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Pelajar SBT dikecualikan ambil subjek sama di IPT

2010-03-19T03:06:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Pelajar sekolah berprestasi tinggi (SBT) yang mengikuti kursus setara dengan silibus subjek peringkat ijazah sarjana muda, akan dibenar memindahkan jam kredit mata pelajaran berkenaan apabila memasuki universiti, sekali gus berpeluang menamatkan pengajian lebih awal.

Konsep pemindahan jam kredit itu pada prinsipnya dipersetujui Kementerian Pelajaran dan Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi selepas menelitinya dalam makmal bidang Keberhasilan Utama Negara (NKRA). Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Pengajian Tinggi (JPT), Prof Datuk Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi, berkata melalui kaedah itu, pelajar dikecualikan mengambil subjek sama di universiti kelak, sebaliknya hanya perlu mengikuti subjek yang belum dipelajari dalam bidang pengajian yang dimasuki.

“Seseorang pelajar lazimnya mengumpul sehingga 18 jam kredit dalam satu semester. Jika pelajar itu memperoleh empat jam kredit melalui kursus di SBT, maka dia hanya tinggal 14 jam kredit untuk dikumpul dalam semester pertama di universiti.

“Ini bermakna dia boleh mengambil lebih awal beberapa subjek dalam semester kedua bagi mengumpul empat jam kredit lagi jika tidak bertembung dengan jadual kuliahnya pada semester pertama.

“Melalui proses ini, pelajar berpeluang menamatkan pengajian lebih awal daripada biasa. Universiti menggunakan sistem semester berasaskan jumlah jam kredit, iaitu minimum 120 jam kredit untuk keseluruhan pengajian (kecuali bagi bidang tertentu) dan bukan semata-mata berdasarkan tempoh tahun pengajian,” katanya kepada Berita Harian.
Difahamkan, murid Tahun Satu di SBT tahun ini akan menjadi kumpulan perintis dalam pelaksanaan konsep itu apabila mereka memasuki pada peringkat menengah atas.

Setakat ini, 20 SBT dipilih dan Kementerian Pelajaran menyasarkan 30 lagi tahun depan serta 50 pada 2012. SBT antara lain diberi autonomi tambahan dalam pengurusan kurikulum, termasuk fleksibel dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran serta silibus bagi subjek wajib dan elektif.

Radin Umar berkata, kursus yang diikuti pelajar di SBT itu akan mengandungi sukatan lebih tinggi dan membabitkan ilmu tambahan, berbanding silibus mata pelajaran pada peringkat menengah atas.

“Pemilihan jenis kursus adalah berdasarkan kecenderungan bidang pengajian mereka di universiti. Contohnya, pelajar aliran perakaunan SBT boleh mengambil kursus setara dengan subjek semester satu peringkat ijazah.

“Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi akan membantu memadankan jenis kursus yang diambil pelajar sesebuah SBT dengan universiti yang sesuai serta menentukan kesetaraan silibus yang akan diajar nanti supaya memenuhi syarat Senat Universiti.

“Namun, pelaksanaannya akan dikendalikan sendiri oleh SBT dengan universiti hanya menjadi rakan kerjasama kerana SBT mempunyai autonomi akademik,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, pelajar terbabit bagaimanapun tidak terikat untuk melanjutkan pelajaran di universiti yang menjadi rakan kerjasama sekolah mereka, sebaliknya bebas ke mana-mana institusi pengajian tinggi awam atau swasta selagi ia memenuhi syarat gred penguasaan setara yang ditetapkan Senat universiti - Berita Harian

California to study requiring condoms in porn

2010-03-19T02:59:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES: California's worker safety board voted Thursday to further study a proposal that would require porn actors to wear condoms during sex scenes.

The six-member California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted unanimously to assign an advisory committee to study the proposal from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The advocacy group filed a petition in December seeking to require the use of condoms in the porn industry.

