundations was done in the mid-1980s; CSFE, the policy arm of AESA, has been more or less defunct for half a decade. Though, I know, I know, the history of the field has seen such ups and down from its very beginnings (see, for example, Mary Rose McCarthy’s wonderful history of the original foundations course at Columbia).

This is not about throwing stones or settling grudges. Rather, my post is about wondering whether this editorial is a call to action or a call for an elegy.

I am not naive enough to think that this one editorial is the tipping point, the fulcrum, the moment in history that will decide whether the foundations field succeeds or fails. But if JTE and its editors put forward this call, shouldn’t someone stand up and answer them?

“The End of Education”: Will the Social Foundations Stand Up?

In the most recent issue of the Journal of Teacher Education, the editors—Dan Liston, Jennie Whitcomb, and Hilda Borko—offer a provocative editorial on “reclaiming the role of social foundations in teacher education.” They suggest that teacher education has become overly instrumental, calcifying into a “growing professional orthodoxy.” Even if that orthodoxy is seemingly “progressive” and “child centered,” the editors suggest that teacher education should demand more than a narrow and singular vision for what teaching and learning should be. The editorial is seemingly prompted by the ever-expanding emphasis on the ever-decreasing vision of what constitutes appropriate teacher preparation. In turn, the editorial calls for a re-engagement with the liberal arts (through the social foundations) that can provide a more expansive and reflective and critical take on the multiplicity of perspectives of what constitutes education.

This vision, the editorial acknowledges, has massive obstacles: the progressive master narrative can be dismissive of alternative perspectives and countervailing arguments; the visions propounded by foundations may be sorely lacking in preparing prospective teachers for the realities of the classroom; accrediting standards shortchange foundational perspectives and theorizing; the self-marginalization of foundations faculty; and the utilitarian approaches of alternative routes that make little, if any, time for deep and careful reflection and critique.

(I of course have quibbles with some of the specifics of the editorial. For me, the social foundations are about much more concrete and varied aspects of the schooling process: the role of schools in a democratic society (philosophical and historical foundations), the relationships between school and social change (multicultural and sociological foundations), and the perspective of school as an organization (anthropological, political, and legal foundations). Moreover, the readings held up as exemplars (Parker Palmer, Sam Intrator, Tom Barone, Mark Edmundson), are, for me, inspirational texts much more so than foundational texts. Give me some good classics anytime: David Tyack and Larry Cuban on the grammar of schooling; Phillip Jackson on the hidden curriculum; John Ogbu on voluntary and involuntary minorities; Audrey Thompson on whiteness. This makes my students not just “reflect”; it helps them to act in new ways by helping to break the cycle of teaching as we were taught and thinking in the default narrative of radical individualism. But these are “insider” debates. Let me stick to the big picture of the editorial.)


In one respect, this editorial is an extremely useful support for and an acknowledgement of foundations faculty and the field as a whole. It suggests to me that the acrimonious and fruitless debates about the relevance of teacher preparation have somewhat cooled off, enough at least to take a step back and see what has occurred in teacher preparation since NCLB. It also indexes current broad debates about the value of a “liberal arts” perspective in all too-instrumental times.

Yet such support is also saddening. It reminds me of when politicians start speaking in superlatives of their opponents; as the political pundits will tell you, such good words are a sure sign that the other candidate is done for and everyone in the room knows it.

The marginalization of the social foundations in teacher preparation has been long in the coming. It has been a combination of self-marginalization and external pushing and prodding. See my past posts on marginalization, CSFE, the role of AESA (here also), and writing (here and here also), as well as those of many others, to see the context for this. Suffice it to say that the social foundations field (as embodied by AESA) has no voice at any major educational policy table that I am aware of. It is no longer a part of NCATE; it is no longer a part of AACTE; the last comprehensive study of the state of the field of social foundations was done in the mid-1980s; CSFE, the policy arm of AESA, has been more or less defunct for half a decade. Though, I know, I know, the history of the field has seen such ups and down from its very beginnings (see, for example, Mary Rose McCarthy’s wonderful history of the original foundations course at Columbia).

This is not about throwing stones or settling grudges. Rather, my post is about wondering whether this editorial is a call to action or a call for an elegy.

