With the low percentage one has to wonder, what are the factors contributing to our stunted growth? There are a couple of reasons we need to look at first.
Lack of Proper Reading Culture From Young
In 2009, former Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, said that, “Students should read more books, not just revision books or textbooks for examinations.” Ask any Malaysian and they’d tell you that as primary and secondary school students, many of us were obligated and trained to read academic books.
Meanwhile, in school, the only creative reading we’re encouraged to do is the selected literature books or the NILAM programme, one that’s designed to get students to record down what they’ve read and, depending on the amount they’ve read, are rewarded.
With a system that’s designed to focus more on quantity instead of quality and an education system that focuses on producing perfect answers on our standardised tests or focuses solely on the end goal, how would we be able to train a generation that loves to read independently?
Learning Poverty Downgrades the Importance of Reading
In a study by UNICEF on urban child poverty in Kuala Lumpur, it’s found that 13% of children at the end of their lower secondary school age aren’t proficient in reading.
Poverty has a discernible effect on an individual’s literacy ability and is most prevalent in the B40 communities. When that finite source of income is affected, an inopportune decision must be amended for the livelihood of the family, i.e. school-going children have to sacrifice their education in order for the family to survive — creating the vicious cycle of learning poverty.
Therefore, they’re more likely to drop out from school and even the most hardworking student may be robbed from receiving the best education experience possible.
