Collaborate, do not compete
DIFFERENT APPROACH: The Rating System for Malaysian Higher Education Institutions has its merits
THIS time of the year, some years ago, Malaysia was embroiled in a discussion about the world university ranking.
The debate has mellowed over the years, as more people, especially the public, begin to appreciate its depth.
This year, the announcement of the Rating System for Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (SETARA) 2011 results has almost totally eclipsed the issue of university ranking.
SETARA 2011 is a follow-up to SETARA '07 when the exercise covering both the public and private sectors was first implemented nationwide.
It was initiated by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), which is responsible for monitoring and overseeing quality assurance practices and accreditation of national higher education bodies.
The MQA practises a rating system for higher education institutions in Malaysia, which measures the performance of teaching and learning of undergraduates at level six of the Malaysian Qualifications Framework.
This approach differs significantly from the so-called ranking method where universities are serialised and stacked based on criteria that are biased towards research and publications.
The MQA conducts another exercise called Malaysian Research Assessment Instrument that focuses on research and development at a particular institute.
As such, the MQA has a distinctive and clear aim in terms of what is assessed and rating is in a six-tier category, rather than individually. Out of the 52 universities and university colleges rated, 35 institutions (67 per cent) achieved a Tier 5 category (Excellent); 16 institutions (approximately 31 per cent) were in Tier 4 (Very Good); and the remaining one (two per cent) in Tier 3 (Good).
The number in the Excellent category has almost doubled from 18 in the SETARA '09 exercise participated by 58 universities and university colleges. This is indeed a remarkable development as Malaysia aspires to be a regional education hub.
Notably, the SETARA exercise involves close consultation with the participating institutions, not only on the instrument to be used and the appropriateness of the data to be collated, but also on feedback before implementation.
This is a departure from the ranking exercise that has minimal, if any, consultation with local counterparts, which has led to misinterpretation and relevance of the data.
Moreover, unlike the ranking exercise that is conducted annually (for obvious commercial reasons), SETARA gives a lapse of two to three years for the institutions to better themselves.
Education is such that it almost impossible to do a "quick fix" without causing other related damage at the same time. It is due to these reasons perhaps that the number of "performing" universities has increased significantly, given the development approach that SETARA took.
The MQA chief executive officer Datuk Dr Syed Ahmad Hussein was quoted as saying that SETARA is "not meant to create competition" among institutions, but rather to promote "good cooperation" between them as well, as the statutory body ensures that the development of tertiary institutions stays relevant to national and global needs.
Education can gain more through collaboration, rather than competition per se.
Moving forward to the next SETARA exercise, MQA is sure to continue to refine or redefine the criteria used in the instrument to reflect changing needs.
It will be appropriate that the assessment of certain key intangible elements will be main-streamed as important thrusts in education.
Einstein said: "Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted."
Taking this into consideration, the time has come to ask the question: should the focus be on those that "count" but "cannot necessarily be counted"?
One issue that comes to mind is perhaps the intent of Falsafah Pendidikan Negara that emphasises the development of the whole person (not just human capital).
Indeed, it goes to the core of the ethos of education and higher education institutions to advocate promoting human dignity and well-being.
We hope that the next SETARA will give a glimpse of whether we have succeeded.
Meanwhile, kudos to the MQA and the Higher Education Ministry for instilling confidence into the local education sector.
- The writer is the vice-chancellor of Albukhary International University