M'SIA MAY APPLY EDUCATION SYSTEM WITH SPORTS IN THE CURRICULUM

From R. Ravichandran

PERTH, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is to study the education system applied
by a school here which allows students to take not more than six subjects and
incorporates sports and physical education in the curriculum.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the Education Ministry
would study the relevant aspects of the system used at the Mount Lawley Senior
High School for possible application in Malaysia.

Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, Thursday visited the school,
which started operations in 1955 and currently has an enrolment of 1,300.

The school has included sports and physical education in the curriculum and
makes it mandatory for the students to undergo two hours of physical education,
with sports, every week. In Malaysia, sports and physical education are
co-curriculum activities.

Muhyiddin spoke to Malaysian reporters after the school visit. He began a
five-day visit to Australia Wednesday.

Muhyiddin said the school allowed its students to take a maximum of six
subjects and they could gain admission to university by only taking four
subjects, provided they achieved excellent results.

The concept as well as the flexibility of the system had propelled the
school into one of the 50 best schools in Western Australia, not only in
academic terms but also in the field of sports.

"I feel the flexible approach gives extensive advantages. We cannot be rigid
in the way we manage schools," he said.

Muhyiddin also noted another interesting aspect of the school - it shares
several sports facilities with the Edith Cowan University, and said the concept
could be adopted in Malaysia, especially by public universities.
-- BERNAMA