WITHIN the sphere of modern education, the problem of skills gap has continuously emerged as a significant problem – one that is affecting individuals, employers, industries and the entire economy. Graduates leave the education system with credentials but not with the required knowledge and work experience. The main negative outcomes include unemployability and diminished job readiness. To address this, educational management must play a key role in closing the gap – by aligning academic learning with the demands of the labour market The conventional education system must be held accountable for its failure to develop and regularly update curricula that align with current skill and qualification demands. The problem with the educational curricula lies in their rigidity. Updating university courses requires navigating a lengthy bureaucratic approval process before any changes can be implemented. As a result, educational curricula are typically not reviewed for several years, rendering them slow and often sluggish in their ability to change. Meanwhile, the labour market is evolving at a rapid pace – driven largely by digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning and automation. Graduates who have been trained in outdated curricula and are unfamiliar with the tools and techniques used in these sectors are struggling to find their place in the workforce. For example, in the information technology sector in Malaysia, a student may graduate with a degree in programming, yet lack practical knowledge in high-demand areas such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services or cybersecurity certifications – all of which are currently highly valued in the job market. As a result, employers are often forced to spend more money in retraining graduates in essential skills while graduates themselves face reduced job prospects without further training and experience. This underscores the responsibility of educational management to ensure curricula remain flexible, relevant and regularly updated. Ensuring curricula remain relevant to real-world demands requires a collaborative approach. Educational management cannot operate in isolation. If institutions design courses that don’t align with the needs of the job market, those courses will hold little value in terms of employment outcomes. Educational institutions must collaborate closely with employers, industry associations and policymakers to understand the skills sought in new graduates. By establishing formal partnerships, educational management can ensure students gain relevant industry certifications as part of their learning experience. Another example is cloud computing, a highly sought-after skill today, with certifications offered by companies like Amazon and Microsoft. Educational management can integrate these certifications into undergraduate or postgraduate degree programmes by making them a graduation requirement. Germany is known for its dual education system, where students spend one or two days working in the industry and the rest of the time in school or college. This approach helps ensure that curricula remain closely aligned with industry needs, resulting in a much smaller gap between education and employment compared to other countries. However, it is also the responsibility of educational management to equip students with hybrid skills – a combination of specialised technical expertise and essential soft skills such as leadership, communication, negotiation, problem-solving and analytical abilities. A student can be highly proficient in programming languages, for example, but lack the soft skills needed to work effectively in cross-cultural teams. Employers widely acknowledge that soft skills are just as important – if not more so – than technical expertise. Therefore, while educational management must ensure students gain the necessary technical skills, it should also embed soft skills development into the curriculum. One effective approach is project-based learning, where students are assigned tasks that require them to demonstrate leadership, teamwork, negotiation, innovation and communication skills. Singapore has a SkillsFuture policy, which is an excellent example of this type of educational policy. Educational management also has a role in anticipating and proactively responding to future workforce requirements and trends. Rather than simply reacting to current skills shortages by updating curricula, it should proactively identify emerging sectors and fields and integrate them into educational programmes. This is where labour market analytics and foresight studies become essential tools. The job market of tomorrow will be heavily influenced by emerging sectors such as renewable energy, fintech, biotechnology and other cutting-edge industries. For instance, there is a huge opportunity for those who work in green energy and renewables – such as solar, wind and hydrogen – driven by the global push to transition to sustainable energy sources. Educational management can and should include such subjects in the curricula today so that they have the skills and knowledge ready for jobs that may not even be fully developed yet. The rapidly changing job market also requires educational management to encourage lifelong learning and retraining. In the past, it was common for a student to graduate from university and go on to work in a single field for the rest of their life. However, with the acceleration of technological change in recent decades, the life of the typical worker has been reduced to five to 10 years, meaning that the skills and qualifications they acquired at school or university are almost obsolete within a decade. One way for educational management to address this is to create a flexible and seamless educational system that allows people to return to the university for further training and development. Courses that have modular or stackable qualifications would be beneficial for the learners as well as employers. For instance, a person working in marketing could take a micro-credential course on digital advertising and then, in a few years, take up another short course on data analytics and stack these onto a postgraduate certificate or diploma. The increased competition in the job market as a result of globalisation also means that educational management should try to globalise the curricula to make them more in line with global standards. A graduate will no longer be competing only for jobs in the local market but also in the global market. For instance, when multinational companies look to hire employees, they are looking for people with global skills. That means that graduates have to be prepared to work across cultures, adapt to changing technologies and collaborate remotely with teams and colleagues from other parts of the world. Educational management can do this by incorporating international elements in their curricula, for instance, by studying cases from other countries, incorporating language learning into the course or facilitating foreign exchange and overseas internships. Business management students in Malaysia, for example, can benefit from learning about European supply chain management while engineering students could look to Scandinavian countries for their approach to wind and solar power or Germany for their take on industrial strategy. All of these have the effect of students being able to take the best of what other countries have to offer and adapt it to their own environments. In conclusion, while there are many responsibilities, educational management needs to actively take on the role of bridging the gap between school and the workplace, as doing so has a range of important benefits. Linking education and employment reduces the gap by making the curricula more relevant and up-to-date, incorporating hybrid skills, anticipating workforce requirements, encouraging lifelong learning and retraining, globalising the curriculum and digitalising the learning-teaching process, thereby creating a more future-ready workforce that will not just lead to more productive graduates but will also benefit the entire nation. Prof Dr Akram Al-Khaled is from the Faculty of Management and Hospitality, Spectrum International University College. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

