MCA Youth to give input on education blueprint

Sunday Star, Sunday October 14, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA Youth will be submitting its recommendations on the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 in a week's time to the Education Ministry.

Its Education Bureau chairman Chong Sin Woon said MCA Youth and eight major Chinese youth-based organisations would jointly monitor the implementation of the blueprint.

“There is unanimous support from the floor for Chinese schools and to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate,” he said after a dialogue on the blueprint yesterday.

However, Chong said there were mixed views on the status of Remove and religious classes.

Generally, all disagreed with the proposal for the Bahasa Malaysia (BM) syllabus of national primary schools to be implemented in national-type schools as it would take up more time and impede Chinese studies.

They proposed that alternative methods be used to enhance proficiency in the national language.

“Those who want Remove Class retained have asked for the syllabus and quality of teachers to be improved.

“Others said Remove Class is a waste of time as it does not help improve Bahasa proficiency,” he said.

On religious classes, Chong said some wanted various religions to be taught in school while others felt that it should be replaced by civic education, philosophy, morals and universal values.

The participants agreed on the need to produce more critical thinking students and encourage them to participate in NGOs as well as religious-based and non-profit organisation activities, said Chong.

He also said that participants wanted funding allocated systematically to Chinese primary schools and that sufficient Chinese language teachers be trained as well as teachers of other subjects.

They also agreed that the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English be reintroduced, he said.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/10/14/nation/12171245&sec=nation