I am not naive enough to think that this one editorial is the tipping point, the fulcrum, the moment in history that will decide whether the foundations field succeeds or fails. But if JTE and its editors put forward this call, shouldn’t someone stand up and answer them?

Friday, February 27, 2009

Tips for a Good School Website

Website is an effective way to reach out to audience looking for information online. It allows one to broadcast information to the public and they have the ability to access it 24/7 from anywhere in the world. Websites also serve as channel of communication between the world and the entity.

Schools need a website to reach out to current parents, potential parents, potential and current staff, media and host of other people. A good website (visually and functionally) can make a lasting impression and at the same time a bad one can lead to frustrations.

Here are 10 tips to make sure your school website provides a good experience for your audience:


Tip 1 - Host Your School Website With a Reliable Hosting Company

Always ensure your site is hosted with a reliable hosting company and is up 24/7. Do some research on the hosting service provider before selecting them. You should monitor your site for uptime using one of the several free tools available on the internet. Some of them are: siteuptime.com and host-tracker.com


Tip 2 - Ensure the Contact Form and Emails Work

I have seen this problem with lot of Indian schools and it in a way defects the purpose of two way communication between the visitor and the school, yes I am talking about the email listing on the site not working or the contact form on the site not working. Imagine you are looking at the school website at mid night (for whatever reason) and decide to shoot of a query to the school, only to get a bounce mail stating “email could not be delivered as the user has exceeded his quote limits” or “email could not be delivered as the email id does not exist”. Believe me this is very common as schools have no one to manage the emails they get.

Please make sure your school does not do this mistake and your emails and contact forms work. Test them periodically!


Tip 3 - Ensure School Website is Not All Looks But is Search Engine Friendly As Well

Is your school site completely flash based? There is a big problem with that. Search engines, which are the drivers of web traffic do not know how to read flash. Thus your site is a black box for them and most likely won’t show up in their search results. Flash sites no doubt are visually appealing but a good mix of flash and html would give it a balance by it being SEO friendly and visually appealing as well.


Tip 4 - Design and Develop a Effective Home Page

Make sure home page of your site allows user to get a glace of the most important things about your school and allows them to choose a navigation path to dig deeper.


Tip 5 - Use Content Management Systems (CMS) to Manage Your Site Content

School sites have lot of content update requirements and a static html site is not ideally suited for this requirement. It is best to have a CMS system driven website which allows easy update of the website content. This can make a difference world of difference as lot of school sites out there have outdated information on them. There are plenty of quality free cms systems out there: drupal, joomla, wordpress etc.


Tip 6 - Ensure Ease of Access to Contact Information

Make sure your contact details, phone, address, address map, email etc is well placed on the site for users to contact you conveniently.


Tip 7 - Avoid Flash Intro Pages

Avoid intro flash splash pages as they do no good but harm you a lot. Splash pages mostly hide all the inner pages of the site from the search engines, resulting in lower visibility of your website.


Tip 8 - Use Multi Level Drop Down Menu to Organize and Show Pages

If you have lot of pages on your school website, it might be worth while to create pull down / drop down menus to expose inner pages. This company offers very stable drop down menu creator which is easy to configure: opencube.com


Tip 9 - Use Quality Graphics and Brand Site Effectively

Ensure strong brand presence and quality graphics on your site to leave a lasting impression. It may cost you a little but always seek professional help with website creation.


Tip 10 - Incorporate Social Media Features on the School Website

Make the site social media friendly by incorporating flickr (for photo gallery), social bookmarking tools and a blog on your site.
Author: Vikas Sah

More information visit:
www.zitzsolutions.com

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Guest Article: NS Observations and Thoughts (II)

Part 2 of Mei San's article on the NS program.

M-16 Training

The M-16 training is one of the greatest “selling points” of the NS programme.

A day before the actual shooting session, trainees were given a briefing by the army. During the briefing session, we were taught the correct position to take while shooting, the instructions that we had to be aware of and how to walk to our respective positions. During the actual shooting session, each trainee was allowed thirty shots, using live bullets, of which 10 were for testing purpose while the remaining 20 counted for points. The shooting session lasted about five minutes for each trainee. Only trainees with a signed letter of consent by their parent or guardian were allowed to shoot.

What lesson is to be expected of this M-16 training?