• theSun
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 36 dakika

PETALING JAYA: ‘Tidur malam asyik terjaga dan trauma masih ada’. Itu perkongsian seorang peserta Freedom Flotilla Coalition dan Thousand Madleens to Gaza (FFCXTMTG), Syafik Shukri Jalil, 35, selepas hampir seminggu pulang ke tanah air. Berusaha untuk melupakan segala pengalaman mencemaskan ketika kapal Conscience dinaikinya dipintas oleh tentera Israel di perairan antarabangsa, baru-baru ini, wartawan Astro ... Read more The post Salakan anjing menghantui tidur malam Syafik Shukri appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

• Utusan Malaysia
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 37 dakika

PETALING JAYA : Unicef Malaysia has sounded the alarm over a worrying surge in school violence, from sexual assaults to brutal beatings with some ending in tragedy. Unicef Malaysia representative Robert Gass said no child should ever feel unsafe, least of all in a classroom and urged tougher action to stamp out violence, protect victims and make schools the safe havens they’re meant to be. “We commend the swift response of the Malaysian authorities and the support extended to victims, survivors and their families. “No child should ever feel unsafe, particularly in a place of learning.” He stressed that prevention must be at the heart of all efforts, calling for comprehensive violence-prevention programmes, stronger support for parents and caregivers, and effective reporting and response mechanisms to protect children at home, in school and online. Gass also warned against sharing videos, images or personal details of children on social media, saying such acts risk deepening trauma and violating children’s rights to privacy and protection. “The mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of survivors, families, peers and educators must be prioritised. Safety and confidentiality during investigations, as well as responsible reporting are essential.” Unicef further highlighted that girls are disproportionately affected by violence, noting that nearly one in three women and girls globally experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime – often driven by harmful gender and social norms that normalise abuse and silence survivors. “Such violence inflicts devastating and long-lasting harm on children’s physical and mental wellbeing and erodes trust in the institutions meant to protect them.” Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia deputy director of the Institute of Inclusive Development and Advancement Dr Anuar Ahmad said the nation’s education system is facing a critical moment. “We have to admit that our education system is in distress – this is no longer about minor misbehaviour such as noisy classrooms or unfinished homework. We are now dealing with bullying, sexual assault and even murder. These are serious crimes taking place in schools.” Anuar said parents are increasingly anxious about their children’s safety, while many students fear going to school. He urged the government to take immediate and long-term steps to restore public confidence in the education system. Among the short-term measures, he suggested: Installing CCTV cameras in all schools; Identifying at-risk parents and students for professional counselling sessions; and Conducting safety audits in every school. For the long term, he proposed: Empowering greater parental involvement in schools; Prioritising safety, health and character education from primary level; Ensuring at least one certified counsellor for every 250 students; and Enforcing disciplinary action against education officials who conceal cases of misconduct. “When misconduct becomes extraordinary, the solutions must also be extraordinary,” Anuar stressed.

