The government recently announced that it would allow Malaysian students to enrol in international schools in the country. It aims to increase the enrollment of Malaysian students in these schools from the present 0.05 percent to at least 40 percent.

Personally, I couldn't care less if the government allows international schools to take up to a 100 percent enrollment of Malaysians as opposed to the current upward revision to 40 percent. That would just about make them as exclusive as private schools.

However, I am extremely upset when the Ministry of Education tries to justify the move by claiming that it will serve to retain the country's best and brightest, when, in effect, international and private schools prepare students for a path that lead straight out of the country, not to mention widening the k-gap between the haves and have-nots.

It will be extremely disappointing if this of all things is the long promised revolution in the public education system. Instead of focusing on strengthening the quality of government-funded schools, the ministry seems to be hell bent of making them irrelevant. The logic seems to be that as long as parents can send their children to any school they like (more like the ones they can afford), everything is okay.

The last time I checked, a huge majority of Malaysians came through the public education system. I'll be damned when middle and lower-class families are forced to pay through their noses for a decent and good education (just like health care) simply because the government has failed to provide one with the tax dollars we are all paying.

What on earth is the ministry thinking?

It hurts me immensely to think that education, the best way for a generation to break out from the vicious cycle of poverty, can be subjected to the evils of capitalistic measures. There is a reason why the state has a strong responsibility in providing affordable quality education, and it is not to pander to the commodification of education and knowledge. It stupefies me that the ministry believes that good education is only available by paying top dollar, with a for-profit business model to boot.

Most of the best and brightest, I dare reckon, are not born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouths. This is not a rage against international and private schools, or independent schools for that matter. It is reminding the minister of education of the ministry's vision is to 'develop a world-class quality education system that fully develops the potential of an individual and fulfilling national aspirations'.

I am not entirely certain what an international school's mission may be, but no doubt the good minister is more or less certain that its students will be highly motivated to serve in Malaysia and champion her causes.

What the public schools fail to do, international, independent and private schools will prevail but at a price of course. It is the money, silly.