YOURSAY | ‘Just do the simple reading, memorising, and counting, and teach it better.’

Primary schools to teach AI basics from 2027 - Fadhlina

BluePanther4725: Our primary schools should focus on strengthening the basics and the foundation subjects first, like languages (especially English), Mathematics and Science.

Only when students can master the basics do they study more advanced subjects like artificial intelligence (AI). Many of our students can’t even read, write and do simple mathematics.

Hmmm: Just wondering which part of AI can be taught in primary schools.

Can’t they just improve the curriculum to make it not so tedious? Let them master the basics of language and arithmetic first.

Include music into the curriculum too to give them a more balanced education. Remove religion. Basics of computing can be introduced in secondary school, preferably upper secondary.

BrownCheetah9736: Firstly, teach the children how to speak and write proper English. Or will AI be taught in Bahasa Malaysia? Secondly, I’m not sure what can be taught in AI at the primary level.

Like many politicians, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has no understanding of what it involves. Just blabbering some fanciful and intelligent words with no substance.

You need to teach the children the basics of coding first and even before that, English, as I believe coding languages are in English.

Fair Play: The two most important subjects in education:

1) Language - verbal and written communication in words. Native language is also a language.

2) Mathematics - the language of numbers. The above is the foundation for any effective education, especially AI.

Doc: How is the ministry going to teach AI which uses English as its primary language when the language is not even taught properly in schools?

GreenViper4010: Try teaching the children to read first, and then count, maybe, for a start. How many Malaysian teachers know what “machine learning” and “training algorithms” are?

Colossal misdirection of resources (what resources?), time, and effort (whose effort you might ask?) Stick to canteens.

MyKanasai: If it is taught in primary school, which subject will it replace? With the present curriculum, there are already many dropouts and disinterest. Just do the simple reading, memorising, and counting, and teach it better.

Anonymous_1601363: Higher education students are using ChatGPT to write their thesis instead of doing actual research.

Soon there will be buildings that will collapse because graduated engineers will use ChatGPT to build buildings. Creativity has been dumped into the toilet bowl.

LimeSinga1592: Focus on the 21st-century skills, the much sought-after skills, especially in this propaganda era where the common person can easily be hoodwinked and groomed through media.

AI skills are so prevalent now that higher education institutions are facing problems determining if students use AI to do their assignments!

You will be surprised that students are two steps ahead when these kinds of ubiquitous tools are freely available.

Libra: Not all subjects are taught in the early stages of a child’s mental development. Think carefully. Some children can progress fast but the majority remain average.

If you put a child under unnecessary stress they will burn out early.

Comments Been Deleted: Why not start this year? Why wait until 2027? If you need expertise in AI, the market is abundant now, but most of them are non-Malays.

Would you mind roping them in to share their knowledge? Or will race and religion become factors in play? By 2027, we are learning something outdated.

We can never become a leading force in advanced technology. How do we compete internationally? Are we forever beggars and copycats with no dignity?

Knucklehead: From 2027? Did I read correctly? Hey, if your teachers are not ready, hire proper IT people to teach. Or do it using other means, like tutorials on YouTube. Why wait till 2027?

By then, Malaysians will have to work in Indonesia and Vietnam the way things are going. AI is evolving every day, and where are we planning to fail in 2027?

GrayParrot9290: Government schools and public university graduates are suffering due to low standard of education and hence unemployed. Private universities (at high cost to parents who are willing to sacrifice) will gain, and these private university graduates will also leave Malaysia. This is where the brain drain begins.

These issues affect Malaysia’s education standards and impact Malaysia's economy and competitiveness. Yet we question why Malaysia is lagging.

Nijinski: I don’t believe the ministry has enough qualified teachers to do this. The Education Ministry will likely outsource the work to a private company.

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