Review Form 6 education; separate it from mainstream schools

KUALA LUMPUR: The Form Six learning system should be reviewed in order to better reflect its post-secondary education status.
 
This includes the rules enforced on students, the syllabus, and the establishment of a special institution for Form Six studies, according to Malaysian Muslim Teachers’ Association (iGuru) president Mohd Azizee Hasan.
 
He is of the opinion that it would be better for Form Six studies to be separated from the mainstream school system by establishing more Form Six colleges nationwide.
 
“It is also proposed that its learning system, including the semester system, as well as teaching and learning methods, be implemented in tandem with universities,” he told Bernama.
 
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said during the Temu Anwar Negeri Sembilan programme that Form Six education in the country should not be too bound by school rules but be given some space even though it is conducted on school grounds.
 
Anwar said the Form Six environment needed to be changed as it was post-secondary education just like matriculation, as school sessions ended in Form Five.
 
Sharing the same sentiment, National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Fouzi Singon said that the establishment of a special college for Form Six studies would also make management, learning, and placement of teachers easier.
 
According to him, it can also attract Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school leavers to continue their studies in Form Six because they no longer have to deal with the school’s rules and environment.
 
“Take the matriculation college as an example; many students compete for their admission because it has a physical college and a brand. So if Form Six has its own college, it will be able to draw SPM holders’ interest and serve as a branding tool for Form Six education,” he said.
 
Meanwhile, Forest Heights Seremban Form Six College Student Executive Council president Muhammad Hakim Mohd Syafawi lauded the proposal, describing it as a positive move as they no longer need to be “treated” like mainstream students.
 
“Some Form Six students are required to follow school rules such as limiting the use of gadgets and communication devices, and some are not allowed to bring smartphones to class, just like other secondary school students.
 
“This should not occur because the use of technology in learning is important now,” he said.
 
Forest Heights Form Six College student Muhammad Amal Khan Abdul Aziz, 19, said Form Six students are pre-university students similar to students at higher education institutions at the Diploma and Matriculation levels; therefore, they should not be bound by school rules.
 
“Indirectly, this will have an influence on SPM graduates. Most of them are not interested in Form Six because of that factor; after five years in secondary schools, they will definitely want something new, including a change in the environment, dress code, and so on,” he said.
 
Muhammad Amal Khan said there needs to be a change in the Form Six environment in order to change the perception of the community, especially young people, so that they are more interested in entering Form Six, which certainly has lower tuition fees. – BERNAMA