Jogjakarta - The Education Ministry wants to learn from Indonesian schools on the agriculture vocational education, and arts and culture curriculum, said its minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
With the global food crisis, he said Malaysian schools should adopt a more dynamic agriculture vocational syllabus while instilling cultural awareness in schools in the face of globalisation.
"I find that Indonesia has succeeded in the agriculture vocational education as well as in imparting the arts and cultural values in schools. Both aspects must be given emphasis," he told Bernama at the end of his three-day visit here.
Hishammuddin, who is Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (Seameo) president, visited Seameo training centres in Jakarta and here.
He was accompanied by his Indonesian counterpart, Prof Dr Bambang Sudipyo.
Hishammuddin said with the cooperation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) and Asean, Seameo would enhance the national character of all 10 Asean countries through the two fields.
Meanwhile, Bambang said agriculture was gaining importance not only due to the world food shortage but also as raw material for fuel.
He hoped under Hishammuddin leadership, Seameo would continue to strengthen the Asean synergy.
Bambang said Indonesia was impressed with the accomplishments of Institut Aminudin Baki (IAB) and would open a similar institution in Bambang near here to train headmasters. By Mohd Nasir Yusoff
Source: http://www.bernama.com.my (August 07, 2008)