• theSun
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 37 dakika

PENYERANG naturalisasi Harimau Malaya, Romel Morales menyifatkan kemenangan bergaya 5-1 ke atas Laos dalam aksi Kumpulan F Kelayakan Piala Asia 2027 di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil (SNBJ) sebagai suntikan semangat besar buat skuad negara untuk terus mengekalkan rentak positif dalam kempen kelayakan.Menurut Morales, kemenangan itu bukan sahaja memperkukuh keyakinan pasukan tetapi turut menjadi bukti kepada kerja keras dan semangat juang tinggi yang dipamerkan semua pemain di atas padang."Hasilnya jelas kami menang besar dan yang paling penting, kami berjaya meraih tiga mata penuh."Ia sesuatu yang sangat positif untuk pasukan dan juga penyokong," katanya selepas perlawanan.Morales yang diumumkan sebagai pemain terbaik perlawanan menjadi wira Harimau Malaya selepas meledak dua gol penting untuk memastikan skuad kendalian Peter Cklamovski bangkit menewaskan Laos dengan penuh bergaya.Tambah penyerang kelahiran Colombia itu, dua jaringan peribadi yang dihasilkan kali ini amat bermakna buat dirinya selepas kali terakhir menemui sentuhan gol bersama skuad kebangsaan ketika aksi menentang Korea Selatan di Piala Asia 2023 di Qatar."Ia amat bermakna kerana meningkatkan lagi keyakinan saya di hadapan gol."Apa pun, semua pemain memberikan komitmen terbaik dan saya tahu saya juga perlu menggandakan usaha untuk membantu pasukan," ujarnya.Kemenangan ke atas Laos menyaksikan Harimau Malaya mengekalkan rekod tanpa kalah selepas empat perlawanan untuk mendahului saingan kumpulan dengan mengumpul 12 mata, diikuti Vietnam di tempat kedua (sembilan mata), Laos ketiga (tiga mata) dan Nepal tercorot tanpa sebarang mata.Selepas ini, Malaysia di jadual bertemu Nepal pada 18 November dan akan menamatkan saingan kumpulan menentang Vietnam di Hanoi pada Mac tahun depan.

• Sinar Harian
• 2 gün, 12 saat, 37 dakika

Kenyataan itu dianggap luar biasa bagi seorang Presiden AS kerana pengakuan terbuka mengenai operasi CIA jarang dibuat secara rasmi.

