The government should consider establishing an independent National Education Commission answerable only to Parliament to evaluate and formulate educational policies, said Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik today.

He said this was to ensure that "the duty of check and balance and consultation on our educational policy formulation and reforms is vested in an independent body of experts".

The body should also undertake total commitment to prepare Malaysians for the knowledge-based economy, said Lim who is also Primary Industries Minister, in his opening speech at a forum on the K-economy in Kuala Lumpur.

He said as part of the effort to improve governance of education, restructuring of the Education Ministry should be considered too.

"Perhaps we can look into the possibility of restructuring the Ministry of Education into two highly integrated ministries with different focuses a ministry of higher education and knowledge economy and a ministry of schools, vocational and technical training.

"This will enable specialisation. While one ministry focuses on tertiary and private education, the other will look after primary, secondary, vocational and technical education," he said.