KUALA LUMPUR: Leaders in the field of education must have the courage to manage change in efforts to churn out human capital capable of competing at the global level, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He said unwillingness and fear on the part of the leaders or educators to initiate changes would result in the education system becoming static.
"Quality and excellence today will not guarantee quality and excellence tomorrow because the yardstick used in evaluating quality and excellence always changes.
"Thus, leaders should not be complacent on the success enjoyed by the organisation today, but must be bold in implementing changes and innovations in a proactive manner," said Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister at the opening of the 17th National Seminar on Educational Management and Leadership at the Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB), Genting Highlands, near here, Tuesday.
The text of his speech was read by Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi. Also present were IAB Director Datuk Abdul Ghafar Mahmud and the managing director of the Malaysian National Translation Institute (ITNM), Mohd Khair Ngadiron.
Muhyiddin said an individual's leadership quality would be meaningless if it were not based on achievements that enabled the education system to be assessed by the community as a whole from the quantitative and qualitative aspects.
He said it was normal for leaders who wished to make changes to face various obstacles, and if they wished to manage change effectively, they must be prepared to face these challenges.
"In my opinion, leaders with high performance must also appreciate and practice life-long learning and turn it into a culture when carrying out their daily tasks.- BERNAMA
