Vocational students prefer practical sessions – Director

Borneo Post, January 10, 2012
KUCHING: Students who choose to study at vocational schools are hardworking hands-on students who learn best from practical experience.
Kolej Vokasional Kuching director Flora Imor Phillips told reporters this at the registration of the inaugural intake for the college upgraded under the Transformation of Vocational Education programme.
“Not all students are interested to sit around and learn from books,” she pointed out, adding that such students are able to excel as they have the interest.
More people are becoming aware that vocational skills training is not merely for academically-weak students.
“They are aware that there is no point to have stacks of qualification papers but no skills to work.
They realise the importance of having vocational skills training.
“In previous years, they presumed students who go to vocational schools were weak students, but that is not true.”
“The intakes were good for the past two years, but this time it’s much better. Parents, students and the public see this as a good programme which offers diploma and it’s getting popular.
“The transformation programme is working in that it’s encouraged a lot of people to come in,.”
According to Flora, the course at Kolej Vokasional Kuching is 70 per cent practical and 30 per cent academic.
“Students will not be sitting for the SPM but a similar qualification administered by the Malaysian Examination Board known as the Malaysian Skills Certificate (Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia).
They will graduate with that as well as a vocational diploma.
“We want to produce students who are skilled and semi-skilled, and able to contribute to the economy, rather than students who have no interest in academic studies and fail in the SPM.”