Photo: Bernama
Higher education isn’t exactly a piece of cake, and university students will now have two extra subjects to take on. Education Minister Dr. Maszlee Malik recently posted on Twitter that two new compulsory courses have been introduced in all public universities for the 2019/2020 sessions.
The two subjects are Kursus Falsafah dan Isu Semasa (Philosophy and Current Issues) and Kursus Penghayatan Etika dan Peradaban (Appreciation for Ethics and Civilisation). Students are given the flexibility to take these two courses at any period of time during their studies.
Maszlee also posted about the move on Facebook.
In the post, he explained that the strength of a nation lies in the mindset of its people, which in turn will help form the growth of the country, be it economically, politically or otherwise. He added that while we already have Pendidikan Sivik in schools, it cannot stop there and that this form of learning should be continued until tertiary education.
He ended the post by saying that the end goal is to ensure all graduates are knowledgeable, with well-rounded personalities and are problem solvers.
Netizens, as usual, were divided over the news. Some welcomed the move and said this was a much needed effort for the current generation, as this would be a great stepping stone to help students develop better thinking.
At the same time, others questioned the move. Some were concerned over the lack of teachers who could teach philosophy, while others voiced concern over the contents of the courses.
Yet others spoke from the perspective of the students, saying that the existing workload is heavy and this move will simply be adding on to their pressure.
What are your thoughts on this?
By: Celestine Foo
