Sunday, April 4, 2010

Sports in education

Study this list:

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (1984-86)

Anwar Ibrahim (1986-91)

Sulaiman Daud (1991-95)

Najib Razak (1995-99)

Musa Mohammad (1999-2004)

Hishammuddin Hussein (2004-2009)

Muhyiddin Yassin (since 2009)

These are our Education Ministers over the years.

Of the little knowledge that I possess, the only one who admitted that the school system needed a revamp to accommodate sports is Muhyiddin, hence the policies that include 1student, 1sport.

It's good for the New Sunday Times to highlight the issues plaguing sports in schools. Read here, here, here . In response to the Sunday Times' report, Tony Mariadass offers his take here.

I've questioned the wisdom behind Muhyiddin's decision too. Read gentle-reminder-for-muhyiddin.

Credit though is still due to Muhyiddin for he acknowledged the fact the system required overhaul. What did his predecessors do and achieve?

Muhyiddin's policies, though sports is not his Ministry's core business, are a great start. They are designed to re-create the culture for sports lost over the years. We have to work within the current constraints because we are not living in an ideal world.

Trouble is, in Malaysia, not everybody's on the same page. Really.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

well, i wonder why NST display the problem of ministry of education to implement policy of 1 student 1 sport in page 1 today.

There are views who supported the idea if you care to read letters from parent etc in same newspaper.

the minister of education in his statement after chairing task force meeting middle of last month stated that almost 90% of the school prepared to implement this programme. While 10% faced some problem including lack of sport facilities. This feedback reveal from survey that has taken by MOE in 4 states.
There are problems to reimplement this programme and MOE aware of that, im sure. After 30 years sport in school being isolated because of priority given to academic excellent, the task to make sport important in school activities will be a challenging one. For this reason 1 student 1 sport will be implemented next year not immediately. Many thing have to be ironed out from now till end of this year to minimise hicup.

Azmi said...

Dear Rizal,

I'm so sorry to say this (you know I'm quite a fan of your blog and your articles in the mmail)but to me, Muhyiddin's 1student, 1sport is nothing more than a desperate attempt at acquiring the support of the masses and in "support" of the nauseating 1Malaysia concept.

I agree that credit is due for the realisation that there is a need for an overhaul.

However, please note that in 1986 we had our first SUKMA. A great deal of thanks and belated plaudits should be accorded to the late Tan Sri Sulaiman Daud (who was then the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports) who made it happen.

The initial plan was to hold the first SUKMA on Aug 15 to Sept 2, 1985, contesting six sports – athletics, cycling, sepak takraw, table tennis, tennis and volleyball.

This sparked interest among observers and officials who insisted on making the event popular and prestigious.

On Feb 5, 1985, the board of directors chaired by the late tan Sri Sulaiman agreed to organise the event the following year with the theme “Malaysia Incorporated”.

A high-powered committee also chairmed by Dr Sulaiman was established in July 6, 1985 where 16 sports – athletics, aquatics, badminton, basketball, cycling, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rugby, sepak takraw, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and volleyball – were identified to be contested in the inaugural games.

Among the members of the high powered committee included former Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Haniff Omar, former KL Mayor Tan Sri Elyas Omar, former Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Datuk Seri Setia Raha Hamzah Abu Samah and current OCM president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar.

SUKMA was tailored to spot and identify young talents at the district and state levels in order to create a larger pool of national athletes of the future. SUKMA has also developed certain games in the country and is also seen as a good avenue to create a harmonious atmosphere among athletes and officials of different races (info obtained from www.ms3golf.com.my/1_pg14.aspx).

Pursuant to the late Tan Sri Sulaiman's move into the Education Ministry, we saw a period of stability (education wise). Not just policies for policies' sake.

We would be flabergasted at the quality of young athletes produced during his tenure as Education Minister which was due to his efforts during his Sports Ministry days (Romzi Bakar, Chai Song Lip, Anastacia karen Raj... just to name a few - and this from athletics alone).

Do you recall the rivalry between Watson Nyambek and Azmi Ibrahim that began in the 1993 MSSM which culminated in 2 blistering finals in SUKMA 1994 and 1996.

To shower Muhyiddin with praise at this juncture would be premature. His efforts really should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Either that or his think thank should have come up with a better name for his policy.

rizal hashim said...

