The not-so-recent announcement that any student who scored 9A+ (or more) in SPM Examination will automatically be awarded a scholarships by the Public Services Department (PSD) is a big joke to me. In my opinion, scholarships should instead be given to high-achievers of STPM, which is what the President of MCA is advocating too.. but personally, I don't think the government would agree to it because, as everyone knows, majority of the students doing STPM are Chinese and Indians.
Why shouldn't scholarships be ? Cos this will only spur more "bookworms", "regurgitat-ers", "exam smart" type of students. Students will be spending more time "memorizing" and "gouging" themselves silly with past year papers than to really learn and be educated. While teachers in the schools will not do their best during school hours, but would look forward to "moonlight" as tuition "gurus", charging high fees for something that they should be teaching their own students for free!!
There are already too many so-called "graduates" in the market. Many of them unemployable due to their lack of language skills, usable/marketable skills, EQ and basic work ethics. Everyone wants to work in the office (air-conditioned no less), dress up nicely for work, hang-out at Starbucks/Old Town Cafe after work, go pubbing, golfing or engaged in whatever activities that they think will show people that they have arrived.. Someone forgot to tell them that they need to work hard, be dedicated and be responsible in their jobs..
With this "mad charge" towards 9,10 or 1x A+, these secondary students won't have the time and motivation to try to find out what they really want in life.. Maybe you would think that it is ridiculous to talk about "life-long" careers/ambition at the age of 16 or 17 then what about the fact that many of these teenagers will be "coerced" into fields that demanded many years of their young adult life, like medicine?
Schools should arrange for career counselors to give advise to these teenagers on their future.. I don't remember anyone in school telling me what EXACTLY does an auditor, engineer, accountant, nutritionist or any other occupation do.. or what subjects do I need to get into a course to be a librarian/psychologist/whatever.. or what are the prospects for being a archeologist or paleontologist in this country.. or what jobs are suitable for me.. No one bother with all these non-academic activities, and thus that is the reason why so many people are in jobs that they hated or not suitable for because of their personality and/or temperament!!
As an example, after getting my STPM results (equivalent to A levels) I put in Computer Science as one of my choices for NUS because it sounded more interesting than pure Science. And the only experience I had with computers then was playing Karateka on my uncle's Apple II!!! If I had known that there are other opportunities for Science graduates than being a school teacher, I might have taken up the offer in University Malaya to do Biology instead!! I could grasp Biology better than Computer Science.. or I might major in Library Science (I love books), Actuarial Science (I am good with numbers and structures) or maybe even Medicine (I have the temperament of a surgeon :p) !!
Not everyone knows what they wanna be when they grow up.. so we should provide guidance and advice to these future pillars of the country so that they can maximize their potential and minimize frustrations.. Else it will be very sad for these ace students to be herded into professions that they have no prior understanding of, which they might or might not be happy or good at..
Sometimes I wonder if the authorities actually sit down and think all these over.. but I know that that is highly unlikely.. given how thick-witted most of our cabinet ministers are.. This IS a country led by a bunch of money-grabbing, fear-mongering, self-promoting knuckleheads..
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