Chinese avoid sending their kids to govt schools due to POOR QUALITY of teaching, NOT polarisation

In the letter “Ethnic divide, not extremism, is the problem” by the group of 35 replying to the group of 25 moderate Muslims, Prof Dr Noraini M. Noor of University Islam Antarabangsa is quoted as having warned of “increasing ethnic polarisation, indicating a pre-conflict situation”.

The writer quotes from her paper: “….There has been a rise in polarisation between the Malays and the Chinese in terms of education, job opportunities and housing. In the current educational system, most Malays send their children to government and/or religious schools, while the majority of Chinese educate their children in Chinese schools”.

It is a fact that today “most Malays send their children to government and/or religious schools”, and the Chinese to Chinese schools. But without examining the reason(s) for this phenomena, it is too simplistic to blame it on “polarisation”.

What about another fact, i.e. that there is a growing number of Malay children going to Chinese schools today. How do you justify “polarisation” in the face of this fact?

I have not come across any research papers that examine the underlying reason(s) for this phenomena, i.e. while “polarisation” is quickly cited for the exodus of Chinese children from national schools, there are at the same time more Malay children enrolling in Chinese schools.

What is conveniently forgotten is that educational standards in the national primary schools started declining in the 1970s and then in the secondary schools in the 80s.

Take the case of Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Halim in Alor Setar, Kedah. This was a premier school bearing the name of the Sultan of Kedah and His Highness himself used to grace its annual prize-giving days. It was the top primary school in Alor Setar in the 50s and 60s.

However, by the end of the 80s, the academic performance of this top school had dropped to a very low point, to where it is now at the bottom lot.

Given the drastic drop of the academic standard of this premier school, can “polarisation” be blamed for Chinese parents not sending their children to this school and putting them in Chinese schools instead?

Chinese parents had a choice, the Chinese schools, which the Malay parents did not have. So the latter’s children continued in this national school.

When academic standards in national schools began declining, was it wrong for Chinese parents to lose confidence in these schools? All parents want good schools for their children.

Surely the education department and the Ministry of Education must have been aware of the deteriorating quality of this premier school (and other schools) as shown by the examination results. What remedial measures were taken to arrest the decline? If any, obviously they failed.

The Sultan himself broke away from the tradition of his annual visit to the school for the prize-giving. So is it fair to blame non-Malay parents for taking their children out of this school?

It would appear that when football standards drop, there is more concern shown than when educational standards fall.

I can confidently say that if educational standards in the former English medium schools that were converted to national schools had been maintained at the same level as during their “English school” days, parents’ confidence in the schools would have remained high and there would not have been any exodus of Chinese children to Chinese medium schools.

When Chinese children leave national schools to go to Chinese schools, it is called “polarisation”.

When Malay children leave national schools to go to Chinese schools, what should we call it, “reverse polarisation”?

If there is a genuine will to “repair” education in the national schools and bring it back to the standard of the 50s and 60s, it can be done, although not overnight. Bear in mind that Malays themselves are losing confidence in the national schools as the right place to educate their children.

Education is a very critical field as it is responsible for determining the future of the country, not just economic, but also the human side of it, i.e. whether its citizens respect all people in a multi-racial, multi religious country; whether they grow up to be moderate of character or extremists; whether they can think critically for themselves or merely follow others, etc.?

What is needed is a very serious, honest look at our education system so that children are molded into what we want the future of the nation to be. Do we want all the differences that we see today to be removed or to be allowed to fester and increase.

Prof Dr. Noraini is right that the present situation indicates “a pre-conflict situation”. Knowing this, what must be done, how, when and by whom?

We cannot remain in denial that a lot of damage to future society is taking place in our schools today. - FMT