Questionnaire Survey to Be Abandoned Urged— ‘No’ to Extant Unary Teaching Model

Questionnaire Survey to Be Abandoned Urged— ‘No’ to Extant Unary Teaching Model

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

January 16, 2021

Questionnaire Survey to Be Abandoned Urged—

‘No’ to Extant Unary Teaching Model

 

The MOE recently directed Chinese vernacular schools to collect views on Jawi script learning from their Grade Four students’ parents to decide whether to practice the implementation. As a matter of fact, the finding from the survey conducted by the MOE in 2020 indicated that 1,262 (97-3 percent) out of all the 1,297 Chinese vernacular schools nationwide was against the Jawi script learning implementation which had already shown their stance.  The Chinese community also declared for several times their disagreement on the administration of questionnaire survey for the second time and the inappropriateness of the said implementation. In view of this, Dong Jiao Zong strongly recommends the MOE to abandon the questionnaire survey. In the meantime, Dong Zong advises all school boards, parent teacher associations, parents and non-governmental organisations to stand firm against the Jawi scripts learning implementation by saying ‘No’ to this unary teaching model.

Meanwhile, the survey conducted by Dong Zong last year showed that 1,275 Chinese vernacular schools (98.23 percent) were against the Jawi script unary teaching which corroborated the MOE survey. The finding has markedly reflected the decision of the parents. If the MOE were to once again conduct questionnaire survey on the matter, it would be equivalent to recommitting the same error. This act not only is a waste of administration resource, but also implies the intention to divide racial unity and thus to the core irksome.

Dong Jiao Zong hereby solemnly urges the MOE to put the contentious Jawi script learning implementation aside and abandon the questionnaire survey immediately. Simultaneously, Dong Jiao Zong also urges the school boards, parent teacher association and parents of Chinese vernacular schools to attend to this matter closely as well as rejecting the extant Jawi script unary learning model by insisting on a diversified approach corresponding to the multiracial inherence of the country.

Education is a public interest and it intertwines intricately to the future of the nation. Dong Jiao Zong reiterates, the MOE needs to enforce citizen participation by convening all stakeholders including Chinese and Tamil cultural and educational organisations to set up a multilingual teaching committee such that public voices would be heard through the cooperation between the government and the general public in terms of public participation in decision making, assessment and supervision of educational policies.

New Year Speech by Chairman of Dong Zong Mr Tan Tai Kim

New Year Speech by Chairman of Dong Zong Mr Tan Tai Kim

New Year Speech by Chairman of Dong Zong Mr Tan Tai Kim

January 1, 2021

 

Time flies and now year 2021 is here to stay. The entire world is currently shrouded in Covid-19 uncertainty and it is imperative that we continuously monitor its development and review the pandemic prevention measures at all times. Last year Dong Zong managed to accomplish all plans under the concerted effort of all staff. In this brand-new year, hopefully Dong Zong will advance and brave new challenges and ordeals with determination.

 

1. Covid-19 broadens the digital gap yet all walks of life back the holding of UEC examination

 

In the midst of March 2020, classroom teachings were called to a halt in all schools nationwide and thus long distance taught programmes were responsively activated. Dong Zong indeed supports wholeheartedly online teaching for all Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (ICSS) by collecting all accessible learning materials and videos from ICSSs and uploaded them to the “Common Platform of Independent Chinese Secondary School Teaching Resource” for teachers to share and make full use of at their disposal. Many ICSSs at the meantime also tried to incorporate online teaching with real life teaching for the sole purpose of teaching efficiency hence put “no classroom teaching yet continuous learning” into practice.

 

The deficiency being, ever since the implementation of online learning, the digital divide between the rich and the poor further broadens as students from low-income families are in dire needs of learning space and stable internet accessibility, etc. which actually causes the failure of learning and broadens educational gap with more student drop-outs. The latest reports released by the United Nations Children’s Fund pointed out that Covid-19 will pose severe outcome towards children in particular; statistically, one in five children will lose interest in learning. The longer the crisis lasts, the more serious it will affect children’s education, health, nutrition and welfare. The formation of a Lost Generation compromising the future for all will likely be the end-product.

