Effects of the Blooming Industry

of Colleges andUniversities

Wide Usage of English Language

As we can see nowadays, the number of colleges and universities in Malaysia are

increasing from time to time. Because of this, there were some issues from the

phenomena of blooming industry of colleges and universities in our country. One of the

issues is the use of English as a medium of instruction in colleges and universities. Why

English? As the international language of our world today, it seems compulsory for each

higher institution in the modern world to use English, at least as the second language of a

lecturer’s lesson. Many people talked about the issue since many colleges and

universities started using English as the medium of instruction, it resulted to some vague

effects. The usage of English as medium of instruction means that English is being used

in all activities in the universities and colleges especially during the process of learning

and teaching, communication and administration.

There are two opinions regarding to this particular issue and each opinion is

supported by reasons which is acceptable for us. One of the opinion says that English

usage and implementation in universities and colleges in our country is a very good and
healthy outcome of this issue. In fact, it is said that the usage of English language in our

education system whether as an official or non-official language should have started even

without the blooming of higher institution in our country. It is because by using English,

the level of the language itself will be improved especially among the students

themselves. Student’s acquisition of second language needs to be helped by creating an

environment which helps them to use the language and the wide usage of English would

certainly help them to master the language. They will acquire a higher level of the

language as they use it daily. For instance, they use English in communication among

themselves and between lecturers in class as well as outside the classroom. Another

opinion which did not agree with the step of using English as medium of instruction in

universities was just because they are afraid to take the risk, in fact defending those who

cannot speak or use English well. For example, the students who came from rural areas

and cannot speak English very well will have problems with the system since they also

will have difficulties to communicate, to follow the lessons which requires standard level

of English at least, and in short, they will have serious problems as they will left behind if

they are not alert enough with what is happening in their college or universities. The

answer of this problem is how much effort that will be put in trying to cope with the

situation. It means that it should not be a problem as long as they try to cope with the

issue which means they have to strive harder especially in studies compared to the

students who have strong basic of English.

When there is a will, there is a way. Actually this is just a very good beginning

step to be taken as everything has to have every own starts. The students who are weak in
English will improve their level of the language as they mingle around with their

colleagues and learn to use English to speak and write since the best way to adapt a

language is to speak it. The use of English also has resulted to some effects that seem to

be very positive to our country development. First and the foremost result is the

improving level of English among the students and we can see it clearly. We did a survey

in our campus about the students’ improvement of English since the first day they enter

Uitm and the result was ninety seven percent of the students said that they has improved

their English and they even can use and speak English very well.

It is also said that the usage of English language would have invited the use of our

national language; Bahasa Melayu, to extinct. Language is the identity of one race and

some of those who did not agree with the spread of English language are worried that it

might lead to the lost of our people’s own identity. This is because language brought

culture together with it and by implementing the language in out society, the culture of

the language is also extracted. But, if we take a good look deep into this matter, we shall

know and realize that the strength and identity of one’s self do not depend on what

language he or she is using, but intellectual and ability to differentiate between things. A

person needs to know that there are languages to be learnt as a medium to gain

knowledge and profit, but there’s only one language that is the soul and identity of his or

her true self, which is the mother tongue.

Another effect of using English is the improved quality of the graduates since it

prepares students for the working environment. It is because nowadays trend that requires
graduates to master in English in order to get a better job than those who did not. Besides,

it will uphold the image of our country since there are students from abroad who comes

to study in our country. So it will reflect a very good view on our country’s higher

education system in the eyes of the world. Another beneficial effect is it will open up the

chances for the students to get a better education since they can speak and use English

well, so it would not be a problem to learn using the materials that are brought from

outside Malaysia for example, books from overseas who are specialist in certain field

such as books from United States for student of Teaching English As A Second Language

(TESL) course and it is good thing that benefits them. Besides that, other result is dropout

from colleges and universities because they cannot cope with the lessons that are using

English as the medium of instruction. But it is just small negative effect compared to the

other effects that are very beneficial.

Twinning Program

Another issue which is highlighted is the issue of twinning programs between

colleges and universities. Twinning program is the term used to name the collaboration

between two or more colleges or universities either abroad or local in order to give

convenience and benefits to the students. But however, still it becomes an issue because

there are people who object the twinning program because they said that it will just

reduce the quality of the students by not getting direct education from the abroad

universities. They also doubt the standard of the higher institutions which are chosen by

our local universities to collaborate with. After reviewing into this matter and doing
research about twinning program in our country, we only see the positive side of it since

there are few benefits that come from the twinning program. For example, one of the

current twinning programs that are available in our country is collaboration between

University of Leicester and Sunway College in Subang. This twinning program brings

some good effects as they get materials and education from those overseas universities

and most of the universities are world-class. Besides, the students will save some costs

since they pay only for the fees not included the expenses that they would have to pay if

they go to study overseas. The students also save some times since the course that are

available in twinned programs are usually shortened compared to the regular common

courses that are available in the exact universities and colleges especially abroad. Besides

that, this twinned programs enables the students to get better certificates as long as they

are ministry-approved and LAN-accredited, and as a consequence, the quality of the

qualifications are sound and even better than the others. But, the most important aspect of

doing the twinning program is that it lets us to share knowledge and experience

throughout our learning process. Education is meant to be shared; through this method,

we are sure that our students will get the better view on their goals in pursuing their

studies. It will also expose them to the global competition in education, creating our own

world class students.

