REFUGEE

PENANG: Sin Chew Daily learned that the Education Ministry is currently collecting opinions from all parties to study the feasibility of using Malay primary school's Bahasa Malaysia syllabus in Chinese and Tamil primary schools, hoping that students from different streams will be able to achieve equal Bahasa Malaysia standard.

At present, Chinese and Tamil primary schools are teaching Bahasa Malaysia as the second language. The textbooks and the Primary School Evaluation Test (UPSR) examination papers that they are using are different with those used in Malay primary schools.

While the Government is preparing to launch the policy to “uphold Bahasa Malaysia and strengthen English”, Sin Chew Daily learned that the Education Ministry is studying the feasibility of using Malay primary school's Bahasa Malaysia syllabus in Chinese and Tamil primary schools.

According to the information, the above study is still in the preliminary exploratory stage with no decision has been made. The Education Ministry is keeping an open mind and collecting views from university lecturers, academic groups, Chinese education organisations, teacher associations, Tamil education organisations, as well as the Indian community.

It is understood that Education Ministry officials had conducted a meeting with the representatives of the above mentioned groups to discuss on the curriculum reform in Chinese and Tamil primary schools, namely to use Malay primary school's Bahasa Malaysia syllabus, including the UPSR examination papers, in Chinese and Tamil primary schools.

In the meeting, they also talked about increasing Bahasa Malaysia lessons in Chinese and Tamil primary schools from the current 270 minutes per week to 360 minutes per week in order to implement the proposal.

It is said that the meeting mainly discussed on the implementation of the proposal for standard one, two and three.

It is said that the proposal is meant to enable students from Malay, Chinese and Tamil schools to achieve equal Bahasa Malaysia standard.

According to the information, Chinese and Tamil education organisation representatives mostly did not support the proposal. They believed that the reform is not in line with the teaching ideology, particularly Bahasa Malaysia is the second language in Chinese and Tamil schools and thus, the textbooks should be simpler and easier to understand compared to those used in Malay primary schools.

It is understood that after collecting the views in the meeting, the Education Ministry officials will report to the Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, so that he can understand the views and opinions of those concerned.

In addition, the education Ministry officials also mentioned in the meeting that the ministry may launch a new subject known as “Malaysia, My Country” in primary schools of all streams next year. It is suggested to be taught a lesson per week in Bahasa Malaysia.