Chinese associations urge ministry to clarify Jawi teaching guidelines

The teaching of Jawi will be part of the Year 4 syllabus in vernacular schools next year. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) has urged the government to quickly review the guidelines for the teaching of Jawi, ahead of its inclusion in the syllabus for Year 4 pupils in vernacular schools next year.

Huazong urged the government to immediately address the “grave concerns and anxiety” of the Chinese and Indian communities over the ”questionable guidelines”.

It said the education ministry had yet to commit to requests from Chinese and Indian organisations and education bodies for the school board to be included in the decision-making body for the teaching of Jawi calligraphy at Chinese and Tamil primary schools.

Huazong president TC Goh listed 10 key areas that he hoped the ministry would clarify, including whether the role of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) was just to gather parents’ views on the teaching of Jawi calligraphy.

“Does the same apply to the school board if a school is without the PTA? Does the PTA or the school board (in the absence of a PTA) have the right to make a decision?” he asked.

“In the case of the national-type primary schools, which are dominated by Chinese and Indian pupils, can a simple majority (51%) decide not to accept the teaching of Jawi calligraphy, and the minority (49%) must abide by the majority decision?

“And will the education ministry allocate separate classrooms to accommodate the 49% of pupils who agreed to take Jawi calligraphy?,” he asked.

The Cabinet had decided that khat lessons will be renamed Jawi and will be introduced in the syllabus for Year 4 primary school pupils in vernacular schools.

Following criticism from educational groups, the government later announced that Jawi was optional and would not be a test subject.

The education ministry said that the lessons would be called “Jawi script” instead of “khat”.

Goh also raised the question of mini national-type primary schools in the rural areas, which he said were dominated by Malay pupils.

“If 51% of the pupils accept Jawi calligraphy, must the remaining 49% abide by the majority decision even though they are against it?

“Or, will the ministry exempt the abovementioned 49% of pupils from learning Jawi calligraphy?

“And, in the situation of a tie such as 50% vs 50%, how do we deal with it? By tossing a coin? Drawing ballot? Or other methods?”

Goh questioned if the education ministry was prepared to have an honest dialogue with key Chinese and Indian organisations and education bodies.

“It is absolutely important and necessary that the ministry must clarify all the doubts surrounding its Jawi guidelines, so as to avoid more confusions and disputes, after this,” he said.

He reiterated his earlier statement that the new guidelines were bound to have significant impact on the national-type primary schools, especially in the rural areas which have Malay parents.

He said if the issue was not properly handled, it might undermine harmony among the people.

“The present government must seriously review the guidelines for Jawi calligraphy teaching in vernacular schools without any further delay,” Goh said. - FMT