| Danial Norjidi |
THE importance of educational benchmarking was highlighted yesterday by Centre Director of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education and Training (Voctech) Dr Haji Mohd Zamri bin Haji Sabli.
The Centre Director delivered a speech at the opening ceremony for a regional training programme on ‘Benchmarking Education Institutional Practices and Performances through a Comparative Study’ at the SEAMEO Voctech Regional Centre.
Dr Haji Mohd Zamri touched on what educational benchmarking is as well as why it is important.
“Benchmarking is about learning good practices from what others are practising and comparing our education performances and strategies at the institutional or even at national levels,” he said, adding that this “may inspire us to do better.
“It is necessary that we should also be aware of the context where the practices take place. Copying of what others are doing may lead to failures if performed without proper understanding of the context. We need to know similarities and difference, and be able to adopt and adapt it by making necessary adjustments,” he said.
The centre director also noted that under SEAMEO’s Seven Priority Areas, it is stipulated that SEAMEO promotes technical and vocational education and training (TVET) among learners, teachers and parents with more visible investment and relevant curricula that focusses on creativity and innovation with a clear pathway to lifelong learning, higher education and regional harmonisation.
He affirmed that, as one of the 24 SEAMEO Centres, SEAMEO Voctech is taking important roles in promoting TVET through various programmes and activities, including offering training programmes for TVET personnel in the region.
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