Stop sending ‘quack’ teachers to Chinese schools

The teaching standards in Chinese primary schools are under threat even as the Education Ministry continues to send them under-qualified teachers.

KUCHING: The federal government should stop sending non-Chinese literate teachers who have “not even passed UPSR-level Chinese subjects” to teach in Chinese primary schools in Sarawak.

According to Sibu MP Wong Ho Leng, sending non-Chinese qualified teachers to these schools will seriously affect the teaching standards in the state.

“I am given to understand that 29 headmasters, 39 assistant headmasters and 287 teachers who do not have Chinese qualifications are sent to serve in Chinese primary schools in Sarawak.

“Most of these teachers did not even pass UPSR’s Chinese subjects.

“This cannot be right. The government must ensure that headmasters who are sent to serve in Chinese primary schools must pass the Chinese subject in SPM.

“With headmasters and teachers not knowing Chinese, it is no wonder that I have received frequent complaints that some headmasters had been discouraging students from taking Chinese subjects, or even if they do, not to sit for exams for fear that they will pull down the school results.

“This has become a serious problem in many schools in Sarawak and the education ministry must look into it to right a wrong to the Chinese community, ” said Wong who is also state DAP chairman.

Debating the royal address in Parliament, he said that the current practice was “not conducive to educational development” and unacceptable to the Chinese community at large.

“The practice of sending teachers without Chinese qualification to Chinese primary schools will severely affect the teaching standards and administration of these schools, ”

“It is not conducive to educational development, especially when it is well accepted that Chinese schools contribute tremendously to national development.

“The fact that there are 355 teachers who are non-Chinese qualified are teaching in Chinese schools means that there is a shortage of this number of teaching staff in Sarawak.

“The government should rectify this situation immediately,” he said.

UEC, why no approval?
Alluding to the needs of the Chinese community in Sarawak, Wong said that it was time that the government realised that 222 of the 1,294 Chinese primary schools in the country where situated in Sarawak.

“I believe it is only fair for Sarawakians to demand that 20% of education allocations be provided to Chinese primary schools in Sarawak,” he said.

While he welcomed the government’s decision to recognise qualifications from 146 universities from China, he questioned its hesitance to approve the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) issued here.

“This is good news. But I want to know why the goverment is not recognising the Unified Examination Certificates (UEC) which is recognised by the universities in China for the purpose of adminission into university?” he asked.