Why Are Kids Still Dropping Out? Unpacking Malaysia’s Education Crisis with YB Fadhlina Sidek’s Plan

 

I haven’t written here in a while—my last post was on June 22, and my readership has plummeted from over 4,000 daily views to just around 400. I’m nearly done with my Vistana Heights posts, so it’s time to return to this blog. Below is a Malaymail report from August 12, 2025, about what Education Minister YB Fadhlina Sidek said on school dropouts, with extracts and my commentary.

Extract:

Fadhlina said her ministry’s approach to the dropout problem is focused on needs that cuts across ethnicity and locality, deploying what she described as “contextual” intervention.

Dyslexia Training Institute

 

In 2004 when I started researching dyslexia, I read a few online articles each week stating that dyslexia is a result of a phonological awareness deficit. I wrote several articles intermittently for several years until finally, that theory was debunked.

I recently discovered that dyslexia proponents have started to write the same nonsense that was written for more than 40 years before I started my research in 2010.

Here is a post by Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley, Dyslexia Training Institute in 2011 shared on Twitter today, 22.8.2024. LINK.

Recordings of Jack’s reading to 8.5.2022

 

The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly. (Einstein)

 

My 1^st lesson with Jack was on the 27.4.2022.

I recorded Jack’s pronunciation of the sounds represented by consonants and posted it in my blog.

I said that Jack is unable to read even a single sentence because he was confused as he was taught the sounds represented by consonants wrongly. This is true of all my dyslexic students I taught since 2004.

“Are men interested in literacy?” A tweet by Faith Borkowsky 16.2.2022

 

High Five Literacy@FaithBorkowsky·

Why aren’t more men following my Facebook High Five Literacy page?

Do men read? I hope so…

Are men interested in #literacy? It doesn’t look like it.

I’m sure every father wants to see his child reading. And I know male educators want their students to read.

I just don’t think enough men take an active role in advocating for better #reading instruction.

We need male role models for kids, and we need men involved with literacy initiatives.

Phonological awareness and phonics -Part 2

                                                         

Teachers are struggling to teach kids to read. Around 20% of kids in many countries where English is taught can barely read in English.

In the US in January 2001, President George W. Bush announced his plan called “No Child Left Behind”.

Now, in 2015 after 15 years the percentage of children who can barely read in English remains the same as it was in 2001 which again was the same as it was in the 70’s.

The main thing kids do in school is learn to read, and when they don't, they feel stupid. So how can we prevent reading failure?