KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — Character education should encourage young people to voice their views, think critically and remain respectful when faced with differing opinions, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said.
In a Facebook post today, Fadhlina said that at the National Madani Youth Forum, she observed young people learning to articulate their thoughts, express their positions, consider differing views and defend their arguments.
“This is the character education we want to foster. It is not merely about teaching children to be good. We want them to speak up confidently, think critically and remain respectful when opinions differ,” she said.
She said character education must move in tandem with efforts to promote the Malay language, including by creating more spaces for young people to use it.
She said the Malay language would be strengthened when the next generation saw it as a language capable of expressing their thoughts.
“Our job is not to determine what they should say, but to ensure that when they speak, they have the knowledge to put forward their arguments and the courtesy to listen.
“A mature nation is not one where everyone agrees. It is one built by a generation that understands how to disagree,” Fadhlina said. — Bernama
