What are educational aims? What are the characteristics of a good educational aim?
According to John Dewey, the aim of education is to enable individuals to continue their education. He argues that an aim relates to results that implies an orderly and ordered sequence of activities. The results must be foreseeable and played a role in giving direction to the activities to reach the end. In other words, aim is a means of action.
More importantly, Dewey emphasises that educational aims should not be imposed externally. He argues that externally imposed aims are fixed and rigid, and they are not stimulus to intelligent, but merely dictating order to accomplish tasks. It was said that these externally imposed aims are responsible for the emphasis put upon the notion of preparation for a remote future and for rendering the work of both teacher and pupil mechanical and slavish.
Hence, do we have educational aims in Malaysian education system? (I guess schooling might be more appropriate word to substitute education). Almost the entire education system is externally dictated and without the flexiblity that enables individuals to be schooled at their own pace. It seems to me that the "aim" of the education system is strictly preparing students to sit for the various examinations, in which the results then indicate and reflect the "education" received.
This rigidity of educational aims is further complemented with the highly-structured curriculum, where teachers are expected to "deliver" to the pupils. Education is not about delivery, it is about educating. A Professor of Philosophy of Education that I knew, was extremely critical about this, where he argues that "deliver" or "delivery" are mechanical processes, like postman delivering letters, and education can never be delivered.
Therefore, the highly-structurised curriculum and examination-oriented education system, has not only restricts the flexibility of the teachers to teach, but indeed encourages the "delivery of education". I can't help but felt puzzled, "Where are the educational aims in the Malaysian education system?" or rather "Are there educational aims in Malaysian schooling system?"
This post is also available in The Malaysian Education Debate
According to John Dewey, the aim of education is to enable individuals to continue their education. He argues that an aim relates to results that implies an orderly and ordered sequence of activities. The results must be foreseeable and played a role in giving direction to the activities to reach the end. In other words, aim is a means of action.
More importantly, Dewey emphasises that educational aims should not be imposed externally. He argues that externally imposed aims are fixed and rigid, and they are not stimulus to intelligent, but merely dictating order to accomplish tasks. It was said that these externally imposed aims are responsible for the emphasis put upon the notion of preparation for a remote future and for rendering the work of both teacher and pupil mechanical and slavish.
Hence, do we have educational aims in Malaysian education system? (I guess schooling might be more appropriate word to substitute education). Almost the entire education system is externally dictated and without the flexiblity that enables individuals to be schooled at their own pace. It seems to me that the "aim" of the education system is strictly preparing students to sit for the various examinations, in which the results then indicate and reflect the "education" received.
This rigidity of educational aims is further complemented with the highly-structured curriculum, where teachers are expected to "deliver" to the pupils. Education is not about delivery, it is about educating. A Professor of Philosophy of Education that I knew, was extremely critical about this, where he argues that "deliver" or "delivery" are mechanical processes, like postman delivering letters, and education can never be delivered.
Therefore, the highly-structurised curriculum and examination-oriented education system, has not only restricts the flexibility of the teachers to teach, but indeed encourages the "delivery of education". I can't help but felt puzzled, "Where are the educational aims in the Malaysian education system?" or rather "Are there educational aims in Malaysian schooling system?"
This post is also available in The Malaysian Education Debate
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