Academicians: Probe cause for fewer male students

ANDREW SAGAYAM

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011 10:38:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Where have the all boys gone?

Academicians are calling for a nationwide survey to discover where male students end up after they have completed secondary education.

This came following a recent revelation by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin that only 35 per cent of male students are getting into local universities.

Academicians also urged the government to rectify the situation, as they believed that should the trend continue, professional jobs may soon be dominated by women.

Historian Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim told The Paper That Cares that one of the main reasons for the dismal number of male students entering local universities is that boys are lazier and not as responsible as girls when it came to studies.

He said most boys prefer to make money early and on their own while taking for granted their sisters would support the family when the time comes.

"Parents think their sons would not excel in studies, like their daughters, and would give their sons their blessings to go out to work, thinking they will survive.

"However, some, if not most, are not able to hold on to a job due to their lack of academic qualifications," Khoo said, adding boys will do what they like as compared to girls who analyse their work options before deciding.

He said another cause of the problem stemmed from school.

"When action is taken against a student for wrongdoing, he rarely repents and continues doing the same again and if scenarios continue, he loses interest in his studies as time goes on.”

Khoo said parents and teachers should thus find out what is troubling teenagers.

Meanwhile Masterskill Education Group Berhad Student Affairs and Development Deputy Vice Chancellor Associate Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Aman said there is a need for the government to act soon and rectify the situation as the trend is not new.

He related his experience when he was teaching at the International Islamic University Malaysia (UIA) where candidates who sat examinations were female.

"It was peculiar as UIA had a large of number of graduates with no males taking the exam.

"Even if it was a maths paper, there must be a reason for boys to be missing," he said.

Interest for studying among male students should be cultivated, especially from school level, Ahmad stressed.

While there was no written law on the percentage of students entering local universities, Lincoln College chief executive officer Professor Datuk Dr Ir Badaruddin Nordin said a study should be carried out nonetheless as to why there was a drop in male students’ entering local universities.

He felt the increasing number of engineering colleges and universities around now could be a contributing factor.
Badaruddin said: "Boys now can go to private colleges or universities where they offer a wider range of technical courses as compared to local universities. They prefer to get their hands dirty rather than do some serious studying.

"If that's the case, then the government should introduce more technical or engineering courses at local universities."

Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the trend of more girls getting places in local universities than boys was worrying the ministry.

He said the problem needed to be addressed immediately but pointed out there was a “healthy balance” of male and female students for technical-based courses.

Mohamed Khaled said the ministry would work on encouraging male students enroll for other courses