PETALING JAYA: The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) has questioned the need for the Education Ministry’s planned “Character Education” subject by 2027, urging the government to first strengthen existing Moral, Civics and Religious Studies curricula before introducing new lessons.
PAGE founder Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said while the initiative to build better character among students is commendable, the government must first assess why existing moral education subjects have not achieved their intended goals.
“While the initiative to build better character in the planned subject may be a solution, we also need to understand why it cannot be embedded and be part of the existing curriculum of Moral, Civics and Religious Studies.
“Adding more time for this extra subject to an already packed schedule may not be justifiable, as it would take away time from other subjects.”
She said if current subjects were unable to instil values and ethics effectively, this should be treated as a policy and implementation issue rather than a reason to introduce a new syllabus.
“There must be monitoring and data tracking. Introducing another new subject to add to the current moral-building subjects would point to the failure of these existing subjects.
“How would we be assured that this new subject would achieve its objective without any evidence that it would work?”
Noor Azimah said PAGE believes that value-building in schools requires a multi-pronged approach rather than a single new subject.
“Discipline frameworks in schools must be strengthened, and discipline teachers should receive proper training in conflict management and early intervention.
“Every school must also have access to qualified counsellors to provide timely emotional and psychological support to at-risk students.”
She said digital citizenship and media literacy should also be made a core part of education to instil empathy, accountability and responsible online behaviour, while parents must play an active role in guiding their children’s use of technology.
At the same time, she said physical education and sports must not be neglected.
“Children need physical activities for brain development, even more so for those who live in small spaces or spend too much time online.
“We must also give attention to the state of public and community sports centres, many of which are left in disrepair.”
Noor Azimah added that ensuring school safety and student well-being requires collaboration between schools, parents and authorities, along with a renewed focus on respect, empathy and responsibility among students.
