Students will get gap year starting Sept 2017

Undergraduate students will be able to get a one year study gap to allow students gain experience and pursue personal interests.

Doing volunteer work

In other countries, a gap year is important for student because it allows them to gain experience and build connections, do volunteer work, enlist in a public service department, and or do something they are really passionate about. That is why many countries in the Europe allows it. The US does allow it as well, but the European model works better.

Malaysia, finally, has decided to introduce the gap year starting in September 2017.

“These students can take a year off to gain industrial work experience or pursue their interest in arts. The universities can also make it as their programme. It can be a part of the National Service Training Programme,” Higher Education Minister Datuk Idris Jusoh said after delivering a speech at Amanat 2017 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

The ministry will be working with the police, army and the immigration department to help implement and work on the year gap programme.

So far, there are only 8 universities willing to participate including Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and University of Malaya (UM).

Hopefully, more universities will participate.

There is a problem. This programme can be abused. So, it has to be done in stages and has to be regulated very well to prevent misuse and to ensure that students actually do benefit from this programme.