Tabika Perpaduan to teach basic Mandarin, Tamil, Iban and Kadazan

 

Four new programmes are being introduced in the national unity ministry’s Tabika Perpaduan to foster unity among children.

KUALA LUMPUR: Tabika Perpaduan preschools will soon teach children basic Mandarin, Tamil, Iban and Kadazan, national unity minister Halimah Sadique told the Dewan Rakyat today.

Halimah said this is part of four new programmes being introduced under the ministry’s early childhood education Tabika Perpaduan plan, which aims to foster unity among children.

The new programmes include a Rukun Negara module, the teaching of the elements of unity and good values as well as a module to teach children to take care of themselves.

“Classes on communication in a third language, which is the teaching of basic Mandarin, Tamil, Kadazan and Iban, will be introduced in Tabika Perpaduan preschools,” she said.

Halimah said the ministry will be looking to improve the quality and professionalism of teachers in these preschools to ensure that the goal of fostering unity among students could be achieved.

She said the ministry will ensure teachers possess at least a diploma in early childhood education. Currently, 1,574 of the 1,781 teachers in Tabika Perpaduan preschools have such certification.

The remaining 207 teachers who do not have such qualifications will be sent for courses in partnership with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris to get them certified.

Halimah was responding to a question from Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah), who asked how these preschools are to foster unity and the Keluarga Malaysia spirit among children. - FMT