The lack of interest and trust in the national schools’ education system is becoming increasingly apparent over the years. More and more parents are either avoiding or transferring their children from national schools to international or private schools. Those who have a choice decide to put their children into vernacular schools instead.
From there, we can see the increase of students enrolling into Chinese National Type Schools (SJKC). However, in recent years, the sudden increase in students going to Chinese schools does not only consist of Chinese students but also of Malay and Indian students.
What Parents Think About Vernacular Schools
When discussing the topic, one of the parents talked about what he thought of vernacular schools and why he sent his kids there. Mike shared with Malaysiakini, stating that,
Actually I got no objection against vernacular schools or single stream schools. The reason I send my kids to vernacular school is that the teachers and the quality of education are better than national schools.
Anybody who does not agree can try it out and you will see the difference.
Another parent named Paul Warren also shares his thoughts on why he thinks that national schools are getting more unpopular,
All these very clever people say nice and wonderful things. But they forget one thing. The Chinese and Indians basically have rejected the national schools as they are believed to be centres for indoctrination of values and standards that are far from acceptable.
You have religious teachers going in there and telling Muslim students not to “friend” with their non-Muslim classmates. You have students come home to tell their parents that their teachers are lazy.
The students at primary level speak better English than their English teachers. This is the reason, more than anything else, why parents do not want to send their kids to national schools.
More Malay than Chinese in Chinese Schools
The majority of the student population in SJKC Sin Min, Lubok Cina, are Malay with only a few Chinese and Indian students. Malay parents who have enrolled their children revealed why they have decided to put their children in Chinese school.
Ruszailina Rusly, 34, told the New Straits Times that she enrolled her eldest son to a Chinese school so that he can master the Mandarin language. She also added that,
My husband wants our son to be able to adapt to the Mandarin language as he believes it will be an advantage for him in the future.
Fauziah Md Isa, 47, revealed that she chose the Chinese school for her youngest son because his elder siblings are already studying there. Besides that, she also explained,
Not any single one of my children are enrolled in national schools. My husband and I want them to be able to speak in Mandarin, to be able to read and write Chinese characters, as well as be better at Mathematics.
Fauziah is also very proud that her children would sometimes converse in Mandarin due to how fluent they are by now.
Siti Mursyidah Abdu Rahman, 36, also wants her daughter to be able to master the language, not only in speaking but also in reading and writing. She supported her decision by arguing that,
China is an economic superpower and thus mastery of the language will be very crucial in future.
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