During a Dewan Rakyat sitting, in a reply to Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Rasah) who questioned the purpose of the M-16 training, the Deputy Defense Minister stated that the M-16 training “has helped to instill discipline among NS trainees”7.

In reality, there is not much space and opportunity for learning. The M-16 training only provided the trainees a potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fire live bullets from an M-16. Nothing substantial was taught during both the briefing and actual shooting sessions. It cannot be said that the trainees have learned the proper way to handle firearms.

While some trainees may be excited with their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fire live bullets from an M-16, the public have not been very receptive with the idea of incorporating the M-16 training module in the NS programme.

Ronnie Liu of the DAP, has once issued a media statement “M16 training for NS trainees serves little purpose but poses high risks for all” in which he wrote that “The proposed additional M16 training for NS trainees may not serve much purpose, but it would inevitably increase the cost of the program besides posing high risks to the trainees and the society in general. I hate to think about the possibility of arms heists and vulnerability of accidents in the camps”.8

Jacqueline Ann Surin wrote for the Sun that “Arms usage training kills NS objectives”: “Does it teach our young constructive and respectful ways of dealing with misunderstandings and conflicts between the races? Does it promote the noble values of, among others, inner strength, patience, peace and justice?

“So, here's a question I have for our government: How does a government agency get away with proposing and then running a programme, albeit a trial one, that explicitly undermines all the three objectives that were set out by the government itself?

“The only reason I can think of for our teenagers to be given arms training is so that they will be prepared to use it one day.

“But, I remember very clearly a commitment made by our government that National Service in Malaysia was not about building a reserve army in the way that the Singapore National Services aims to do.”9

An online poll by The Star on 8 June 2006 found that more than two-thirds of readers disagreed with the move to train national service trainees in the use of the M16 assault rifle.10

NS Training Department deputy director-general Omar Abdul Rahman said “to avoid misunderstanding, we have changed the name from shooting lesson (kelas menembak) to light-arms usage training (latihan penggunaan senjata ringan).”11

TRANSPARENCY

The lack of transparency on the ways things are being managed in the NS programme has led to a serious decline of public confidence towards this programme.

Fatalities

As of today, there are 16 fatalities from the NS programme. However, not a single fatality was granted the appropriate inquiry or thorough investigation. Were the fatalities due to negligence by the instructors? Or did those tragedies occur because the trainees disobeyed instructions and were acting based on their own wills and desires? The public has no idea. “… Many of such reports are rarely published to the public”, wrote TE Cheah in his medical blog posting “National Service: A Death Trap?” 12. The vacuum of information only serves to create more uncertainties and fear towards the programme. To make things worse, the Deputy Prime Minister, then Minister of Defense, was even quoted in an occasion to remark that “only 14 have died”, indicating an attitude of indifference and insensitive towards the lives of the trainees13.

Camp Operations

There have been many reports of food poisoning in NS camps. Is the hygiene at all NS campsites regularly assessed by the authorities to be at a satisfactory and safe level?

Ricky Lim, a former NS trainee at Lagenda Gunung Ledang Asahan camp, passed away on 15 September 2008, fifteen days after he completed his training. An initial post-mortem could not identify the cause of death and health authorities are carrying out further tissue analysis which is expected to take between two and three months14. Ricky did not complain of any illness or pain prior to his death but he did complain about the camp’s hygiene and yellowish water supply15.

The writer herself can testify to yellowish water with sedimentation in the canteen as well as dormitories in her NS camp.

In September 2008, Penang state government has ordered the closure of three NS camps in Balik Pulau, Kampung Genting and Machang Bubok following an investigation showed that the three camps were built illegally16. A landslide occurred at the Sri Mutiara Balik Pulau camp after a heavy rain. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was quoted as saying that the three camps would not be allowed to operate until their planning permission was submitted and approved by local authorities17.

The assurances given by the NS Department are clearly contradicted by the events occurring in the camps.

Moreover, the 2007 Auditor-General’s report said that NS ‘shirkers’ and a very “rigid” contract have caused the Government losses of up to RM110.1million from 2004 to 2007.18 The 2007 A-G report also found that T-shirts, track pants, baseball caps and sports shoes supplied under contracts worth RM41.12mil were of low quality.19 But no appropriate inquiry or investigation has ever been conducted on this matter.

