Concerning the announcement by Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently stated that Form Six education would undergo rebranding to raise its image by being in tune with pre-university education the same as the matriculation colleges and science foundation centres, Gerakan Central Bureau of Education and Knowledge Society chairman Lau Chin Hoon is delighted over the announcement and welcomes the MOE’s move to pay special attention to Form Six education especially on having a separate institution for Form Six.

“Gerakan welcomes MOE’s announcement to rebrand Form Six and would like to urge the MOE to embark the rebranding measures immediately as well as to prioritize the necessary relocation of resources and logistic adjustments for the establishment of colleges catering to Form Six education,” says Lau, who is also Johor Pemanis state assemblyman.

Lau opines that the rebranding measures will separate Form Six students from secondary school systems and this would help them to become more mature. Besides, the move is also perceived as a timely opportunity for them to adapt and experience a new educational milieu in the aspects of academic, social, mindset and personal management. It is certain that the rebranding measures will be closely adjusted to resemble the higher education and thus benefiting the Form Six students with the introduction of a pre-university learning environment.

Apart from this, Gerakan also suggests Form Six education to be put under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in keeping with its newfound status under the ambitious rebranding measures. It is certain that Form Six education will be benefited immensely with better management, guidelines and allocation of resources under MOHE.

“We also would like to urge MOE to study the feasibility of placing Form Six education under the same education department with other post-SPM and pre-university educations such as matriculation, vocational studies, certificates and diploma programmes on a concerted teaching effort. Such an arrangement will provide a synergy from the teaching resources available and set up a combination of new subjects tailored to the needs and interests of the students,” says Lau.

In addition, Lau also holds that Form Six education and STPM should be further strengthened and regarded as the main gateway for the SPM holders to enter the local public universities. He opines that there is a need to streamline pre-university education and standardise the admission policy to local university as an effort to prepare the students to be generally better in order to facilitate and raise the standard of the freshmen in Year One university curriculum.

“We urge the government to attract more Malaysian students with excellent results in A-level and Unified Examination Certificate as well as top students holding other internationally recognised pre-university qualifications to enter local universities as an effort to improve academic talent pool and competitiveness,” says Lau.