YOURSAY | ‘Our education system doesn’t prepare students for the real world.’

Maszlee: We'll try to fulfil free education promise in two, three years

Ace: Education in Malaysia is already free for many people - some are on scholarships, some get National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loans and when they graduate, just refuse to pay back. If action is threatened, they just go and demonstrate. So, it's already free, isn't it?

Anyway, if a minister cannot come up with programmes and strategies to improve our education system, the easiest and "most popular" thing to do is to give out freebies.

The Education Ministry has already suggested free breakfast earlier and now free education? What else is the education minister going to offer? Free housing for the students and their parents too, perhaps?

Maszlee Malik, what you are doing does not require much thinking. Do you know that it's the people’s money that you are spending?

Atilia: Free but poor-quality education is meaningless. Our graduates can’t even find jobs. The truth is that most of them are expecting the government to give them jobs.

Something is seriously wrong with our country’s education system. The current education system just doesn’t prepare the poor students for the real world out there.

Anonymous_1cfb3ab6: Indeed, free education is useless. So is free khat (Islamic calligraphy) lessons.

What is needed is quality and relevant education that will help each and every student be competitive and find good jobs in the future.

Not just either waiting for a government job or hawking at the ‘pasar malam’ (night market).

Anonymous_1552653558: Yes, our education minister cannot just offer freebies.

Whose money are you using? And what is the cost of the free education that the government has to bear?

You said at the university level - on top of the government subsidies, there are still minimal fees that the students have to pay. So, it is not really free, is it?

Also, it cannot be free for the same reason that you have to pay the teachers, staff and maintenance of the schools and universities.

Appum: Free education? How about getting rid of racists and bigots in our education system?

A once top and respected university is now led by an allegedly racist vice-chancellor (VC).

How can students be trained to be objective in their perspectives and decisions in life and in leadership when they have such people as their leader/role model?

The free education concept will not amount to anything with people like the VC in the system.

A university is not solely an institution for knowledge but training for character and leadership in future employment.

Can an allegedly racist man running the university set a good example? They should all be sacked or resign immediately.

Don’t talk about free education when you have not freed your mind from quotas and privileges.

WilliamWallace: There should be no such thing as free education. Students should be given a loan for their studies but they must settle the debt once they start working.

The Australian system is probably the best most well-balanced system in the world and they offer great work opportunities.

International students can work up to 40 hours per fortnight in Australia, which will help you pay for things like nights out with friends or short trips over holiday breaks.

Students also have the opportunity to stay in Australia to work once they have graduated, taking advantage of the post-study work visa.

Clever Voter: Once again, we are subjected to mental torture by reading such a report on the education minister’s plans and aspirations.

He should know he could do more with the taxpayers’ money but spending on foolish things is not going to make graduates more relevant or employable.

Salvage Malaysia: No tuition fees in two to three years’ time? Sorry, I find it hard to believe.

If I were the education minister, I would study whether it is viable, three years from now, for tuition fees to be reduced by one-third.

Then and another three years to reduce another one-third and by the ninth year, it’s free.

India trade body tells members not to import M'sian palm oil

Kural: When many of the world powers were cautious for very legitimate reasons due to the complexity of the Kashmir issue, our prime minister went in headstrong with an accusatory reference of ‘invasion’ at a speech of heads of state at the United Nations.

This was very careless, if not just bold misplaced confidence at a potential adversary’s docility.

One can’t pontificate on the perceived shortcomings of another when one is confronting a bagful of grievances at once’s own doorstep.

Indeed, hard lessons to be learnt here. However, the tone/wordings of references regarding the reprisal by India seems to hold hope for a rapprochement.

Bluemountains: Will Dr Mahathir Mohamad say sorry to the people of India? I have my doubts.

Clearly, Mahathir is now a great liability to the local palm oil industry as well as the nation.

He should now step aside and let PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim repair the damage done before India starts to boycott other products as well.

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