How much autonomy is given to each camp? Trainees have come back telling that different rules and regulations are enforced in different camps. Furthermore, there are also trainees who have said that certain camps have “more fun”.

The Different Batches

The yearly conscriptions of the NS programme are divided into three separate batches to undergo their trainings. The unofficial saying goes that the first and second batches of trainees are top scorers and good students while the third batch, on the contrary, are those with problematic backgrounds or are school dropouts. Many trainees, even NS instructors, have testified to this saying. Yet, there is never an official statement by the NS Department on this issue.

Will the NS Department be prepared to make it known to the public how trainees are appointed to their training groups? Will different approaches be adopted to approach the different groups of trainees? For instance, trainees of the third batch might not be accustomed to classroom activities such as Character Building. Will they, instead, be given vocational lessons to arm them with skills that will help them to earn an honest living in the near future?

The Military Issue

The NS Department has always been insisting that the NS programme is never meant to be military styled. Nevertheless, the reality is that there are much resemblance between the NS programme and military training. For instance, training activities such as obstacle course and M-16 training as well as the ways assemblies are conducted in camp. Furthermore, the majority of the instructors employed are formerly with the military and the camps are all administrated by military rank holders. These, coupled with the fatalities, create the confusion of whether the NS programme is truly “not military styled”. Will the NS Department make an attempt to reclassify the NS programme as “semi-military”, stating clearly which are the elements structured after the military, which are not and what are the purposes?

Training of Trainers

The majority of the instructors, particularly those of the physical module, are retired military rank holders. While their contributions and sacrifices for the country must be properly recognized, the NS Department must also acknowledge that they are not necessarily the ideal instructors for the NS programme, especially when the NS Department often emphasizes that the NS programme is “not military styled”. The writer has occasionally observed the burly attitudes of the instructors, including shouting unpleasant words to trainees (“if this is how you live your lives, you might as well die!”), which not only have the potential to hurt the trainees’ self-esteem and self- confidence, but can induce further anger in more rebellious trainees. There are also instructors who, sometimes, do not hesitate to issue threats in order to discipline the trainees (I can break this pillar in front of you!). Will the NS Department come up with a code of ethics for the instructors? Will they reconsider the employment of former military rank holders to train NS trainees?

The conflicts which often arise between the public and the NS Department are due to the statements and facts made by the NS Department which contradicts with their execution and enforcement. Addressing the above issues will help to resolve the conflicts. It will, in addition, help to create a healthy check-and-balance system for the NS Department.

Objectives & Benefits

The official objectives of the NS programme, as stated in its official website, are as followed:20

1. To heighten the spirit of patriotism among the younger generation
2. To promote racial unity and national integration
3. To build positive characters through practice of noble values
4. To inculcate spirit of volunteerism
5. To produce a generation of active, bright and confident youths



The first two objectives clearly cannot be perceived as achieved. C. S. Kuppuswamy wrote in his paper “Malaysia’s Racial Politics” that “a National Service Programme was launched in 2004 where youths of different races were nominated to undergo a camp for about three months for a training programme, during which they would come to know the culture and traditions of the other races. These small measures neither had the desired impact nor had the support of the general public.”21 The same was observed by Aliran - “national harmony and patriotism cannot be hammered into the youths via a three-month stint of military-type training and outward bound activities.”22 Furthermore, while the majority of the trainees who have completed their trainings have testified that the NS programme has allowed them to be more independent, to develop communication skills and to make socialize with new friends, they agree that the NS programme has little impact on patriotism as well as racial integration. The fourth objective cannot be achieved through the community service module, too.

Most importantly, we question the uniqueness and exclusiveness of the objectives set by the NS Department. Cannot these same objectives be achieved through our national education system or through the implementation of youth community programmes such as Rakan Muda?23 Is it justified to have a programme, which does not have any exclusive objective, but costs the government RM2.37 billion?

