Sekolah Bukan Penjara Universiti Bukan Kilang (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Kalau buku ini diharamkan seperti beberapa tulisan Faisal Tehrani,maka memang suntikan DNA 'yg menurut perintah' akan sentiasa tumbuh, tidak akan mati!Kalau hidup sekadar hidup,babi di hutan juga hidup.Kalau kerja sekadar bekerja, kera di hutan juga bekerja.Kalau belajar sekadar belajar, lembu di padang juga belajar.Untuk semua manusia,Ada pilihan dibisik syaitan.Ada pilihan diilham Tuhan.Memanusiakan manusia, itu kewajipan. I noticed this book because of its title. Whilst we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, the cover does provide more than just a first impression of a book, usually enough for one to form an interest or curiosity with.The title translates into "Schools are no prison, Universities are no factory". No poseurs there. Clear & succinct. I have a special interest in the topic of national education, and thus the cover didn't have much to do to intrigue me. Neither did the impressive bonus of a foreword by Faisal Tehrani do much for me.The book is a collection of writings by the author, published online on various blogs, independent news portals & alternative online magazines. These pieces (articles, musings, reviews etc) were written between 2010 & early 2013. They are pieces that discuss issues relating to the national psyche, national education, socio-political/economical climate, national culture & identity with a dose of philosophy, history, Islam & critical thinking.It was a wholesome read. Strongly recommended for multiple readings, especially ones that would lead to further readings on the various articles or books that were mentioned as references. The book is split to 4 sections, each undressing a layer of what seems to be a premium mind AND heart of the rakyat. The sections are "Mahasiswa dan Kebebasan Akademik" (Undergraduates and Academic Liberty), "Pendidikan Nasional" (National Education), "Politik dan Sosial" (Politics and Social) & "Kritik Teater" (Theater Critiques).The first 2 sections make up about 60-70% of the content, and represents the thickest, most definitive & provoking layers of the author. The remaining 2 sections make up the rest, adding colour & credibility to the author, complementing the previous 2 sections.The 1st section was an engaging read, clearly written with a clear & critical head, not with bias but with articulated passion. The author asks pertinent questions about the state of mind of the country's undergraduates, which he sees as the driving force (intellectually, spiritually, character-wise & identity-wise) of the national pyche. The author's apt & well-placed references indicates his thought process clearly, allowing readers to venture into his thinking & nudging them to not just embrace it but to question it themselves.The 2nd section was a thought-provoking read, littered with questions that I believe were evaded or missed entirely by the powers that be when concocting their various masterplans, initiatives, solutions to address the issues surrounding national education. Useful citations & references were utilized to set up the author's points, arguments, questions or even to help the readers retrace the thought processes behind the current situation before deconstructing the readers understanding to form a new, informed & critically sound understanding.The 3rd & 4th sections were the author's commentaries on a few noteworthy events that he has experienced or observed. These were done in the same vein as the previous 2 sections, although with less panache.Among the many praise I have for this book is the level of research & thought demonstrated by the author's points, arguments & questions. He - via his writing - is a brilliant example of how one can be articulate, fluent, expressive yet critical in one's thought without having to be controversial, sensational or dramatic. A public intellectual, if you could call him such. This is a great specimen of the national psyche, even if he doesn't fulfill all the aspects intended by the "Falsafah Pendidikan Negara" (National Education Philosophy). Ironically, I refer to him as such after reading his book, despite him breaking down the failures of the national education in creating people like him. Perhaps he's an anomaly, or someone who's individual integrity & intellect responded to his educational upbringing to eventually form himself as he is portrayed by his book.The book is well packaged - paperback with thick enough yet soft covers, affordable & durable paper quality with good font size to make it an easy reading experience, complemented by the size of the book itself. My only gripes are the lack of a contents page & bibliography section as the author's references were more than just noteworthy.This is great intermediary reading for those who are intrigued by Farish A Noor's "What Your Teacher Didn't Tell You", a good precursor to what would be an enlightening experience. It is also a good appetizer to The Malay Dilemma (Tun Dr Mahathir), not to mention the author's own second book "Pedagogi Bahasa Tertindas".A noteworthy mention is that the author is a co-founder (I believe) of TFTN (Teach For The Needs), a community-driven independent initiative - similar to Teach For Malaysia - to fill the educational gaps in the current education system. The author's makes references, recommendations & solicitations to TFTN in various parts of the book, especially in the 2nd section, using it as an example of how the community can address some of the educational issues faced with having to depend on the educational ministry.The reason why this book isn't a 4-star for me is because I was hoping to read the author's own recommendations in detail on how to address the issues he highlighted in his book. How he observed them, broke them down & presented them exceeded my expectations, but I was - am - personally looking for a rakyat's view/voice of how we can fix this seemingly neverending problem of national education.Perhaps, this hope of mine is more suitable for a lunch date or two instead of a pleasurable reading experience.I implore young adults to read this, so that they will form a clear view of how the state of the national education is & start keeping abreast of it, in preparation for their graduation into parenthood.
What do You think about Sekolah Bukan Penjara Universiti Bukan Kilang (2013)?
kalau rasa taknak berpikir seperti rakyat Malaysia yang tipikal, bacalah buku ini.
—casseyph
