GEORGE TOWN: Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik has called for cooler heads to prevail over the contentious issue of khat.
"It's time to come back to rationality over the studying of khat as it is everyone's responsibility to ensure that the children have a bright future in education.
"My advice is that everyone should not get over-emotional about the teaching of khat," Maszlee said at a press conference after opening the National Education and Research Convention at the Penang Teachers' Training Institute here on Tuesday (Aug 27).
He was commenting on the statement by Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who said on Monday (Aug 26) that the Seni Khat Action Team (Sekat) was "foolish and arrogant" (bodoh sombong) for threatening to stop sending their children to school if the Jawi script was taught in schools.
Sekat secretary Arun Dorasamy responded by giving Syed Saddiq 48 hours to withdraw the statement.
The Education Ministry's announcement in July on introducing khat to Year Four pupils has been met with stiff resistance from various quarters, especially parents in vernacular schools.
On Aug 14, the ministry announced that khat would be an optional topic for vernacular schools, with Parent-Teacher Associations and pupils having a say on whether they wanted to learn Jawi writing in the Bahasa Melayu subject.
On the free breakfast programme for primary schoolchildren next year, Maszlee said it was not merely about the provision of food but rather a matter of discipline, interaction and etiquette.
"They will pick up civic lessons on the disposal of food, washing plates and recycling," he added.
On the reading habit among schoolchildren, the minister said the situation was not that bad and had, in fact, improved in primary schools.
"What we are trying to do is to make reading a way of life in Malaysian culture," he added.
Earlier, when opening the conference, Maszlee urged state governments to provide funds for extra classes on the teaching of Science and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
"This will help equip children with the necessary skills for Industry 4.0 and beyond," he said. - Star
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