Apa Cerita lagi MOE? What telah happen?

Asyik-asyik MOE. Kebelakangan ni Kementerian Pelajaran kita ni semakin ‘popular’. Yelah, kelmarin pengetua sekolah mengunjungi ‘gedung’ sex di Internet. Sekarang pulak pasal madrasah tak diberikan edusave. Kenapa sekolah-sekolah-sekolah madrasah dianak-tirikan? Apalah nak jadi dengan MOE ni. Madrasah juga adalah institusi yang telah mendapat pengikhtirafan di Singapura. Anak-anak muda ini telah memilih cara pembelajaran dari sudut agama Islam. Adakah pilihan mereka salah ataupun pemerintah mengambil sikap tak endah kerana agama Islam dipandang dunia sebagai agama yang berkaitan dengan radicalisma? Sampai bila tangapan serong seperti ini akan luput?

These Muslim families feel victimised just because they have chosen a non-conventional, non-mainstream path in their children’s education. I can’t help but think about those students who are in missionary schools but still get government funding. How does MOE justify which school gets edusave funding and which schools do not? Maybe MOE should be more transparent to clear the air and to avoid further misunderstanding in future.

In my opinion, one of the factors that led to the stringent rules imposed on madrasahs is the growing Islamophobia that is infecting the globe like a pandemic. After 9/11, many countries such France, Switzerland, israel, and the US have imposed stricter regulations on Muslims. Many Muslims in these countries are being discriminated. Anyone who dons the hijab or recites the Quran is negatively seen as a ‘terrorist’. Even children who took school bus from an Islamic kindergarten were labeled as ‘terrorists’. Melampau! (too much).

I agree with Yang Razali Kassim who had expressed his concern about the fate of madrasah education in Singapore in the early 2000s. In the early 1990s, there was a perception that madrasah would close down because they were producing more graduates than the economy could support. Many felt that the fate of madrasahs were doomed to fail because these graduates were trained in only religious knowledge and many eneded up being unemployed.

In the early 1960s, the government had faced similar problem with the Chinese-stream education. Graduates from the Chinese-stream schools were not getting jobs because they were increasingly favouring English-stream schools. The declining of popularity of Chinese school amidst the widespread of student radicalism and communism was one of the key reasons that led to the eventual closure of Nanyang University, and later Chinese-stream schools. The emergence of Christians and Catholic schools also had received little success when it had initially started.

But after more than 50 years, the Chinese-stream and mission schools have become more prestigious. How come the madrasahs received very little success and popularity as compared to the Chinese and mission schools? I supposed the government (all along) sees very little potential in the madrasahs.

Yes, I must admit the introduction of the Joint Madrasah System (JMS) by MUIS is a positive effort to boost the status of madarasahs, but sadly after 4 years of its implementation, our madrasah have suffered greatly from the strict benchmarks. And duration of 4 years is not long enough for the madrasahs to improve given their hopes were dampened for decades.

MOE and MUIS should discuss this issue and try to work out a balanced and fair approach towards the betterment of the Muslim education. I propose the Madrasah education should be given a facelift with a modern and creative way in learning so as to move away from the stigma of radicalism and closed-door, rigid approach of Islam. Take examples from Turkey and Saudi Arabia where people from around the world have traveled to these countries and study at the universities. Singapore should emulate the system and see how modernity can be incorporated into the madrasah education system without compromising the quality and essence of Islam. Adaptability is what the madrasah system should start to embrace. Change is what MOE and MUIS should welcome.

Further good readings on Madrasah systems:

- PM Lee on Education http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20100830-234707/2.html

- Madrasah students should also benefit from Edusave Scheme http://www.asiaone.com/News/Mailbox/Story/A1Story20110216-263731.html

- AMP http://www.amp.org.sg/edisi/data/Publications/Karyawan%20-%20Vol%209%20Issue%201/Vol9%20Iss1%20-%20ME%20Crossroads%20-%20Remodelling.pdf