Written by Wong Choon Mei, Politics Now!
KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - In Malaysia, where religion especially Islam permeates all layers from politics and economy to society and education, it seems like girls prefer to get married rather than to continue with high school learning.A recent revelation by Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying that marriage is the main reason for an increase in the dropout rate among female secondary school students sparked shock, concern and debate.
Her statement made in Parliament not only raised eyebrows but triggered calls for in-depth review of the existing system.
"In refuting her statement, we cannot dismiss the fact that there permeate serious problems in the curriculum and system of secondary schools whereby urgent reforms and improvements are required," Ivone Low Yi Wen, the spokesperson for the women's wing of political party MCA said in a statement to the media.
"It is too sweeping a statement and an overgeneralisation to blame marriage as one of the causes for the higher dropout rate among female secondary school students."
URGENT SOLUTIONS NEEDED FOR WIDE SPECTRUM OF ILLS
MCA's Ivone Low
Indeed, given that women form a significant proportion of Malaysia's labour force, with the push for skilled and tertiary-level entrants increasing and never decreasing, it does appear the Education ministry would be wise to dig deeper into the issue and without delay.
Education is compulsory and free at government schools for Malaysian children from the ages 7 to 12 but at the middle to high school level, it is not compulsory for those aged between 13 to 17 to attend.
During a reply in Parliament earlier this week, Minister Hui Ying informed that the dropout rate of primary and secondary schools in the country fell to less than 1%. But while the dropout rate of male secondary school students has lessened, the dropout rate of female secondary school students actually rose from 0.40% in 2019 to 0.71% in 2022.
Many issues and reasons have long been publicly discussed by anxious Malaysian parents, educators and women rights activists. Core problems range from poverty, family pressure, religious pressure, unexpected pregnancies, boredom and bullying.
Another root factor for parents to withdraw or allow their daughters to quit secondary school is the scarcity of job opportunities, given that the 'glass ceiling' and gender preference are still very real here, especially with the economy no longer performing at the breakneck speed it used to.
OVERHAUL THE "ENTIRE EXISTING SYSTEM & CURRICULUM"
According to the MCA, a solutions-based review on "the entire existing system and curriculum for secondary education" needs to be undertaken.
"The core setback is that the Ministry of Education has not kept pace with the times when handling secondary education. Disciplinary problems in local secondary schools have festered for a long time, while the issue of student attendance has not received enough attention, let alone proposed solutions. These problems are the main reasons as to why many underage girls drop out of school and tie the knot early, and not vice versa," said Ivone.
"The syllabus for secondary school education is inadequate in the segments on gender relations and sex education, resulting with students lacking the necessary knowledge and awareness. This exacerbates the problems of early marriage and early pregnancy among youngsters. The Ministry of Education should prioritise solving these issues, rather than fault marriage as to why female secondary students leave school early before the syllabus’ completion."
The MCA also advised the Education Ministry to focus on "solving key issues to ensure that every student would receive better quality education and fully develop and realize their potential."
The MCA is a component party in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government but is known for its fondness of targeting long-time rival DAP, another party in the ruling coalition of which Minister Hui Ying is part of.
RARE SECOND CHANCE TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CHILDREN
The DAP has consistently spoken out against allowing child marriages. In Malaysia, the legal minimum
However, under Malaysia's Federal Constitution each state has the power to implement and change certain sections of the law as they see fit - and many especially the Malay belt states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis and Pahang have refused to ban child marriages.
And while former deputy prime minister Wan Azizah, whose husband is Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, had previously told Parliament that "mending the enactment or legal ordinance on minimum age for marriages can only happen if all the states agree with the proposed amendments."
However, many in Malaysia including Muslim activists have roasted Wan Azizah's explanation, insisting it was a matter of political will and accused her of lacking one.
In particular, women's rights group Sisters in Islam has demanded that the federal government take matters into their own hands for the sake of the children.
"Sisters in Islam strongly reiterate our call that the minimum age of marriage must be raised to 18 years old for both boys and girls, Muslim and non-Muslims, with no exceptions."
The Mahathir Mohamad-led Pakatan Harapan government of which Wan Azizah was a part of was toppled in 2020 - but it is now back in power with Anwar as prime minister.
Will the reinstated Pakatan government, with the likes of the still-youthful Minister Hui Ying at the helm, seize the rare second chance to not only right the wrongs to the children of Malaysia?
By not only banning child marriages but also revamping and rebuilding the entire existing education system so that Malaysia's young will not lose interest, stagnate and retreat while the rest of the world excels and advances? - Written by Wong Choon Mei, Politics Now!
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