In the news - 8% of National Service trainees cannot read or write

RAWANG: In a shocking discovery by the Defence Ministry, about 8% of 6,667 National Service trainees from 30 selected camps were found to be unable to read and write.

The findings were based on a pilot project using a module called I-Smart conducted on the third batch of NS trainees in August last year.

“The objective of the programme was to ensure that the trainees had basic reading and writing skills,” said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the Templer Park national service camp here yesterday.

He said the trainees had been categorised into six “bands” and 8% were placed in the lowest band. Dr Ahmad Zahid said they had alerted the Education Ministry.

“We are not blaming the education system. “But we hope they will be able to take the necessary measures to improve the situation,” he said, adding that the module had proven to be a success with 78% or 375 of the 482 students during their stint in NS.

The ministry, he said, was also working with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris to come up with a programme for trainees who are overweight.

The trainees would go through specific programmes based on their body mass index (BMI).

Those found to be overweight would be exempted from intensive activities such as the “flying fox”, said Dr Ahmad Zahid.

KATA PENGETUA:

1. Sekolah telah lama menyatakan ada peratusan tertentu pelajar sekolah menengah yang tidak pandai menulis dan membaca. Tetapi, ianya tidak dinyatakan sebagai ”shocking”. Sekarang, seluruh negara sudah tahu bahasa masalah ini adalah real.

2. KPM telah cuba menangani masalah dengan ini dengan memperkenalkan KSSR bermula 2011.