Speeches

When I was young, my mother used to tell me: “If you don’t study hard and get into university, you will end up toiling under the sun for a living.” This advice or rather a stern warning, somehow motivated me to study hard. From being an academically poor student throughout my primary school education, I gradually worked my way up the academic ranking during my secondary school years. With God’s grace, I emerged as the top student of my school when I sat for SPM many years ago. With high achievement came the fame, honor, pride, admiration, opportunity, success, and the list goes on. This may sound slightly old-fashioned but the notion of ‘high academic achievement equals to success’ remains as an unchanging perception that holds firmly in many parents’ inner belief system even till today .           

Back in the 80’s and 90’s, education was a rare commodity. Higher education was less accessible and therefore university graduates were rare. Jobs that require specialized knowledge were often highly paid. Therefore, knowledge was viewed as the foundation to success. However, with the recent trend of advanced emerging technology such as artificial intelligence, big data and internet-of-things, the trend is changing. Some longstanding traditional jobs are beginning to be replaced by intelligent machines and automatons. While some hobs may eventually become obsolete. New jobs which require new sets of skills will begin to emerge.

                Education is now faced with the challenge of not just equipping students with the head knowledge but the ability to think creatively, critically and independently. To achieve these ends, not only does the entire education system need to be realigned, the focus of assessment also needs to shift from a result-oriented to process-oriented paradigm. The implication of this that teaching would need to change from merely impartation of knowledge to facilitation of learning through mutual collaborations between teachers and students and between students and their peers. In such learning model, students are constantly challenged to think out of box and push the limits of knowledge boundaries.

               Isn’t it true that some of the most talked-about innovations such as Apple, Alibaba and Facebook (just name a few) were born out of a simple sense of curiosity? Yet It is often the overly-emphasis of examination in the current education system that kills such passion, dreams and ambitions. I am glad that the current government is beginning to realize the lopsidedness of the current education system and is attempting to restore the balance by abolishing the school examinations for Primary 1-3. While the implementation has received mixed responses from parents and educationalists, the intention was good and the rationale was clear to provide a stress-free and non-competitive environment for students to develop the joy for learning and to exercise creativity and critical thinking in problem solving which are much lacking in the graduates nowadays. Ism is no exception.

               Like many schools in the country, Ism students have been much pampered by their lecturers who have provided them with almost everything they need to tackle the examination. While such practices are done out of care and love, it may not do any good to the students in the long run. ISM students need to realize that the world is changing and the knowledge gained today would not suffice in the future. TO stay abreast with the current trend and development, one needs to continually upgrade his/her knowledge and skills through a positive attitude for lifelong learning. AS we do not always have our teachers to guide us along the way, we need to eventually learn how to stand and walk by ourselves.

                Taking this opportunity, I would like to implore all graduates of 2019 to embrace the love for lifelong learning, your graduation may mark the end of your study at ISM, but the learning never ends. If you have done well academically, I congratulate you. IF you have not, do not be disheartened. It is indeed the part and parcel of learning. The very fact that you have completed your programme of study in ISM itself is already an accomplishment.

                 Stay fervent with your passion and as the saying goes, “the sky Is the limit”.

Lawrence Kow Cheng Tek