Students remain poor at history despite remarkable test scores

• Renowned academician urges educators to re-evaluate their teaching methods to help students think more and appreciate history better

Malaysian students are less proficient in their country's history, according to historian Prof. Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim, with students unable to explain Tun Tan Cheng Lock's importance in fighting for the rights and social welfare of the Chinese community in Malaysia.

Khoo said that students nowadays could easily score high marks in history because they could spot topics that will come out in the examinations. The end result is that many students fail to appreciate the country's fascinating history.

"If you know history, you will be surprised what this country is made of," he said, in his presentation at the Second Education Nation Conference in Kuala Lumpur, yesterday.

He advised that teachers should help develop students' minds instead of just helping them to score 'A' in the examinations.