The Sun
by Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz
Instead, what we have is a government committee to conduct investigations. We have endless accusations and denials. We have all the entire competing histories of May 13, 1969 being broadcast across cyberspace, again. We have opposing Facebook groups: Sokong Cikgu Puan Hajah Siti Mangsa Politik versus Tidak Sokong Cikgu Puan Hajah Siti competing for "likes".
Well, absolutely right that she is a victim of politics. She is a victim of politics because education itself has been politicised, and because it is the minister, and not the parents, to whom teachers are answerable. What is worse, however, is the fact that many of my fellow commentators find it adequate for the teachers merely to be sacked or transferred. This does not properly deal with the issue one iota.
I repeat (three times!) that the solution is not to sack or transfer teachers if the government deems them naughty. Instead, it is far better to subject the entire teaching profession to a proper market where the demands of parents come first, without government interference. This would enable parents to apply whatever criteria they want in judging the individuals who are to teach their offspring. One criterion might even be merit – a characteristic that individuals, rather than groups of people, are usually perceived to possess. (I am intrigued by this idea that an entire race can be deemed to be meritorious than another. Anyway, as a classical liberal I am less interested in "meritocracy" than in choice ie if parents only want Muslims to teach their children, then that is entirely their right, and I defy anyone to tell any parent that they should not be in overall charge over the education of their children.)
That is why we in IDEAS have from our inception pressed for government schools to have more of the same freedoms and autonomy as private schools, so that sordid events like these can be dealt with locally rather than becoming full-blown national issues guaranteed to embarrass our country across the world.
It is in such ways that real "depoliticisation" takes place. In order to remove all possibility that things might be politicised, you need to remove as many remnants of the state as possible from the institution in question. The standard objection from the Left is that not everyone is capable of making the "correct" choices, and therefore government must make choices for certain people (usually defined as some sort of "group"). Leaving aside the condescension, it is still entirely possible to fund things out of public monies while ensuring sufficient checks and balances, standards and ethical procedures within the relevant institutions to ensure that they are responsive to the demands of the user and more important, that they do not become a tool for the ruling political party.
To those of us inspired by the likes of Ibn Khaldun and John Locke, who both wrote extensively about the need for limited government, the benefits are frustratingly clear.
*****
IDEAS is looking for interns. If you’ve got a couple of months to spare and are interested in education and/or parliamentary reform in Malaysia then please email us at admin@ideas.org.my with a CV. We do pay, but we’re even more generous when it comes to free meals.
by Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz
THE allegations of racism against the principals of SM Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra in Kulai, Johor, and SMK Bukit Selambau in Kedah have once again provided ugly headlines and agitated rants on blogs. If the purported remarks really were said then every right-thinking Malaysian would find them to be repulsive – what more that they took place in a school named after that righteous destroyer of racism, our Bapa Merdeka.
These episodes have once again revealed the inadequacy of a centralised, government-controlled education system. If these incidents occurred in private or properly autonomous schools, the will of the parents would have prevailed by now. There might have been an internal inquiry, perhaps a ballot within the parent-teacher association, followed by disciplinary action or sackings. The issue would have been dealt with at the local level with little fuss and nearly no cost to the taxpayer.
These episodes have once again revealed the inadequacy of a centralised, government-controlled education system. If these incidents occurred in private or properly autonomous schools, the will of the parents would have prevailed by now. There might have been an internal inquiry, perhaps a ballot within the parent-teacher association, followed by disciplinary action or sackings. The issue would have been dealt with at the local level with little fuss and nearly no cost to the taxpayer.
Instead, what we have is a government committee to conduct investigations. We have endless accusations and denials. We have all the entire competing histories of May 13, 1969 being broadcast across cyberspace, again. We have opposing Facebook groups: Sokong Cikgu Puan Hajah Siti Mangsa Politik versus Tidak Sokong Cikgu Puan Hajah Siti competing for "likes".
Well, absolutely right that she is a victim of politics. She is a victim of politics because education itself has been politicised, and because it is the minister, and not the parents, to whom teachers are answerable. What is worse, however, is the fact that many of my fellow commentators find it adequate for the teachers merely to be sacked or transferred. This does not properly deal with the issue one iota.
I repeat (three times!) that the solution is not to sack or transfer teachers if the government deems them naughty. Instead, it is far better to subject the entire teaching profession to a proper market where the demands of parents come first, without government interference. This would enable parents to apply whatever criteria they want in judging the individuals who are to teach their offspring. One criterion might even be merit – a characteristic that individuals, rather than groups of people, are usually perceived to possess. (I am intrigued by this idea that an entire race can be deemed to be meritorious than another. Anyway, as a classical liberal I am less interested in "meritocracy" than in choice ie if parents only want Muslims to teach their children, then that is entirely their right, and I defy anyone to tell any parent that they should not be in overall charge over the education of their children.)
That is why we in IDEAS have from our inception pressed for government schools to have more of the same freedoms and autonomy as private schools, so that sordid events like these can be dealt with locally rather than becoming full-blown national issues guaranteed to embarrass our country across the world.
It is in such ways that real "depoliticisation" takes place. In order to remove all possibility that things might be politicised, you need to remove as many remnants of the state as possible from the institution in question. The standard objection from the Left is that not everyone is capable of making the "correct" choices, and therefore government must make choices for certain people (usually defined as some sort of "group"). Leaving aside the condescension, it is still entirely possible to fund things out of public monies while ensuring sufficient checks and balances, standards and ethical procedures within the relevant institutions to ensure that they are responsive to the demands of the user and more important, that they do not become a tool for the ruling political party.
To those of us inspired by the likes of Ibn Khaldun and John Locke, who both wrote extensively about the need for limited government, the benefits are frustratingly clear.
*****
IDEAS is looking for interns. If you’ve got a couple of months to spare and are interested in education and/or parliamentary reform in Malaysia then please email us at admin@ideas.org.my with a CV. We do pay, but we’re even more generous when it comes to free meals.
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