Racial harmony needs to be nurtured from early days. Dialect, skin colour, body shapes, eyes, hair and each cultural trait distinguish us from each other. We can’t run away from this and forever we will not be the same.
We however could choose to be harmony with each other. We chose to tolerate each other’s weakness, embrace on each other’s strength and enjoy each other’s celebration.
But how do we achieve that in the system that design to fail us? Why are socio-economy and our early education system separating us from one another? Is this what we wanted and at the same time enchanting the work of no racism and Malaysia is for Malaysian? Is it worth to carry this in the names of politics?
In particular, I am really upset and annoyed with our early education system. How could we have ‘normal’, agama, Chinese type and Indian type school for our children? Why there is strong demand from political parties to keep having this system and separate our kids from one another? Where are we leading our country with racial harmony on this approach?
To me, there should be only one system. That one system require a bit of fine tune to make it works for everybody. There are religious study, languages and also availability of certain type of food is deemed important to each. This of course can be altered to meet each personal racial interest.
What could be the failure mode of the single stream education system?
1. Language barrier that led to performance of students especially for non-Malay students
2. Food barrier, which mainly around halal and non-halal food served.
3. Viable performance differentiation between ethnic groups
4. Ethnic grouping that led to inter-ethnic bullish, fighting, discrimination (either ethnic or religion biased) and favouritism.
The point of the matter is, these ethnic differentiation and racial harmony that we are seeking still best to be accomplished from the beginning. There are compromises needed for us to execute this singe-stream education system and achieve better standard of racial harmonies.
Nevertheless, we also need to look at the current multi-stream early education system pro and cons.
Pro:
1. Freedom to choose. (Only by principal, because most of the time it relates to majority ethnic group on the society and most likely only one type is available at each)
2. No language barrier for teaching.
3. Ethnic food serving on canteen.
Cons:
1. Additional 1 year on ‘peralihan’ class for secondary school. Which actually led to bigger issues for ‘Tingkatan 1 onward students due to 1 year older ego for ex-peralihan students, not to mention body size, hormones, etc.
2. More schooling expenditure for additional year on secondary schooling.
3. Ethnic biased students with deeper ethnic based mentality
4. More ethnic base clash at bigger scale and greater physical strength thus more damaging
Looking at some of this simple sample of pro and cons, I really don’t understand the importance of having this optional and yet very much ethnic biased early educational system in Malaysia. Why must we are separated from each other and yet claimed for racial harmony of the ethnic mentality being planted to us from the beginning. Is this truly what we need and wants, or it is merely political interest of each ethnic party to show that they are doing this for the benefit of the people and by not having this system is a discrimination to the ethnic group.
By having some simple ground rules and a bit of tweak to the education system, namely the subjects, we could protect each core values and interest.
Language
Bahasa Melayu still be the base language. However, it is worth to have the Malay to learn Indian and Chinese dialect, as these are the common language used in Malaysia. If Chinese and Indian have to put up with Malay language and accept it as the primary language, why can’t Malay be push a bit to learn Chinese and Indian.
Rather than only teaching the fundamental of each languages (including English), reading and speaking habits need to be pushed. Heavy weight on the ‘karangan’ need not to be enforced to allocate the time required
Food
Primarily, Malays concern most of Halal Haram food. If the non-Malays would be able to accept serving only Halal food, that would resolve the situation. In fact, I think all the food serve in Malaysia should be Halal based. I would love to just walk in to any restaurant disregarding Indian or Chinese type and enjoy each others cooking style.
Ethnic based clash
Kids will be kids. Only by growing up together that they will acquire mutual respects to each other.
Ethnic based class based on performance
I am worry about this line. Based on my experience, on majority of the school will have highly performed students in top class and others on the lower class. Most of the time it is required to fit the way of teaching to intellectual and achievement level of the students. However, the majority of the students, will be more Chinese on top class and more Indian on the lower class. Malays student will be around the middle class. I think this is the most worry that we or the government have. Do we have to remain apart so that we will not be measured against each other or shall we face the fact and motivate ourselves and our kids to reduce the gap? Eventually, this will take us to bigger picture of job, wealth and living standard segregation within the ethnic groups.
Subject and performance measurement system
I think we are way behind in our system. Our schooling system still ‘generalized’ and yet there are lot of weight on Bahasa Melayu. We need to do some check and balance, introduce new subjects, eliminate unnecessary subjects, have core and elective subjects, review scheduling (repetitive subject on daily basis, no room for reading in between), pendidikan jasmani versus extra co-curricular activities, math and science content standards, positive activities and experiments, moving away from ‘memorizing’ type to more diversify of comprehension, iq enhancement and creativities. Rather than only measuring performance through exams, some practical element need to be added such science project, literature based on reading… Make the school a bit lively and intelligence provoke.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
If you look at the globalisation now, which languages are more important?
we could tell English and Mandarin are the main, as these two group are commanding 40+% of world purchasing power. If you need to success in future you have to know these languages!
look at our education system. I could say it is a failure. fortunately we still have chinese in our primary which could develop a good base for our children.
You better look into detail of how chinese school run the system versus the normal primary school. I have two kids the elder was study in normal primary school and the youngest are in chinese primary school. Today, i am regret that i have sent my elder one to normal primary.
to know more, you better find out more yourself then you will know why?
btw, base on my observation, in average those trained from chinese primary education have a better moral, more discipline, stronger adaption, higher productivity and more hard working.
believe it or not, you better check it out.
Chinese primary school more focus on moral, understanding and work competition. They event run the school for whole day and a lot of exercise or work for the children.
as for normal primary school, most of then talk of religion, and less work, so how to develop a good work force? how to meet our vision 2020?
look at current situation, i don't think malaysia can be a develop country in 2020!
but i believe china can be a develop country by 2020!
bahasa Malaysia is symbol of unity, toleration and respect. Without the common denominator such main common language, we will be too far apart. However, I do share the view of necessity of Malay to learn Chinese and Indian dialect. It is plain arrogant and ignorant of self-driven denials. I do wish while I was at school that I was pushed to study those languages as well.
It seems like there are a lot of positive factors as highlighted for the Chinese Primary school system. Our Educational Board should look into this and adopt all the good factors and stream line our education system. If what you were saying is true (which I do think so), then our perfomance superiority and inferiority has been pre-determine the minute we start our early education. Tragic.
Post a Comment