Conclusion

In 2009, the NS programme enters its sixth year since its launching in year 2004. Fifteen batches of trainees have completed their three month training. While the trainees have talked of the interesting and extraordinary NS experiences that have very much benefited them, the NS programme has also seen its fair share of controversies, with fatalities and the huge expenses heading the list. It is, therefore, urgent and crucial that a thorough review is done on the NS programme. This is also advocated by former NS council chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, who said that a review was necessary after five years and it should cover all aspects, including training modules, training quality, health and hygiene, food quality and camp management.24 There is no excuse for a lack of available sample as fifteen batches of trainees have already completed their trainings. The review should be done by an independent panel and the report be debated in Parliament. Only through this channel can we justify the costs behind the NS programme.

References

1. “RM2.37bil spent on NS” retrieved on 18 February 2009 from http://tinyurl.com/bc3tot.

Nevertheless, Palmdoc, in his blog posting “The Saving Private Ryan Clause for the NS” on http://medicine.com.my on 23 September 2008 wrote of the unclear number of fatalities which range from 16 to 21.

2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Anthony Loke Siew Fook “RM2.37billion spent for National Service since 2004-2007” retrieved on 11 September 2008 from http://tinyurl.com/amtzsh
5. Ibid.
6. Official textbooks of Integration Programme, National Service, Department of National Service, Ministry of Defense.
7. Anthony Loke Siew Fook “RM2.37billion spent for National Service since 2004-2007” retrieved on 11 September 2008 from http://tinyurl.com/amtzsh
8. Ronnie Liu “M16 training for NS trainees serves little purpose but poses high risks for all” retrieved on 19 February 2009 from http://tinyurl.com/cac7h2
9. Jacqueline Ann Surin “Arms usage training kills NS objectives” retrieved on 19 February 2009 from http://tinyurl.com/dfnrex
10. “Poll: NS trainees and M-16 shouldn’t mix” (The Star Online) retrieved on 19 February 2009 from http://tinyurl.com/ce5jtd
11. “NS trainees fire away” (Sun2surf) retrieved on 19 February 2009 from http://tinyurl.com/au57x8
12. T. E. Cheah (2007, 4 March), “National Service: A Death Trap”, retrieved on 27 September 2008 from http://tinyurl.com/de5ab7
13. “Government Won't Compromise On Negligence At NS Training Camps”, (Bernama.com) retrieved on 28 September 2008 from http://tinyurl.com/d6vas4
14. “Helping Jane Get Exemption from NS” (The Star Online) retrieved on 29 September 2008 from http://tinyurl.com/bec92c
15. Allison Lai (2008, 22 September), “Parents Say No to NS Stint After Son’s Death” (The Star Online), retrieved on 29 September 2008 from http://tinyurl.com/c6tq7c
16. K. Kasturi Dewi “Penang Orders Closure of Three Camps”, retrieved on 27 September 2008 from http://tinyurl.com/afbl9q
17. Ibid
18. Royce Cheah, “NS deals led to RM110m loss” (The Star Online), retrieved on 19 February 2009 from http://tinyurl.com/bo8n9h
19. Ibid
20. “Objektif”, (Program Latihan Khidmat Negara), retrieved on 11 September 2008 from www.khidmatnegara.gov
21. C. S. Kuppuswamy (2006, 13 December), “Malaysia’s Racial Politics”, retrieved on 27 September 2008 from http://tinyurl.com/absbu2
22. Aliran Executive Committee (2004, 27 April), “A Disservice to the Nation”, retrieved on 27 September 2008 from http://tinyurl.com/2mx9y6
23. Anthony Loke Siew Fook “RM2.37billion spent for National Service since 2004-2007” retrieved on 11 September 2008 from http://tinyurl.com/amtzsh
24. “Thorough Review of NS Programme Soon, Says Outgoing Chairman” (Malaysian National News Agency) retrieved on 21 February 2009 from http://tinyurl.com/bhf5ko

Guest Article: NS Observations and Thoughts (I)

Below is Part I of an excellent piece written by Mei San on the NS program. She's one of the many young Malaysians who have inspired me and given and continues to give me hope in our country.

84 Days in Camp – NS Observations and Thoughts

Ever since the National Service (NS) programme was launched in the year of 2004, 339,186 trainees have graduated1. Up till 2007, RM2.37 billion has been spent on the programme2. As of June 2008, 16 trainees have died3.

