Apendix Qualitative Vs Quantitative in Higher Education
Apendix Qualitative Vs Quantitative in Higher Education
Apendix Qualitative Vs Quantitative in Higher Education
Once this is in place, we can then deal with issues relating to curriculum,
teaching and learning, scholarship and research, staff and students,
leadership and management, and contributions to state and society. And
in so doing, never to lose sight of the first principle of a university which is
quite simply, the unfettered pursuit of Excellence. For excellence is
absolutely critical since universities exist to conserve, create, re-create
and communicate information, knowledge, skills and ideas and their
practical application at the most advanced level possible for society.
Indeed universities are the only institutions that can do this on a sustained
scale for they are uniquely designed to carry out this role.
In Malaysia, adherence to the principles and values discussed above is
difficult to say the least. The proliferation of public universities and the
seemingly overnight conversion of University Colleges and Teachers
Training Colleges into full-fledged universities can only result in worsening
the problem of mediocrity in total antithesis to the need for excellence.
Some Vice-Chancellors will tell you that each time a new university is
created, existing universities lose good academic staff, and worse, even
the mediocre and the dead-wood get higher positions in order to make up
the numbers. What is so tragic is that our government has been more
than generous in allocating large amounts of money to the higher
education sector, but the outcomes do not commensurate with the input.
The allocation for tertiary education in the Eight Malaysia Plan was 13.4
billion and under the Ninth Plan there is a 20% increase to 16.1 billion. Yet
in recent years we face the embarrassing deterioration in world ranking of
our universities. And because the focus seems to be in increasing
enrolments and graduates instead of occupying ourselves with improving
quality, we see inflation and erosion in the value of the university
qualification.
A serious rethink and re-examination of the current status of tertiary
institutions is necessary. Are expectations of government, society and the
individual being met? In this context the National Higher Education
Strategic Plan launched by the Prime Minister in August 2007 is to be
8
welcomed. This is in fact historic as for the first time in the history of
higher education in Malaysia, we have a comprehensive long term plan.
The Ministry of Higher Education sees the Plan as helping to create a
higher education environment that will foster the development of
academic and institutional excellence, thereby achieving for Malaysia
"world class" higher education. And with this transformation, we should
produce human capital of the highest quality with first class mentality"
needed to turn Malaysia into a developed nation.
To translate these highly desirable objectives into reality, the plan will
undertake, amongst others, the following strategic action initiatives:
(i) Strengthening of higher education institutions by attracting and
retaining the best academics that can contribute significantly to advances
in research and train graduates who can apply their knowledge in the
world of work. This is to be achieved by giving greater autonomy to
universities and by refining the role and expectations of the Board of
Directors, the Vice-Chancellor and Senior Management.
(ii) Creating an environment that fosters a culture of excellence in order to
attract the most able to enter academia and ensure that academics are
measured through continued demonstration of their passion for teaching
and research.
(iii) Building a critical mass of researchers, scientists and technologists so
that there will be at least five renowned Research and Development
Centres of excellence.
(iv) Establishing Apex Universities which will be characterized by having
the Best Leaders, the Best Faculty, the Best Students and the Best
Facilities.
(v) Transforming the Ministry of Higher Education to effect a philosophical
change from that of a Regulator and Enforcer to being a Facilitator and
Partner.
9
We can only laud the government for these initiatives, something serious
educationists and others had been hoping for thus long. But for all these
to become reality, one pre-condition must prevail - the political will to
ensure its achievement. Political will in this context implies:
(i) That university will truly be given autonomy to ensure excellence.
(ii) The Plan describes the Vice-Chancellor as the key leader to be drawn
from the "highest ranks of professionals, who must possess credentials, a
track record and command the respect of key stakeholders". However,
nothing done so far indicates this will be implemented.
(iii) Promotion of academics is to be based on their continued
demonstration of passion for teaching, research and the attributes of first
class human capital. Is this being practiced? And what is being done with
academics with "continued demonstration" of non-performance?
(iv) Creating the right environment for Research and Development is right
but will researchers be allowed to decide the agenda? This may be less of
an issue in Science and Technology, but in the Humanities and the Social
Sciences (which is hardly emphasised in the Plan), there is much doubt.
(v) Interestingly, on the issue of Apex Universities, a Government backbencher in Parliament, described this idea as flawed. To him, an Apex
University is the product of a lengthy process, and not the result of an
administrative measure; that it cannot be created, but is a process of
evolution over time.
(vi) For the ministry of Higher Education to be transformed in the manner
envisaged, it must be staffed by the best leaders, managers and
administrators, people who can command the respect of the higher
education society. How possible is this?
(vii) One overarching sentiment in the Plan, which is disturbing, is the bias
towards what is considered as Professional and Applied courses over what
10
11