Unity Through Education System

Racial sentiments, riots, inequality in power sharing, fanatic personalities, discriminations against minority and I have a long list on showing unity among Malaysian in dilemma. I think the unity not suppose to be a topic to discuss after Nation’s 51 years of independent.

We Malaysian are predominantly divided by politics and education. Although there are a lot of factors we can assume as threat to our unity, but in my opinion education and politics are the most influential aspect. Before this, I have written before about politic, but this time I’m going to elaborate how education divided us and how education can bond the Malaysian as one again.

Let me start from primary education, the role of vernacular schools are undeniable, however the schools are not relevant for current and future Malaysia. As we know the gaps between races are far more worrying. We must bring one system which only with national schools. Vernacular schools abolished and the Tamil and Mandarin must made compulsory. This will make our education system become competent. All races combined in National schools striving towards one direction and vision.

Schools students won’t think about the difference of race when they still in the primary school when they mix together in one surrounding as BANGSA MALAYSIA. So the style will continue to secondary schools, Universities and so in their life. Now what’s happening in school? The majority of the students from vernacular schools continue their relation only with their friends that they have from primary schools. And even the new buddy they approach also among same race. Similar things happen in universities and even in working environments.

Since independent, we are witnessing, there are a lot of NGOs, individual and nevertheless party politics are claiming that they are championing the vernacular schools. In our nation, a lot of struggles to develop these vernacular schools and some politician even politicking this issue for their personal benefit. They have forgotten that it’s their responsibility to upgrade the schools. I think we don’t need such politicians to defend our schools, they fooling the people and the people also being cheated again and again in many occasions.

Rather than struggling for nothing and finally we lost everything. We must ready to change and to be changed. Please be brave enough to make some reformation in our nation. If we carry on with the same school system, we not only lost national unity but also our Tamil language and Tamil schools. Lets we do some calculation. Currently, Tamil school students in Malaysia is more than 110 000, the number of schools is 523. In 10 years time the number of students will increase tremendously may be around 150 000. Just calculate in 20 years time, we will have around 200 000 pupils with only 523 schools.

Our school’s condition not allows such number of students. Even now also we are facing massive problems such as lack of classrooms, basic amenities and some schools even no roof to protect the students from sun and rain. Although these upsetting situations continue to pressure Tamil schools from continuously in defending Tamil, but it doesn’t work effectively. Most of the parents want their children to study in conducive environment. And even some of the parents couldn’t send their children since the nearest Tamil school packed with students and closed for registration. Following the national school doesn’t mean minorities in Malaysia has given up their effort. Our right not under threat if we tolerate in this matter, in the other hand equal rights of receiving educational facilities guaranteed. And the most significant thing is unity and relationship among our new generation improved definitely. They educated to be liberal minded since no prejudice among all group of people. They learn a lot regarding others culture and have better understanding between each other.

Some Tamil and Mandarin pundits worrying that growth of the languages under risk if vernacular schools removed, i believe with the one National schools system, Tamil and Mandarin will grow much more promisingly. As we know there are moral classes for non-Muslim students during religious class for Malays. The moral should be replaced with Tamil and Mandarin language subjects. In the other point of view, the Tamil learning students motivated to learn Tamil when Chinese students learning Mandarin by giving full commitment. Tamil learning students definitely will take their initiative too to emulate the Chinese after witnessing their spirit to learn the language.

Back to the relationship within the ethnic, role of education is really important. So lets we together give up own agenda and change our mindset to emphasis on National agenda. There are always solutions behind each problem. Don’t use the same approach to solve the same problem again and again, it won’t works. As the result, finally we get nothing for our struggle, try to accept the fact that we need to strive together upon national agenda to get equal rights and opportunity. Please brave enough to change or to be changed!

I hope no street demonstrations, no other ISA arrests, no tears, no hurts, no politics, no discrimination, and no marginalization, nothing after this. Please think smart, think for our future Malaysia, unity we can achieve solitarily through the reform of education system.