PUTRAJAYA, March 5 — The Education Ministry (MOE) will focus on an approach which optimises students’ potential, starting from primary school, in efforts to produce a generation that is confident in its own strengths.

Senior Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said that the focus of the MOE now was to unearth the potential of students based on their strengths and advantages, to develop their talents.

"This (unearthing the potential of students) is one of the best spaces for us (to develop students’ talents) especially at the primary school level. We look at where their strengths lie and what their strengths are so that we can develop them and they can also optimise the strengths that they have,” he said in an interview on "Malaysia Prihatin” Achievements of MOE recently.

Radzi also stressed that the labelling of "kelas belakang” (underperforming) students in schools should not happen, especially at the primary school level.

He said it was too early to label primary school students in certain categories as they were just developing their potential at that age.

"Personally, I believe that each human being is created with their own strengths and each of the children has their unique strengths, only we are aware of it or not… maybe in the field of education they stand out less.

"We do not know where their potential may lie. That is why I always advise that there should be no labelling of "kelas depan” (performing) or "kelas belakang” (underperforming) students because this will have a psychological effect on our children,” he said.

In another development, the minister said that there was increased response to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) among students who wanted to get space and opportunities in programmes offered in the field.

He said that the ministry’s intention was to ensure that TVET students received an education in line with current industry developments.

"We do not want to teach TVET using old technology ... when the students complete their studies, the industry uses much advanced technology. One of our emphases is to increase cooperation between vocational colleges and industry to ensure that whatever we teach provides space and opportunities for them to work in industry where the technology used is the same technology they learn in school,” he said. — Bernama

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