George Lam
KUCHING (June 6): The Ministry of Education should enhance the learning experience for students so that they can better understand the topics in Commerce and Consumer Mathematics.
In stating this, Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Kuching chief George Lam said students can currently opt to study Commerce subjects when they are in Form 4 and 5.
It is also compulsory for students to study four chapters of Consumer Mathematics from Forms 3 to 5, he said in a statement.
“This aims to enhance the students’ understanding on business management as well as personal financing so that when they graduate, they know how to manage their personal finances, especially if they choose to start up their own business,” he said in a statement.
However, Lam said it was unfortunate that many students do not understand the contents of the topics for these subjects that were taught by their teachers.
“This is caused by the lack of real-life examples being provided by the teachers who merely go through the topics only,” he claimed.
He said by enhancing the learning experience for students so that they can better understand the topics in Commerce and Consumer Mathematics, the students would be able to apply what they have learnt in their lives once they leave school.
Lam, who is also a special assistant to Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii, also expressed his concern over the statistics disclosed recently by Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, that 60 per cent of the 500,000 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) graduates chose not to further their studies but to start working with a minimum income.
“The monthly (minimum) salary of RM1,500 is unable to support an adult’s monthly expenses in cities like Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Penang, Kota Kinabalu or Kuching.
“The adult is going to have a financially tight life in those cities and may be unable to start a family without the help from parents,” he said.
He pointed out that school leavers should possess some skills that would allow them to work independently should they decide not to further their studies.
“By using the skills that they have, this would enable them to earn an income for themselves and create a better life for their future.”
Nevertheless, Lam hoped that SPM school leavers would continue to further their studies, as education is the key to success and the only way to improve one’s quality of life.
At an event in Banting, Selangor recently, Ahmad said statistics showed that only 40 per cent of the 500,000 SPM school leavers entered Form 6, took Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), or pursued their studies at higher education institutions.
The Deputy Finance Minister said of the figure, about 300,000 (60 per cent) ended up working in factories or becoming e-hailing riders with their SPM qualifications.
He also suggested that entrepreneurship be taught in secondary schools to provide students with early exposure and to produce more entrepreneurs in the country.