Due to the unexpected deaths and the large amount of expenses involved, there have been many calls, by parents as well as the Opposition, for the NS programme to be called off. Citing reasons such as patriotism and racial integration, the Ministry of Defense has been insisting on the importance and the benefits of the programme. The Defense Minister, also Deputy Prime Minister, Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak was even quoted saying that the government wanted to continue with the programme as it was “becoming more popular”4. During a Dewan Rakyat sitting, Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop also said studies on the effectiveness of the programme showed a positive response where success in instilling patriotism was 82 per cent, building confidence and leadership (88.3 per cent) and nurturing the spirit of community integration (86.7 per cent). 5

In the writer’s opinion, to call off or not to call off the NS programme, a thorough and transparent review of the programme will first have to be conducted. The review will then be brought up to the Parliament, where the relevance and the necessity of the NS programme to our youths will be decided through transparent, fair and constructive debates.

This piece of writing will present certain points, which, the writer opines, are worth included if any review of the NS programme is to be done in the future. Writing in the spirit of democracy, which appreciates the existence of checks and balances, the writer also hopes to create awareness about the necessity to question the realities behind the NS programme, as well as to invoke more debates and sharing of opinions regarding the NS programme. As a former NS trainee, the writer understands that her view might not be viewed as totally independent. Nevertheless, it should be kept in the minds of all readers that this piece of writing intends to ask questions, not to provide answers.

Integration Programme

The Integration Programme (Program Integrasi) was a one week programme aiming to promote racial integration among trainees and was conducted by external instructors. The daily sessions spanned from 9a.m. till 4.30p.m. Before the session started each day, trainees were first assembled to sing a song which comprised of greetings in five different languages commonly used in Malaysia- Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin, Tamil and Bahasa Jawa. The programme was divided into three subtopics: culture (kebudayaan), religions (agama) and the roles of men and women (peranan lelaki dan perempuan). For each subtopic, a textbook was provided. The programme culminated with a closing ceremony consisting of both traditional and modern cultural performances by the trainees under the supervision of their respective instructors.

The syllabuses for each topic, as outlined in the textbooks, are as followed: 6

Culture (Kebudayaan)

This subtopic aims to educate the trainees about the various race-based cultures in Malaysia and the differences as well as the similarities that exist between them. It is hoped that this will help to reduce the conflicts and to create an integrated, established Malaysian society. The topics included in the textbook are traditional costumes, traditional food and traditional music of the respective cultures.

Religions (Agama)

This subtopic aims to educate the trainees about the different religions in Malaysia. Apart from the elaboration on the virtues called by the religions, there is also emphasis of the importance to respect all the religions in Malaysia, which, the textbook claims can be actualized by “avoiding in-depth discussions about the different religions in order to prevent sensitive issues being raised”. The topics included the traditional festivals and traditional practices of different religions, but are very much racial inclined.

Roles of Men and Women (Peranan lelaki dan perempuan)

This subtopic aims to educate trainees about gender stereotype, the need to overcome it, to be aware of their own perceptions on the roles of each gender and to understand the importance of inter-gender unity.

On a side note, the instructors in camp often stressed the importance of building racial integration in the NS programme. Henceforth, in all events and activities, including meal times and night patrol, trainees were instructed to sit in groups which comprised of “Malays, Chinese and Indians”. There was no mention of the other minorities, such as Eurasians or the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, which could easily be dismissed by their absence in the camp. If the trainees were to be found to have disobeyed such instructions, harsh warnings of punishment could be expected from the instructors. More than often, it also involved remarks such as “Do you want May 13 to repeat?” or “The Chinese trainees want to return to China?”

The syllabuses of this Integration Programme resembled much of the syllabus of our national education system for the subjects of Moral Education, Civic Education and a small part of History. If a decade of national education system utilizing these materials has failed to reduce racial polarization in Malaysian youths, why should a one week integration programme in the three month NS programme be expected to do the miracle?

If a decade of such teachings has failed to meet its objectives, why are we still moving in the same direction?

Moreover, the textbook on religions is misleading and confusing. The overall contents are very race-based. Instead of writing on the teachings of Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism or Christianity, it tells of the traditional practices and beliefs of the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Dayaks, Bajaus etc. The ambiguous distinction between races and religions only indicate the shallow mentality and insensitivity of the authorities towards the diversity that occurs within our dynamic Malaysian society. What is more, these are the very people who are preaching about integration.

