TS,Monday November 7 2011
I refer to “The rise of educated ‘ugly Malaysians’” (The Star, Oct 14) and agree on all points except for viewing ugly Malaysians as educated.
It may have been 45 years ago, but I still remember clearly the wise words of my school teacher who said that a learned person might not necessarily be educated
Those who studied in institutions of higher learning may have learnt something but if they behave in an ugly manner, they are anything but educated.
In my book, simple village folks with minimal schooling are educated when they are courteous to everyone and treat the environment with care and respect.
The increasing number of ugly Malaysians is a clear indication that our education system has obviously failed.
Our colleges and universities are centred on academic studies and churning out graduates mostly lacking in skills needed by the industries.
They also lack the language and communications skills needed to interact well with others and learn quickly on the job.
Our graduates may have spent several years pursuing a diploma or a degree but many graduates are not able to describe well in their own words what they have studied.
In fact, many are unable to engage in intelligent discussions or describe common things they see everyday such as their neighbourhood.
They also lack moral and social values, as emotional and spiritual development is accorded low priority in most educational institutions.
What we have are many Malaysians with superficial views and values, detached from their surroundings and least concerned for the welfare of others.
Much of our traditional cultures have been reduced to costumes, dances and quaint rituals, and good family values and societal etiquette are seldom practised.
The rise in number of ugly Malaysians has resulted in the degradation of our society and desecration of our environment.
The writer asked a most pertinent question “How do we go about educating the educated ugly Malaysians?”
The answer has to be holistic education and continuous training, apart from more effective enforcement.
Instead of limiting education to academic pursuits or professional skills, there should also be personal development. Undergraduates ought to develop physically, emotionally and spiritually, and acquire the necessary social values and skills.
Working adults should attend training on courtesy. They will learn to raise their awareness on courtesy and try to be more courteous.
I have conducted several training workshops on courtesy and have noticed many participants are oblivious to the rude behaviour common in society today.
Perhaps they have grown accustomed to, and treat, such behaviour as normal and will do the same if they too can get away with it.
Many participants can recall the fifth tenet of the Rukunegara - “Courtesy & Morality” - but some have absolutely no clue on how to be courteous.
It can be as simple as giving others a smile, including family members and colleagues. Religion and morals seem more for academic knowledge than to be practised.
Similarly, we should walk for about 30 minutes regularly if not engaged in any other aerobic exercise. Almost everyone can walk but how many of us take the trouble?
If we are to achieve the target of attracting 36 million tourists and RM168bil in revenue by 2020, we will need to shore up our human capital. Stretching ourselves thin might cause an implosion.
The number of graduates does not measure human capital but productivity and innovation, which rise with the physical, emotional and spiritual developments, apart from technical expertise.
Active retirees such as the concerned writer can be roped in to conduct training on courtesy. Anyone who is observant, caring and with good communication skills can be a facilitator for a group size of between 10 – 25 people.
Non-governmental organisations can seek grants for such training from various government agencies as it can raise productivity and quality of life for all.
It will be a meaningful and fruitful exercise for large corporations to sponsor such training as part of their corporate social responsibility.
Courtesy is the responsibility of every individual and organisation. There is no courtesy if it is not on display.
It is heartening to note that many of those who lack courtesy are friendly by nature. Many do not realise that their everyday behaviour can be perceived to be rude or inappropriate.
As such, concerted efforts are required to promote and nurture a more courteous Malaysian culture.
YS Chan
Kuala Lumpur
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