• Astro AWANI
• 2 gün, 12 saat, 37 dakika

OVER the past month, since Merdeka, I have noticed something that has unsettled me more than I expected – stranded Jalur Gemilang flags along highways and drains. Some were torn and half-buried in puddles. They were once raised proudly from car windows and stalls, fluttering symbols of love for the country. Now, they lie forgotten. It may be a small thing but to me, those abandoned flags say something about how we treat what we claim to love. We celebrate with passion, then move on. We raise awareness, then forget. And in that quiet forgetting lies a bigger national concern. As Malaysia prepares to host the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur later this month, where leaders such as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are expected, the spotlight will be on geopolitics and trade. Two weeks later, the world will gather in Belém, Brazil, for COP30, to decide the next steps in climate finance and adaptation. Between those global stages sits our Budget 2026, announced just days ago with billions in allocation for flood mitigation, river restoration and environmental protection. All of this sounds promising on paper but as I watch the flags fading on the roadside, I cannot help but think: Will our climate promises risk ending up the same way, raised high for a moment, then left to wither? The climate crisis does not wait for summits or speeches. Floods, heat and haze are already changing how Malaysians live, work and even learn. Yet, we still treat climate action as a side issue, not one of survival. And while we debate policies, darker stories are unfolding – four Form Five boys had allegedly raped a Form Three student in Melaka. And more recently, a Form Four girl has died after being stabbed by another student at a school in Selangor. It is horrifying, yes. But it is also telling. It speaks of something broken – on how we raise and protect our youths and how empathy and responsibility are slipping through the cracks. Climate resilience means little if our communities fracture from within. The same disconnection that lets a river clog with plastic will also allow a classroom to become unsafe. It is the same habit of overlooking what does not scream for attention. Malaysia wants to lead in climate diplomacy, and we can. But first, we have to lead at home. That means making Budget 2026 a living commitment: direct funds to community-led adaptation, enforce transparency in resilience spending and integrate social protection and education reform into our climate agenda. If we can protect our rivers, shield our cities and empower our youths, then we deserve to lead. But if we let our symbols, our children and our environment fade into neglect, the rhetoric from these gatherings becomes hollow. Let us choose otherwise. If patriotism means raising the flag, stewardship means keeping it flying. The Jalur Gemilang deserves better than to be left in the drain. So, do our children. So, does our planet. We keep talking about growth and progress but the truth is this: we cannot build a strong nation on weak memory. Mogesh Sababathy is a youth climate advocate, member of the National Consultative Panel to the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry and PhD candidate at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

• theSun
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 38 dakika

The football body sidesteps conflict as President Donald Trump threatens to move games from Democrat-run cities.

• Free Malaysia Today
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 39 dakika