"We feel like this is the game-changer. The sentiment expressed by the board members indicates that the majority if not all of them are willing to vote for regulations," said Michael Weinstein, president of the Los Angeles-based advocacy group.

The group wants the same sort of protection in place for nurses and doctors who work with bodily fluids to be extended to porn to prevent the transmission of diseases.

By law, U.S. adult film actors must prove they have tested negative for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases within 30 days of going to work on a film.

Pornographers, including Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and Vivid Entertainment head Steven Hirsch, have said mandatory testing for adult film actors has been an effective way to prevent the spread of disease. Flynt added that adult film viewers don't want to see people using condoms.

Hirsch said the adult film industry would likely leave California if the use of condoms became mandatory.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation's other efforts to mandate condom use have been unsuccessful.

A lawsuit the foundation filed to mandate condom use was dismissed in December.

Last month, Los Angeles County public health director Dr. Jonathan Fielding said regulating condom use on porn sets is nearly impossible, citing typically clandestine porn shoots that require little more than a bed and a camera.

The foundation also has written three pieces of legislation to require condoms in porn but can't find a legislator willing to sponsor their bill - The Star

Review Science Laboratory Assistant Post In Sabah, Urges Cuepacs

2010-03-19T02:55:00.001-07:00

SANDAKAN, March 19 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry and Sabah Education Department have been asked to review the post of science laboratory assistant, which have not been upgraded, to cater to the needs of schools in the state.

Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service (Cuepacs) President Omar Osman said the current post was not equivalent to schools in the state which have been mostly upgraded to smart schools.

He said of the 500 science laboratory assistants statewide, only three held the C22 grade while the rest were C17.

"We are trailing behind compared to others in the peninsula where over 30 people hold the C26 post," he told reporters after launching the Sabah Science Laboratory Assistants Union here Friday.

Omar said he would discuss the matter with the ministry and department to find a suitable solution.

He said another problem faced by state laboratory assistants was that some were still on temporary or contract appointment although they had served for over 20 years.

He added that it was best for these individuals to be absorbed into a permanent position based on their performance.

-- BERNAMA

Ministry To Assist Students Who Fail 2009 SPM - Muhyiddin

2010-03-19T02:53:00.000-07:00

PUTRAJAYA, March 19 (Bernama) -- The Education Ministry and the Human Resources Ministry will discuss how best to assist students who failed or scored poorly in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination last year, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

Muhyiddin, who is the education minister, said the ministry and related agencies would find ways to help these students obtain the necessary skills so that they could continue to pursue education and career.

"The education ministry will not sideline schools which obtained less than encouraging results.

"We will continue to narrow the gap in the average grade achievement especially between urban and rural schools," he said at the 2009 SPM Excellence Awards here Friday.

At the event, Muhyiddin presented certificates of appreciation to 10 schools for scoring excellent results in the 2009 SPM as well as to 16 students, including four with special needs and two from sports school, who excelled in their SPM.

Muhyiddin said the 10 schools were chosen based on the average grades they achieved in the SPM.

This year, he said school achievements were categorised as excellent, good, satisfactory and having potential based on their respective average grades.

"This is to enable school principals to know the position of their schools so that they can work on increasing their average grades," he said.

The deputy prime minister also praised the special students for having shown fortitude and determination by scoring excellent results despite their physical disabilities.

"The same goes to sports students. Although they spent most of their time in sports activities, they still managed to score excellent academic results. This shows that involvement in sports is not a barrier to academic excellence," he said.

In the event, Muhyiddin announced a special capital assistance of RM100,000 to repair Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina San Yuk in Rawang, Selangor which was damaged in a fire during a robbery last month.

In the incident, robbers set the school's administration office and a printing cabin on fire and injuried two security guards.

"The education ministry sympathised with the school, teachers and students," Muhyiddin said.