Azmi, well said. But I'm not showering Muhyiddin with praise. I merely stated that he's the first Education Minister to hammer home the point that an overhaul of the education system is required and he's taking affirmative action for it.

Well, on Sulaiman Daud's contribution, I don't deny that. Then again Sukma was a decision made by the Sports Ministry...

My point is was there any concrete decision made by the Education Ministers to help put sports back to where it belongs in the education system when they were helming the Education Ministry.

Everybody opines sports no longer exists in schools. agreed, but why when there are plans to change things for the better we still point out our shortcomings?

We should instead focus on working around the circumstances and situations. There's no such thing as an ideal situation here.

also, Romzi Bakar, Chai Song Lip, Anna...ok, there was a program at SMK SAAS Kajang, run by the NSC development department. Under Sports Ministry. It produced Noraseela, Zaiful, Robani, Moh Siew Wei, Malik Tobias among others.

Thanks again, Azmi.

Azmi said...

Thanks Rizal for your response...

I just hope that sports would once again be of priority in schools (which would hopefully lead to better sporting results in the long run):)

I'm all for an overhaul. Let's hope for the best :)

F1 for All said...

Salam Sdr Rizal;
Money down the drain? Look at the guest list at the Perdana Suite on Race Day Sunday F1.

Do we need to spend so much money entertaining guests who are already well-heeled. They should at least be herded to the empty Citrine and Opal stands opposite the paddock club to cover the embarrassing gaps.

Remember, duit pembayar cukai, tu..amanah la sket..

sukasukan said...

Salam bro,
tak peduli la sapa punya idea utk wujudkan 1murid 1sukan tapi mmg dah patut pun krn sudah kurang betul budaya bersukan di kalangan anak-anak kita skrg, semuanya budaya mengejar pencapaian akademik. hopefully dgn majoriti murid bersukan, kita akan mempunyai pool yg lebih besar utk diketengahkan sbg atlit elit. sistem pembangunan sukan berbentuk piramid, the bigger the base, the more we can produce champions.

pd masa sama, kita kena bgtau pupils mengenai peluang kerjaya sbg atlit. a full time atlit now earn elaun fr rm500 to rm2,500 per month. itu belum cerita insentif, bonus, prize money and sponsors. chong wei tu skrg dpt pencen rm3,000 lagi sebulan pasal menang perak olimpik, pencen tu sampai dia mati la beb.

satu lg ialah peluang utk dpt rm1 juta setiap 4 year circle - olympics. satu gold medal sukan olimpik, atlit boleh dpt RM1 million. jika murid skrg kejar akademik, lps tu jadi lecturer or lawyer, gaji dia pun mungkin tak kan dpt RM1 juta dlm masa 4 tahun.

so we have to start somewhere. jgn pandai kritik, ini susah itu susah nk buat program 1murid 1sukan. we hv to create budaya bersukan, kata nk jadi a sporting nation, tp the new generation x pandai sepak bola, apa crita beb.

p/s: kadang2 menyirap juga tgk loose cannon tunjuk muka macho kat astro arena, u r not that hansem la bro, hehehe.

Anonymous said...

Sangat setuju dengan idea 1 Pelajar 1 Sukan. Even masa zaman ibu bapa kita dulu pun sistem ni sudah lama diterapkan. Sistem ini patut diterapkan ke semua sekolah. Jika kita tengok sebelum ini hanay sekola-sekolah berasrama yang mewajibkan pelajar-pelajar untuk mempunyai 1 sukan sebagai sukan mereka.

Dengan ada nya idea dari TPM kita ini sudah semestinya dapat menghidupkan semula senario sukan di peringkat sekolah seterusnya dapat melahirkan generasi sukan.

Selaras juga dengna hasrat Kerajaan untuk melahirkan "The Thinking Athlete". Maka, sepatutnya usaha ini bermula dari peringkat sekolah. Saya menyokong sepenuhnya program 1 Pelajar 1 Sukan ini.

Anonymous said...

Azmi & Rizal,

Agree on both of your comments. There is only one that i would like to add...

This overhaul thing that we had hope for...Its going to take a damn huge and drastic actions!

No offence but whats past is past...there's no use really reflecting on the history in 80's or 90's...there not here anymore in the present...

I know one thing for sure what and who needs to act fast to really make this "slogan 1 sport 1 student" happened...the Ministry of Education and Kementerian Sukan la of course...

And NO POLITIC INTERFERENCE!!!!