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PETALING JAYA: The overall concept of a “cradle to career” approach to education is sound but a more thorough study should be done before it is implemented, said National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng.

She said the programme would surely make a difference to students, especially those from remote areas who get help from social workers.

“But we also need to ensure that the social workers are well-trained and given the resources to carry out their work.

“Perhaps we can do a pilot project first before implementing the programme nationwide,” she said.

Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the initiative would be especially beneficial for families relying on a dual income.

“With both parents at work, it would help to have additional support in monitoring the children.

“I’m enthusiastic to have such a programme, but it should be done whole-heartedly and consistently instead of on an ad hoc basis.

“Every child has the potential to succeed, but without proper guidance they may easily go astray — this is why interventions such as these are important,” she said.

They were responding to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s statement in the United States that Malaysia was looking at implementing such an approach in Malaysian schools to reduce dropout rates and boost student success.

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SOCIAL workers will visit the homes of weak students to help them progress in such areas as mathematics and reading proficiency under an initiative to be introduced in Malaysian schools soon.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the programme to help a child start kindergarten on the right footing and to prepare for national education reforms based on ways pioneered in the United States that have seen students through the school system right up to graduation from a university or college.

The Prime Minister said the programme would help ensure that every child enters school well prepared, eliminates disparities in academic success and links community and family support available to students.

“This is an important step in the transformation of Malaysia’s economy with greater human capital in science, technology and innovation.

“This initiative will also address the lack of students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics due to poor teaching of the subject matter, insufficient professional support and supervision, a lack of priority given to the subjects by schools and a lack of information on career prospects in science-related fields,” he said.

The “Strive Strategy”, as it was called, had increased student success in 27 US states, Najib noted after chairing the second meeting of the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council at the World Trade Centre here on Wednesday, at the start of his four-day visit to the US.

The strategy was initiated in Ohio by Dr Nancy Zimpher, now Chancellor of the State University of New York, who is a member of the GSIAC.

by T. Selva.

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