We already know what works in education – the question is, will the whole village get involved?
“IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE – and educate – A CHILD.”
That was the theme of a recent discussion I joined at the Khazanah Research Institute with a distinguished panel of educationists, moderated by the acclaimed Imran Ahmad.
What a privilege!
The proverb reminds us that you cannot depend on parents alone – or government alone – to raise a child.
You need the whole community.
Education already receives the largest share of Malaysia’s national budget. About 20%, or RM85 billion in 2026.
So why do we still hear the familiar complaint that “the government isn’t doing enough for education”?
I’ve lived and worked in the UK, the US, Malaysia – and yes, even Singapore – and heard the same thing everywhere.
Even in Finland, often seen as the world’s best education system, people there still debate what’s wrong.
Our panel listed many issues that sound familiar:
🤷♂️ Falling standards and teacher training gaps
🤦♂️ Bullying, ethics and character development
🙏 Too much central control, too little school empowerment
🙅 The STEM vs TVET divide
🙋♂️ Widening social gaps
🤔 Lack of parental involvement
But we also have bright spots worth recognising:
👍 Malaysian graduates and professionals thriving globally
👌 Private institutions gaining international recognition
💪 Local universities attracting overseas students
The panel concluded that we already know what works:
✅ Start early – children who begin learning at 4 or 5 have a real head start
✅ View TVET as part of STEM – both need a base in science and maths
✅ Build leadership and values early – through capable, inspired teachers
✅ And the successful “Trust Schools” pilot funded by Khazanah – 10 schools in Johor and Sarawak, with over RM300 million invested – showing that collaboration and accountability can transform learning outcomes.
But not deployed.
Here’s the key insight:
These lessons don’t belong to the government alone – they belong to all of us, the whole village.
There must be open sharing of learnings and trust between govt and the public. Only when both sides listen and learn from each other can lasting change happen.
The “village” includes every voice – parents, professionals, raykat, and yes, everyone here on hashtagLinkedIn.
We can’t just complain about what’s wrong.
We need to talk more about what we want to see more of – the values, curiosity, and character we hope the next generation will carry.
Because when the village speaks – consistently and collectively – the system starts to listen.
If we want our public schools to thrive again, the village must care for all its children – NOT JUST OUR OWN.
Maybe it’s time we stop outsourcing the village.
What do you think?
Thank you, Dr Mohamed Yunus Yasin, for the invitation and for organising this discussion.
