Can National Schools Be The Choice of All Malaysians?

[yanno_yamster]

Originally Posted by Nicholas92

Actually, I've been in support of a national school idea, if only because I don't particularly like the idea of largely homogeneous schools split along racial lines (I know that vernacular schools take in all races, but it's a fact that you won't find many Chinese in Tamil schools, say). But the establishment pushing this idea as a solution to the problem like national unity is only the most superficial step they can take, because it absolutely ignores the root of the problems at hand.

I think most of us are forgetting another problem. By Form 1, many Malay students would have transferred to boarding schools (more so by Form 4) and Malays generally form the majority of students in boarding schools. Consequently, like the students in vernacular schools, they hardly mix with other races. So, it's not just due to national schools being unappealing to Chinese and Indians that there is lack of integration.

[Nicholas92]

Originally Posted by yanno_yamster

I think most of us are forgetting another problem. By Form 1, many Malay students would have transferred to boarding schools (more so by Form 4) and Malays generally form the majority of students in boarding schools. Consequently, like the students in vernacular schools, they hardly mix with other races. So, it's not just due to national schools being unappealing to Chinese and Indians that there is lack of integration.

Agreed, that's a good point. And it just goes to show the hypocrisy inherent in the reasoning behind their over-enthusiasm for national schools - the boarding schools and all are much more exclusive and segregated than any vernacular school ever is. But like I said, the idea itself is not a bad one, but that the intentions of the authorities and their implementation of the policy is troubling at best.

[gaviocks]

hi cutie, if I may leave a message. I think it would be better that you will use national schools be the choice of all Malaysian. I will agree for this because it will be a great honor if you can produce a good scientist or students to donate some ideas or experiments someday.

[Thirdshifter]

Excellent topic, and most of the post are pretty dead on, especially the one that youngyew re-posted from facebook.

Not much that I can add, but I would throw a grenade in this room and say, I agree with Khairy Jamaluddins theory about vernacular schools are in no way helping malaysias racial integration or assimilation. Defend it all you want, Vernacular schools may not promote racism or segregation, but it makes it easy once you graduate.

[Cactus]

Originally Posted by Thirdshifter

Excellent topic, and most of the post are pretty dead on, especially the one that youngyew re-posted from facebook.

Not much that I can add, but I would throw a grenade in this room and say, I agree with Khairy Jamaluddins theory about vernacular schools are in no way helping malaysias racial integration or assimilation. Defend it all you want, Vernacular schools may not promote racism or segregation, but it makes it easy once you graduate.

sighs. 789d

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[youngyew]

Digression of course, but welcome back Thirdshifter lol.

[Nicholas92]

Originally Posted by Thirdshifter

Excellent topic, and most of the post are pretty dead on, especially the one that youngyew re-posted from facebook.

Not much that I can add, but I would throw a grenade in this room and say, I agree with Khairy Jamaluddins theory about vernacular schools are in no way helping malaysias racial integration or assimilation. Defend it all you want, Vernacular schools may not promote racism or segregation, but it makes it easy once you graduate.

I can actually agree with that, in principle. The idea of vernacular schools, to me, doesn't help the cause of promoting racial integration at all, even if it doesn't also promote racism and the like. And I do think that having all Malaysians under the same roof for education would be a better option. The problem is that it's an ideal principle, but reality's quite different.

National schools in and of themselves are not at all bad ideas, but the problem is that these government schools now aren't even up to standard - and so the idea fails. Hence the demand for vernacular schools (among other reasons of course) remains.

Even if we could build excellent national schools, for unity and all that, I still wouldn't support abolishing vernacular schools - I mean, we're not calling for private schools or international schools to be ended are we? They have a right to open schools that cater to that niche, and if they want to preserve their cultures that way then it's up to them.