“The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.”
— Jean Piaget
I read with disgust news reports quoting our Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, sometime last week, that political parties may be allowed to open branches on campus.
He said this is response to a question by Mersing MP Islahuddin Abas on whether any amendments would be made to the controversial Universities and University Colleges Act (Auku) 1971 to allow political parties to do so in the Dewan Rakyat.
The response was totally unexpected especially from a minister who is tasked to handle higher education in the country.
For the sake of our country’s future and that of the students, who are pursuing their tertiary education, the government must take every effort to ensure our institutions of higher learning are free from external politics and party agendas.
It must take heed of the danger of mixing external politics and party agendas with students’ affairs.
Why do we send our children to universities in the first place? We want them to acquire and achieve excellence in their respective academic fields—that’s our one and only common goal.
Some, if not many parents, after they failed to get scholarships or study loans for their children, sacrificed their hard-earned incomes or mortgaged their assets, simply to enable their children gain entry into universities.
It’s not that we don’t want our youths to be involved in politics, especially after we have amended our constitution to allow those under 18 to vote and be eligible to become election candidates. However, while they are still pursuing their studies, just don’t let external politics and party agendas get in the way.
Let them focus on achieving academic excellence and complete their studies first. Politics can always come later after they are well equipped with the required knowledge and expertise. This way, at least we can prevent our universities from churning out half-baked politicians, who are too engrossed in politics and neglect their studies.
I sincerely believe that it will be a big, big disappointment to most parents if ever the government allows political party agendas to infiltrate and get a hold of our institutions of higher learning. I may sound threatening but I will not be surprise if the people, who are voters, will punish those responsible.
Allowing party agenda and external politics to get a hold of our students in universities for the pursuit of political gains will certainly have far-reaching negative impacts.
It will not only corrupt our higher education but also our students, especially those gullible ones. This is the reality because politics and politicians can, at times, be undeniably very patronising.
It will certainly also cause a further slide in academic performance of our institutions of higher learning with falling student retention and completion rates.
Imagine if a big majority of our students are mired in party politics. It will certainly be a political overkill.
Of course, they are always some quarters who will argue otherwise. Take former Sungai Benut MP Tawfik Ismail for example, who said there was no issue in allowing political parties to set up branches in universities since university students are of voting age
Describing universities as ‘vote banks’, he said he was not surprised with the move, adding: “Now that the voting age is 18 and evidenced by the ‘green wave’ in the last general election (GE15), we are already politicising youths. “So, it is already happening.”
Others suggest that the move will give students a voice and a platform to engage in political discussions and debates.
They claimed that allowing the party to set up branches in campus will lead to a more politically aware and active citizenry, which is crucial for the functioning of any democracy.
The students will be more aware of the political landscape and participate in the democratic process.
It will also lead to greater civic engagement and activism where students can learn about issues and causes that they are passionate about and work towards making a difference.
But, irrespective of how one argues one’s case, one cannot deny that setting up political parties in educational institutions does pose real problems and many valid concerns.
One of the most significant concerns is the potential for the manipulation of students by political parties. Politicians are known to use various tactics to gain support and influence, including propaganda and indoctrination.
This can cause college students being swayed via way of means of a specific political ideology with out completely information its implications and consequences.
The presence of political parties on campus will also indirectly lead to the creation of an environment of hostility and division which will interfere with the learning environment. All these can then lead to exclusion and discrimination based on political beliefs, and may make some students feel uncomfortable or unwelcome.
In fact, the mere presence of political parties on campus alone poses as a major distraction from academic pursuits and may take up too much time and resources that could be better spent on other educational activities.
The political parties, with their differing ideologies and agendas, may additionally result in conflicts and tensions amongst students.
This will then affect the overall academic atmosphere, creating an environment that is not at all conducive to learning and growth.
I strongly recommend to our government to take affirmative steps to ensure the existing University and University College Act 1971, which prohibits political activities of any kind in universities, remains intact.
The government must carefully consider the implications as it is obvious that mixing party politics and agendas with student affairs and education, is nothing but a ‘fatal concoction’ — a perfect recipe for disaster for both our students and nation.
We must, at all costs, spare our education from politics. The goal instead must be to encourage students to become politically aware and active citizens, without compromising the integrity of the educational institution.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