-- BERNAMA

Najib Garis Empat Elemen Bagi Malaysia Jadi Hab Pendidikan Serantau

2010-03-19T02:52:00.000-07:00

PETALING JAYA, 19 Mac (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak telah menggariskan empat elemen bagi Malaysia muncul sebagai hab pendidikan serantau, dengan pertamanya komitmen mantap kepada kecemerlangan akademik dan program berdasarkan merit.

Perdana Menteri berkata elemen kedua membabitkan inklusi sosial di mana golongan miskin dan yang terpinggir diberi peluang untuk berjaya.

"Mereka tidak boleh ketinggalan dalam mengejar arus pembangunan di peringkat tertinggi," katanya semasa berucap melancarkan Yayasan Jeffrey Cheah di Bandar Sunway di sini Khamis malam.

Penaung Diraja Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah turut hadir pada majlis itu.

Elemen ketiga, menurut Najib, adalah memantapkan lagi kaedah pendidikan negara dengan menggunapakai amalan terbaik antarabangsa.

Elemen terakhir adalah memupuk kumpulan graduan cemerlang dalam pemikiran strategik dan kreativiti.

"Semua elemen ini adalah kritikal jika Malaysia ingin bersaing dengan negara terbaik di persada antarabangsa," kata Najib.

Selain itu, katanya kemahiran berkomunikasi dan penguasaan bahasa lain termasuk Inggeris adalah penting.

Beliau turut menegaskan bahawa sokongan sektor swasta adalah mustahak bagi Malaysia mencapai wawasan menjadi hab pendidikan bagi rantau ini

"Mengiktiraf sektor pendidikan sebagai kunci dan jentera pertumbuhan dan transformasi negara, maka kami sedang menimbang insentif tambahan bagi menyokong sektor itu bagi memastikan sistem pendidikan memenuhi keperluan semasa dan masa depan," katanya.

Najib menjelaskan Model Ekonomi Baru akan mementingkan usaha memupuk kreativiti dan inovasi dan dalam hubungan ini, adalah penting bagi universiti awam dan tempatan menumpukan kepada aplikasi penyelidikan dan inovasi serta membangunkan kemahiran berfikir.

Dalam ucapannya juga, Najib meminta semua sekolah dan institusi pengajian tinggi supaya memperkukuhkan falsafah gagasan 1Malaysia -- 'Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan'.

"1Malaysia merupakan satu cara kehidupan dan mencerminkan komitmen tidak berbelah bagi oleh kerajaan dalam membentuk satu Malaysia kepada Semua Rakyat Malaysia - tempat yang menghargai dan menilai penerimaan dan menyambut kepelbagaian," jelasnya.

Pada majlis itu, pengasas dan pengerusi Kumpulan Sunway, Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah menyumbang RM20 juta kepada yayasan tersebut.

Najib berkata penubuhan yayasan itu merupakan contoh cemerlang badan korporat dan nilai bermurah hati yang masih segar di Malaysia.

"Saya harap usaha ini menjadi contoh kepada pengusaha dan tokoh perniagaan lain untuk mengikutinya," katanya.

-- BERNAMA

UK government tells universities to make greater contribution to the economy

2009-11-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

The UK government has set out a new strategy for universities, calling on them to make a greater contribution to the economy, widen access, and strengthen their research capacity.

The strategy, “Higher Ambitions”, also calling on universities to provide high-level skills and to attract the best students and researchers.

However, one of the key measures is a pledge to concentrate research funding where needed to secure critical mass and impact and to encourage collaboration between universities on world-class research, especially in high-cost science.

Continue reading Science Business

New “autonomy scorecard” to rank European Universitites

2009-11-09T16:13:00.000-08:00

The European University Association (EUA) is to lead a project to develop a scorecard aimed at benchmarking university autonomy (on the national level) across Europe.

This is intended as a tool both at the national and institutional level, providing a reference for governments to benchmark progress on governance reforms vis-à-vis other systems. The ranking is also intended to help raise awareness among universities of the differences that exist in Europe.