Unemployment

Other issues that come out from the increasing number of colleges and

universities in Malaysia are unemployed graduates that are increasing from time to time.
There are actually 6 types of unemployment which are suffered by our students who

graduated from our universities and colleges which are regarded as the effects of the

blooming industry of universities and colleges in our country. The first type is identified

as the hardcore unemployment which happens because of the graduates’ own ‘‘personal

characteristics''. A student may have a criminal record or the physical characteristics that

employers may not like such as, a heavily tattooed person may find it difficult to get

work in an area with large amount of customer contact, like retailing? Another type is the

seasonal unemployment which occur because of the job which is chosen by the students

did not last for a long period of time. This include job in the business sector such as doing

business during a particular season. Frictionally unemployed students also exist in a large

number in our country where students are often left unemployed between contracts. The

rapid computerization of the work place has many positives: it has allowed information to

be more quickly gathered within an organization, and then transmitted to decision

makers. Computerization has allowed greater uniformity of product, and higher quality

production. However, many jobs are disappearing, as their functions are taken over by

automated processes. This is termed technological unemployment. This is affecting office

staff and middle management in many businesses. Change brings the need for retraining

as well. Many people in their late fifties find it difficult to find employment, because

employers may think these people are too old to effectively do the job required. Although

many types of discrimination are illegal, and ''Equal Opportunity'' legislation exists, it can

be difficult to prove you have been discriminated against. We may also see the fact that

our country also suffers the structurally unemployed. There are different types of

structural unemployment. A person may live in a rural area, where employment

opportunities are limited, yet there may be a job in another area. This is called structural

unemployment. The last type is the general or cyclical unemployment occurs when the

level of aggregate demand is not high enough to ensure production occurs at a level that

ensures full employment. As a result, this type of unemployment happened all over our

country.

As we can see nowadays, there are always new colleges and universities

establishment from time to time and as a result, there are low quality of graduates. Issue

of unemployed graduates has been a hot topic since the year of 1997, beginning the

economy crisis once ago. A study that had been done by financial analysts proved that

there are many unemployed graduates in our country, unexpectedly high. As mentioned

earlier, the rising number of higher institution in this country is one of the factors. It is

also because of the colleges and universities that are built more to get profits than helping

the post-school graduates especially those which are privates. When such thing happened,

it will produce more graduates who are low in quality either academically or skills or

both. So, when they did not have the standard quality which is required to get a sound

job, they become unemployed for years and even worse, did not hired at all after all. The

result is it becomes one of the contributors to social problems that are happening in our

country nowadays. For example, those unemployed graduates which almost of them are

still in the early of twenty’s will have no works to do and they tend to loaf around, for

instance at the supermarkets, and cyber cafes. This phenomenon will lead to other effects

or problems such as cyber crimes, drug abuse, as well as waste of money. All of that will

definitely produce low quality of youngsters in our country and this will lead to slower
pace of economy since country needs quality manpower especially young ones to be

involved in the economy, education, and other industries.

Unaccredited Courses in Private Institution

Another issue which happened because of the blooming of our higher institution

is the unaccredited courses. This mainly happened in our private institution where

colleges and universities are built not to accommodate the student’s need or to enrich

knowledge in our society, but just to gain profit from the act of ‘selling’ knowledge and

opportunity to the students.

There are several effects which occurred because of this issue. One of the effects

is that it leads us to the addition of students who graduated with a certificate, but lack of

the knowledge of the course they have taken. This happened because of the reason why

they further their studies at the first place is just to obtain a certificate that they can be

proud of, not as a platform to fill them with knowledge. With this wrong reason, they are

willing to further their studies anywhere as long as the institution provides the certificate.

Another effect is that it leads towards the decrease of quality in our own education

system. Education is not meant to be used as a medium to gain profit and the decision to

put unaccredited courses as the choices for our students to further their studies will

somehow reflects the attitude of our own society and its education system. Therefore, in

order to maintain a good quality of standard the government itself must monitor our

educational institutions and the purposes of those institutions to be built.

 Increasing number of institutions in our country leads to the hardness to look over

the quality of each institution and the quality of the courses offered. So, it is the student’s

responsibility to choose the right institution and course in which it will reflects to the

student’s own future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, rising number of colleges and universities actually brings benefits

indicates higher level of proficiency of English and better quality of graduates, but in the

other hand, this phenomenon also brings together negative effects such as unemployed

graduates and unaccredited certificates. It must be remembered that almost everything in

this world or things that happens has every own pros and contras. It just the matter of

efforts that has to be done to improve the situation. For instance, government should

strengthen the law or requirements of application to build or establish one college or

university. Besides that, every citizen also should be careful and choose wisely on which

higher education to go in order to avoid unwanted consequence such as difficulties in

getting a job according to the problems with the certification. In addition, in order to

improve situation, cooperation from everyone are needed, starting from government,

society, to everyone in this very Malaysia.