Sports

Sports are the best ways to cut across all differences in order to achieve integration and unity. Hence, during the evenings, all trainees would be assembled and were allowed to play the different types of sports they like. During the writer’s training, a sports carnival was held from 9 July 2008 till 20 August 2008. The evenings were then spend on competitions for events which included netball, volleyball, football, cross-country run, tug-of-war, telematches (a.k.a. creative sports) and obstacle course.

There were two major problems with the sports carnival.

Firstly, no proper training was conducted and the players selected to participate were those who were already trained at school. The results was that those who were already skilled players continued to play in the field, dominating the games while those who did not know how to play continue to sit by the field, acting only as audience or supporters. No new player was produced. While unity and integration could also be inculcated and built through the players-supporters relationship, the teamwork that was supposed to be built and experienced in the field were only available to a certain group of trainees, who were fortunate to have received earlier training before NS.

Secondly, the trainees were taught a lopsided form of sportsmanship. Playing hard and giving your best in each game are the criteria of a good sportsman. Nevertheless, the respect for your opponents should also be instilled among trainees. During matches, trainees not only cheered for their own kompeni, but the cheers would occasionally turn into rowdy boos at their opponents. The instructors did little to quell those unruly name callings, as, most of the time, the instructors were themselves too engrossed in the proceedings of the games, too concern if their own kompeni would win the match.

Community Service

This module involved outings and visits to the various places as followed:

1. Maxwell Hill, Taiping. Trainees walked up 650m above sea level, approximately 6km.
2. Taiping Lake Gardens. Trainees participated in a Fun Walk and other activities, such as lucky draw, which were organized by the Taiping City Council (MPT).
3. Rumah Seri Kenangan Taiping. It is a governmental welfare home for the old folks. A presentation about the organization was given by one of the staffs to the trainees upon arrival. Trainees were later brought to visit some of the dormitories, doing a little cleaning up at the same time.
4. Bukit Gantang. The Great Durian Festival was held by the Ministry of Tourism and the event was launched by Dato Azalina Othman Said.
5. Kuala Sepetang mangrove swamp and charcoal factories. Trainees were given a presentation by an officer of the Perak State Forestry Department about the mangrove swamps and were later brought to the nearby charcoal factories by bus.

No explanation on the objectives of each activity was given to the trainees.

What were the trainees’ contribution and service to the community? Were the trainees anymore aware of their responsibilities as part of the community?

Outings to Maxwell Hill and Kuala Sepetang mangrove swamps can potentially serve to create more awareness about nature and the responsibility to preserve it. The visit to Rumah Seri Kenangan exposed trainees to the needs of old folks. Nevertheless, the visits were brief and provided little opportunities for the trainees to have practical experience in community service. The visit to Kuala Sepetang merely involved an audiovisual briefing without any venturing into the mangrove swamps. The dormitories in Rumah Seri Kenangan Taiping had little space for the large group of trainees. Furthermore, the dormitories were occupied by residents who were mobile and did their cleaning daily, prior to our arrival, thus offering the trainees little cleaning work.

What did the trainees’ participation in the Fun Walk and The Great Durian Festival teach them about community service?

Were trainees anymore wiser regarding the long term commitment and devout required in community service? Were trainees truly able to understand the importance of volunteerism and the spirit of serving above self?

Latihan Soal Ujian Nasional (UNAS) Online

For all Indonesian Students and Teachers, there are some examinations to knowing your skill or your students ability about the lessons they have been learned. This test will very helpful to prepare our students "fighting" the final test with call is National Test (UNAS) for many level studies such as: Elementary School, Junior and Senior High School. The test contains for many lessons and many years of National Test database with multiple choice questions.

Let's see the score of your test now and good luck!

Don't forget to do the easy question first!


