Dato’ Hishamuddin Bin Tun Hussein Minister of Education On the 30th of March 2004, Dato’ Hishammuddin Tun Hussein was confirmed as Malaysia’s new Minister of Education. He has served in Parliament for many years, as Minister of Youth & Sports, and within the Ministries of International Trade & Industry and of Primary Industries. Born in August 1961, Mr. Hussein is a Law practitioner by training, with a bachelor degree from the University of Wales and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics. He is currently a member of the UMNO Malaysia Supreme Council, International Bureau, and Management and Discipline Committee, and of the National Information Technology Council. Minister Hussein’s long-time involvement in UMNO associations and activities in youth, economic and international affairs exemplify his ongoing commitment to public service and to development.

Access to Quality Education: Policies for the Youth of the Future

The New Economy has engulfed us with new challenges in education. This means that education systems must meet new expectations and face new competitions. Undeniably, it is quality education that will bring forth and harness the energies and potentials of the students to excellence.

At the forefront of our national agenda is the emphasis on access to, and equity of, quality education. The present educational system is sensitive and responsive to all needs. Our responsibility is to provide quality education for all and to ensure equal opportunity in education. The forces in the Malaysian society call for no ethnic or special groups to be marginalized in the quest for knowledge.

The provision of quality education for all is evident in our policy on inclusive education. In Malaysia, certain groups of students with special needs are no longer segregated but are placed in mainstream classes. This policy also caters for students in religious schools, children of foreign workers, juvenile delinquents, and those of indigenous groups.

In terms of intellectual growth and capacity building, the needs of the academically inclined students are secured through the provision of a school curriculum that develops students' interests in the fields of science, technology and arts. For the less academically inclined, the system provides an alternative pathway to learning within the mainstream. The programme, Vocational Subject for Secondary Schools was introduced to provide an array of vocational subjects in regular schools to entice these students to learn and develop skills that will prepare them for the workforce.

In meeting future demands of a workforce that is skilled, competent, knowledgeable and versatile, I believe that students need to develop thinking and learning skills. Efforts to strengthen students' learning skills are evident in the school curriculum to prepare them for changes that will occur with developments in science and technology and lifelong learning. To facilitate this, I shall continuously uphold the right of all students to new knowledge and experiences. This represents the underlying reason for equipping all urban and rural schools with ICT facilities - so that all students have access to ICT literacy and develop skills to seek for information through technology.

Our priority is to continuously upgrade the quality of education to ensure Malaysian youth possesses the inherent qualities of well-balanced individuals able to meet the challenges of the future.

Last but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate UNESCO particularly International Bureau of Education for providing a platform for decision makers to discuss challenges we all face in improving the quality and delivery of education in the 21st Century and to share our learning’s about education reform.