SCHOOLS are meant to be places for learning, character building and the nurturing of humanity. Yet, the reality today is deeply unsettling. Cases of student stabbings, rape and bullying that injure peers are not just sensational headlines; they are warning signs that our education system is hurting from within. We are no longer merely talking about academic performance or school rankings but also about the very soul of education that has lost its direction. When students become perpetrators of crime, teachers suffer under pressure and parents lose faith in educational institutions. We are witnessing not just a disciplinary crisis but also a crisis of values and humanity. Education in pain Violence in schools is not an isolated issue. Over the past decade, reports of physical bullying, sexual harassment and serious disciplinary violations have become increasingly frequent. Unicef’s (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) 2020 report on bullying among children found that Malaysia ranked second in Asia (after India) and sixth globally for cyberbullying, with three out of 10 children affected. According to its U-Report, Unicef revealed that 28% of 7,000 Malaysian children had experienced cyberbullying while an IPSOS 2018 study found that 23% of parents reported their children being bullied. When schools fail to be safe spaces, the effects ripple far beyond the victims, impacting the entire educational ecosystem. Traumatised students struggle to focus, teachers face mental stress and schools suffer reputational damage. In the long run, this erodes the quality of learning and weakens public trust in the national education system. Scars on the nation’s image and economy A crisis of values in education is not merely a moral issue; it is also an economic and reputational one. Malaysia has long prided itself on education as the engine of national development. Yet, when news of student violence circulates internationally, it raises questions about our education system’s ability to nurture a disciplined, ethical and knowledgeable generation. A tarnished education image directly affects foreign investment and global confidence. A country perceived as failing to instil respect, empathy and discipline in its youths risks deterring investors who seek social stability. On a broader scale, this undermines the government’s ambition to build a knowledge-based economy driven by skilled and ethical human capital. At the micro level, school-related crimes have economic costs, medical expenses, lost learning time, social stigma and diminished future opportunities for both victims and perpetrators. Each act of violence in school carries a multiplier effect that extends far beyond the school gates. Role of every layer of society Blaming schools or the government alone is not the solution. The truth is that education is a shared responsibility and a national one. Every tragic incident in schools reflects a collective failure: families that have lost connection, communities that have lost compassion and systems obsessed with numbers but detached from the human spirit. The Education Ministry must remain the primary guardian of our young generation. Student protection policies must go beyond paperwork; they require firm enforcement and continuous monitoring. Concrete measures include installing CCTV cameras in high-risk areas such as corridors, toilets and school fields; conducting routine patrols and spot checks by schools and district officers; and providing anti-bullying and emotional safety training for teachers and support staff. Teachers, too, should be trained to read the emotional and physical cues of students under stress or trauma. In today’s educational world, emotional intelligence is as vital as intellectual intelligence. Investing in teachers’ well-being means investing in students’ safety. The Education Ministry can also establish student protection units in every school, serving as safe reporting channels and rapid response centres for any incidents. Annual school safety audits, including physical and psychosocial, should be made mandatory to assess the overall environment. Schools must be the first line of prevention. A school is not just a place to study; it is also a community that shapes humanity. Teachers must be empowered to act as mentors and not merely as curriculum deliverers. Mentorship programmes, counselling sessions and restorative discipline approaches which focus on rehabilitation and accountability rather than punishment can foster empathy, respect and care among students and staff. Security guards and hostel wardens should also undergo safety awareness training to ensure constant vigilance. Every school should establish a “safe school zone” – a bully-free environment monitored by duty teachers and supported by early-warning systems. Parents and guardians are the first educators at home. Many bullying and delinquency cases stem from a lack of attention, communication and affection. A child who grows up without guidance or boundaries at home will seek them elsewhere and sometimes in the wrong places. Parents must be emotionally present – not just physically – to ask, listen and understand their children daily. A loving home is the first defence against the culture of violence. Society and the media also carry great responsibility. Do not just spread tragedies but rather turn every report into an educational opportunity. Media coverage should build awareness, not fear; inspire action, not pity. Social media, too, should serve as a platform for spreading values, not normalisng cruelty or mockery. On a broader level, corporate organisations and NGOs can play key roles in supporting value-based education and mental well-being through CSR programmes by funding digital literacy campaigns, anti-bullying initiatives and psychosocial support projects in schools. In today’s digital era, digital literacy is no longer optional; it is essential to help children think critically, manage emotions and act responsibly online. Ultimately, this is a collective responsibility. Parents, teachers, leaders and communities hold the key to shaping the nation’s educational direction. Whether schools become safe havens or social battlefields depends on how willing we are to act, listen and guide together. Cultivating caring individuals Education is not merely about examinations; it is the process of shaping human beings. Values like respect, patience and compassion must be instilled from an early age. Moral and religious education must go beyond text books, it must be lived and practised as a school culture. If we aspire to build an ethical, competitive society, our education system must regain its soul. It cannot function as an academic factory alone. Teachers must be given space and support to teach with heart, not merely to finish the syllabus. The wounds in our schools are not isolated; they mirror the condition of our society. Every case of bullying, stabbing or sexual assault among students is a crack in the moral fabric of our nation. If left unhealed, we risk losing not just our students but also our future. Healing these wounds requires courage and sincerity from all parties – government, schools, teachers, parents and society alike. Only when we collectively restore values in education can schools once again become safe spaces where knowledge, ethics and the nation’s dignity are nurtured with love and responsibility. Dr Hafirda Akma Musaddad is a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara, Kelantan. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

• theSun
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 41 dakika

LISBON: Impian Portugal untuk layak lebih awal ke Piala Dunia 2026 tertangguh selepas diikat 2-2 oleh Hungary dalam aksi kelayakan Kumpulan F, semalam. Dalam aksi berkenaan, bintang Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo mencipta rekod baharu sebagai penjaring terbanyak sepanjang kempen kelayakan Piala Dunia. Bagaimapun, malam gemilang Ronaldo yang menjaringkan dua gol dalam perlawanan itu direncatkan oleh jaringan ... Read more The post Hungary sekat hajat Portugal appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

• Utusan Malaysia
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 41 dakika

Seorang penduduk berkata cuaca mula gelap seawal jam 3.30 petang.