The EUA says the scorecard will also help record trends and progress on a regular basis, contributing to the consolidation of the European Higher Education Area by improving comparability and promoting modernisation.

Continue reading Science Business

Schools add cell phones to curriculum--slowly

2009-07-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

"Cell phones aren't going away. Mobile technology isn't going away," he said. "Right now, what we're telling kids is 'You go home and use whatever technology you want, but when you get to school, we're going to ask you to step back in time.' It doesn't make any sense,"

And while most public schools don't allow the devices because they're considered distractions -- and sometimes portable cheating tools -- some school districts have started to put the technology to use.

In St. Mary's, Ohio, a school district of 2,300 students is continuing a pilot program where third-, fourth- and fifth-graders are assigned PDAs for use as a learning tool in the classroom, and at home. They use applications created by a company called Go Know! to draw pictures and create sketches, journal and write essays, said Kyle Menchhofer, the district's technology coordinator. Other applications create flash cards for spelling and math.

Continue reading MIT Technology Review

UK government steps up commitment to industrial biotech

2009-07-24T00:50:00.000-07:00

The UK government is boosting its efforts to build an integrated industrial biotech sector, announcing a £12 million investment in demonstrator facilities. This will be matched by £2.5 million of grant money to support companies using the demonstrator to develop and prove new processes.

The facility will build on the capabilities of the Centre for Process Innovation, which also houses the National Industrial Biotechnology Facility, on Tesside in north east England.

This funding is part of the government’s response to the independent industry report “IB 2025: Maximising UK Opportunities from Industrial Biotechnology in a Low Carbon Economy” published in May.

Continue reading Science Business

US varsity looks to iJournalism

2009-05-23T03:57:00.000-07:00

Now the oldest US journalism school is asking students to buy those or similar devices to download classroom lectures or confirm facts on the Web while reporting from the scene of a plane crash or town council meeting.

The new rule for incoming freshmen at the University of Missouri School of Journalism appears to mark the first time an American university is requiring specific portable electronic devices.

The university gets a 10% discount on Apple computers it buys, but other vendors such as Dell Inc and Hewlett-Packard Co offer the same deal.

“It’s like asking an engineer to buy a calculator,” said Brian Brooks, associate dean for undergraduate studies. “We are doing this requirement solely to benefit our students’ learning.”

Continue reading The Star

Bite of the world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, is venomous

2009-05-21T02:56:00.000-07:00

Researchers have discovered that the bite of the world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, is venomous.

The carnivorous beasts are unusual because they release their prey after biting them, apparently leaving the animals to bleed to death before eating them. But many experts have claimed the victims die after being infected with bacteria that cover the lizards' serrated teeth.

The carnivorous beasts are unusual because they release their prey after biting them, apparently leaving the animals to bleed to death before eating them. But many experts have claimed the victims die after being infected with bacteria that cover the lizards' serrated teeth.

Continue reading The Guardian

India launches first university dedicated to social sciences and humanities

2009-05-21T01:40:00.000-07:00

Despite the economic slowdown, sectors like insurance and management are seeing a new level of demand in India. India's first university dedicated to social sciences and humanities, Ambedkar University in Delhi, has recently been launched. In addition, new courses have been announced by IIM (Bangalore) and IGNOU.

Source: Australian Education International

Israeli starts 1st tuition-free online university

2009-05-21T01:37:00.000-07:00

An Israeli entrepreneur who has started what is believed to be the world's first tuition-free online university said he hopes the effort will expand education to less fortunate people around the world.

Shai Reshef said University of the People has about 150 students from 35 countries who have enrolled since the school began last week. He hopes to expand the program to include 15,000 students in four years.

"It's a simple idea. Take social networking and apply it to academia," said Reshef, who helped develop several other Internet-based education businesses in Europe.

Continue reading MIT Technology Review

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2007-04-24T03:05:00.000-07:00

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