Alternative schools’ lingering plight

The government must give due recognition to diversity in education and provide full funding to these schools, say several concerned bodies.

PETALING JAYA: The multi-stream education system allows Malaysians a chance to choose the type of schools they want to attend, but it does not provide fair treatment to every school.

This was pointed out by several bodies representing Tamil, Islamic and mission schools when they related the problems plaguing their schools.

To tackle these problems, they have even offered suggestions to the government to integrate alternative schools into the national education system.

They have also asked that greater autonomy be given to these schools so that they can create a common ground for students from many different schools to interact with each other.

Above all, they want the government to give genuine recognition to diversity in education.

Megat Mohamed Amin, head of the Islamic schools umbrella body, Pusat Pendidikan SRI-SMI Bhd, said the government should ideally provide full funding to alternative type schools in the country, as they have contributed to the nation-building process.

However, if full funding is not an option, then the government must offer tax rebates to parents who admit their children to these schools.

“We suggest that the government exclude tuition fees they pay from income tax or give direct deductions,” he said. “This would at least ease the burden of those who send their child to alternative schools.”

In regard to national unity, Megat Mohamed asked for more inter-school activities to be held, particularly between different types of schools.

“Many government-held activities are confined to single type of school, for instance a competition between national schools or Chinese schools.

“When are our children going to interact? There should be more activities between different types of schools so that they can better understand each other,” he said.

Mission schools and national unity

Malaya Christian School Council chairman, Yap Kok Keong, hoped mission schools can retain their English-teaching tradition, especially at a time when the government is keen to strengthen English standard among students.

He said despite mission schools having been converted to national schools in the 1970s, many of them still retain their strength in English.

“They are already English-medium schools in one sense, so why don’t we convert it back to English schools?” he asked.

Yap said currently school authorities only have power to decide 10% of their annual intake, and urged the government to increase the quota to 30% so that schools can continue to have a multiracial profile.

“This is one way in which we have contributed to bringing children of all races together. We want to maintain that. Mission schools can set an example by fostering a national identity,” said Yap.

Meanwhile, Tamil Foundation adviser K Arumugam said the government should accept Chinese and Indians as a general component of society who cannot be homogenised.

He said respect for multiculturism must be reflected in all policies of the government framework.

“Currently, government-aided schools [Chinese and Tamil schools] do not form part of the national system, so the schools are largely dependent on the support of the community.

“Imagine I’m a board chairman of a Tamil school, and I have to collect donation to repair the school toilet,” he said.

Currently there are 1,294 Chinese primary schools, 523 Tamil schools, 428 mission schools and more than 400 religious schools in the country.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak under the Budget 2013 unveiled recently has promised to allocate RM100 million each for Chinese, Tamil and mission schools.