• Malaysiakini MY
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 42 dakika

States were warned in August that they could lose funding unless they adopt English proficiency rules for commercial truck drivers.

• Free Malaysia Today
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 45 dakika

Kini, Trump berkata, beliau akan pastikan China juga mengikut jejak langkah India.

• Astro AWANI
• 2 gün, 12 saat, 46 dakika

SKUAD ragbi tujuh sebelah (7s) lelaki negara, Bunga Raya, berikrar untuk tampil lebih garang apabila turun beraksi dalam Siri Kedua Kejuaraan Ragbi 7s Asia 2025 yang bakal berlangsung di Colombo, Sri Lanka, hujung minggu ini.Semangat baharu itu membara selepas skuad bimbingan Nik Safuan Ismade Nik Man menamatkan saingan Siri Pertama di Hangzhou, China dengan berada dalam kelompok enam terbaik, meskipun tewas 17-26 kepada Emiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE) dalam aksi penentuan kedudukan.Bagi kempen di Colombo, barisan negara memperkemas segala persiapan dengan menampilkan gabungan pemain berpengalaman dan muka baharu, antaranya Leoabrenwee Ferin, yang mencuri perhatian ketika melakukan penampilan sulung di Hangzhou sebelum ini.Ferin, yang sebelum ini mewakili Putrajaya dalam Kejohanan 7s Kebangsaan, mengakui cabaran awal bersama skuad kebangsaan bukan mudah, terutama dalam usaha menyesuaikan diri dengan rentak dan intensiti ragbi di peringkat Asia."Cabaran paling besar bagi saya ialah menyesuaikan diri dengan corak permainan tujuh sebelah yang pantas dan menuntut ketahanan tinggi."Saya kini sudah bersedia sepenuhnya dari segi mental dan fizikal untuk memberikan aksi terbaik pada kejohanan minggu ini," kata pemain berusia 21 tahun itu kepada Sukan Sinar.Biarpun masih hijau di pentas antarabangsa, Ferin tidak mahu sekadar menjadi pelengkap pasukan, sebaliknya, bertekad membuktikan dirinya mampu menjadi antara nadi utama pasukan Bunga Raya 7s pada masa depan."Saya amat berbangga diberi peluang menyarung jersi kebangsaan. Ia satu penghormatan besar dan saya mahu jadikan pengalaman ini sebagai batu loncatan untuk terus maju."Saya juga mahu berkongsi segala ilmu serta pengalaman yang saya kutip di peringkat tertinggi dengan rakan-rakan di Malaysia, khususnya pemain muda yang bercita-cita mahu mengharumkan nama negara," ujarnya.

• Sinar Harian
• 2 gün, 12 saat, 47 dakika

Petaling Jaya: Dunia wanita yang aktif dalam sukan angkat berat selalunya bersulam salah tanggapan dan stigma yang mereka akan kelihatan `sado’ atau kekar seperti lelaki selain `amaran’ aktiviti itu membahayakan kesihatan mereka. © New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

• Harian Metro
• 2 gün, 12 saat, 54 dakika

Jim Bolger, who served from 1990 to 1997, inherited an economic crisis and launched reforms to tackle inflation, deficit, and debt.

• Free Malaysia Today
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 54 dakika

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia bakal mewajibkan semua pengenda­li media sosial melaksanakan pe­ngesahan identiti eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer) bagi memastikan pengguna ba­wah umur 13 tahun tidak memiliki akaun di platform berkenaan. Langkah drastik itu diumum­kan susulan kebimbangan terhadap keselamatan dan kese­jahteraan pelajar berikutan be­­be­apa kes jenayah antaranya membabit­kan pelajar perem­puan disyaki dirogol dua rakan sekolah secara ... Read more The post Media sosial hanya untuk 13 tahun ke atas appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

• Utusan Malaysia
• 2 gün, 20 saat, 56 dakika