Elementary School (SD) :

Year of 2007
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris

Year of 2006
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris

Year of 2005
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2004
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2003
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, PKN


Yunir High Shcool (SMP) :

Year of 2007
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2006
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2005
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2004
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2003
Matematika, IPA, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris,
PKN


Senior High School (SMA) :

Year of 2007
Matematika, Fisika, Kimia, Biologi, Ekonomi, Bahasa Indonesia,
Bahasa Inggris, PKN, Sosiologi

Year of 2006
Matematika, Fisika, Kimia, Biologi, Ekonomi, Bahasa Indonesia,
Bahasa Inggris, PKN, Sosiologi

Year of 2005
Matematika (pembahasan), Fisika (pembahasan), Kimia (pembahasan),
Biologi, Ekonomi, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2004
Matematika, Fisika, Kimia, Biologi, Ekonomi, Bahasa Indonesia,
Bahasa Inggris, PKN

Year of 2003
Matematika, Fisika, Kimia, Biologi, Ekonomi, Bahasa Indonesia,
Bahasa Inggris, PKN

File source: www.invir.com

Obama Gets It Right

God, I love having smart people in the administration!

This morning I listened as Bob Shireman and Ceci Rouse unveiled an ambitious, thoughtful plan to increase college completion rates among low-income students. DOE is on the right track-- the story is completion, rather than access, and to make advances requires some serious restructuring of incentives.

The part of the plan to Restore America's Leadership in Higher Education that I'm most excited about is the creation of reliable Pell Grant -- making its funding mandatory rather than discretionary, and indexing the maximum grant to grow at CPI + 1%.

What's more, they're proposing a five-year $2.5 bil incentive fund to stimulate state-federal partnerships to increase degree completion. The best part? These folks actually get that we DO NOT KNOW what will work, and therefore whatever states try out needs to be rigorously evaluated. Build the knowledge base and we'll improve policy and practice. Exactly the shot in the arm higher ed needs, if only they hold true to a good definition of rigor and require states to contract out those evaluations. I'd also suggest that evals of ongoing, rather than simply new, programs be allowed -- why waste time when we can start learning now?

Lastly: one thing I didn't hear that I'd like to -- let the financial aid experiments continue. The last administration called a halt to institutional efforts to try out innovations, and this was a mistake. We need to know more about how aid can better be distributed, not less. Let 'em go on.

Do We Really Learn?

One of the professors in my university's economics department runs an informal book club; you don't get academic credit for showing up, but you do get the satisfaction of intellectual exploration from reading the book we're assigned and discussing it. I bring this up, because it affords me a segue into an interesting tidbit I overheard from a senior at the meeting this week — of all the education systems around the world, most have one purpose: they either exist to suppress heresy by propounding the truth, or they exist to encourage freedom of thought and freedom to explore intellectually.

Now, I think we all can guess which category our very own school system falls under. Students are told not to question. The very atmosphere of our schools stifles the notion that one must be free to explore.

But sometimes I wonder if criticisms of our school system aren't really a problem with the idea that we should teach the one truth. The constant debate about Chinese schools is I think a good example. There's no question that the Chinese schools outperform national schools academically. But the problem I have with our school system in general is that all our schools follow the philosophy of teaching one thing as true, with no room to question it or go beyond it.

If we made all our schools more like Chinese schools, we'd do a fantastic job of indoctrinating our children against heresy and the wrong ideas. But the problem with this is that what is wrong is always changing. The whole point of the scientific method is that we never really know the truth; we always just get a little closer to it. Any theory can always be disposed of if it does not reflect the facts we observe; no scientific theory is truly indispensable.

I believe this is why we don't see much real innovation and actual learning coming out of Malaysia. Ultimately the point of education is to learn; and ultimately once you have exhausted what your teachers know, you must learn for yourself from observing the world around you. In our schools, we do a great job learning from our teachers; we just don't learn how to really learn by ourselves.

So when our scientists are called upon to come up with something new, something that's never been observed before, they can't do it. We know very well how to learn from other people; we don't know how to learn for ourselves from the world around us. That is the problem with the dominant educational philosophy in our schools.

How do we fix this? There's no clear answer for that. But we need to stop going through the motions of education. Let's be honest, really — when we do experiments in school, we're really learning from the teachers, not the experiment. We're not actually observing what's going on in the world; we're observing what our teachers say and parroting their answers.

Knowing how to parrot is a useful skill; our Chinese schools often turn out great parrots, and they go on to do pretty good things. But ultimately nothing can really substitute for knowing how to learn things for yourself, from observing what actually happens and learning from it. We need to reorient the way we teach and the way we run our schools if we want that to happen.