 

The said virus uncertainty not only pushes the current education in the country towards a brand-new digital model, but also causes the postponement of the holding of Senior and Junior UEC Examination twice. Having assessed variables such as the possible development of the virus, virus prevention measures and the safeguard of the rights of UEC candidates among others, we formulated responsively a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as well as counter measures, including the concerted efforts put into by relevant parties and stakeholders for the holding of UEC examination thus to prepare the students for their further studies and prospective career.

 

2. Multi stream education affirmed while seeing the growth of non-Chinese students in vernacular Chinese primary schools

 

Malaysia is a multiracial nation; each ethnic group has its own historical memories, culture and mother tongue. However, the difference should not be an alienation but a community nutrient. Multiculturalism is a precious heritage of Malaysia and the establishment of multi stream schools is not for the interest of any one ethnic group. Currently, there are more Chinese and Indian students in national vernacular schools and a rising trend of non-Chinese enrollments in vernacular Chinese primary schools. An advanced and pluralistic country should take the initiative to enhance communications and interactions between the races readily. The past decade saw the stable growth of non-Chinese enrollment in vernacular Chinese primary schools and thus the allegation “vernacular Chinese primary schools compromise national integrity and harmony” will collapse and fall apart instantaneously. Conversely, Chinese-culture-based vernacular Chinese primary schools have indeed turned into interactive grounds for pluralistic cultures.

 

We welcome the affirmation given by non-Chinese parents towards vernacular Chinese primary schools and will safeguard the inherent characteristics of vernacular Chinese primary schools for the assurance of their eternal development. Of late, Dong Zong authorised the Chinese Department of University Malaya to embark on a survey on non-Chinese students in vernacular Chinese primary schools to discern the responsive measures and policies implemented by these schools. This survey will be administered separately in all states at different periods. To begin with, the first phase will be embarked on the vernacular Chinese primary schools in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan. The survey is expected to be completed in the first half of 2021.

 

3. The construction of an integrated complex for Chinese education development

 

Last year, Dong Zong, Jiao Zong, the Merdeka University Sendirian Berhad and other sixteen organisations or associations jointly organised a series of activities entitled “Ke Arah Baru” (Towards a New Direction) aiming to raise fund for the construction of an integrated complex. The complex is intended for the promotion of Chinese education, ground of cultural interaction, venue of ICSS teacher education and the marking of the UEC papers, venue of public performance and exhibitions as well as the holding of camp of all sorts. Attributed to last year’s Covid-19 pandemic, the progress of the fund-raising project entitled “Every Brick and Tile for Chinese Education” was undermined. Yet in 2021, we will do our best to continuously hold fund raising dinners for the outstanding RM11 million; hopefully, the target will be accomplished with the assistance and financial supports from all of you.

 

In the tentative schedule of “Ke Arah Baru”, an international mother tongue convention will be held at the end of 2021. As such, local and overseas academics and pundits will be invited for the connection of mother tongue education activists and scholars targeting the formation of a common platform to bridge with the world. In the convention, matters such as the way to carry forward and maintain multilinguistic and cultural development for the assurance of mother tongue users will be discussed. Other key activities such as multi-educational forum, Tan Kah-Kee Education Talk and Young Chinese Educationists Camp will be organised aiming to consolidate the documentation of Chinese education through the many brain-storming and opinion collection sessions. Finally, upon the acceptance check of the implementation, the three-year “Ke Arah Baru” will come to a close.

 

4. Regression of people-based policy and the fair distribution of education resources

 

From the Sheraton Hotel incident happened in February last year to the Motion of No Confidence of Budget 2021, the political sparring between the government and the people is a trying period for the tenacity of our Constitution and it will eventually decide the regression or stay of democracy. Co-operation between the people and the government is the key to resolve conflicts and the prerequisite of successful control of Covid-19 spread and it demands concerted efforts from all parties as well as the members of civil society. With this in place, the executive, including the legislative branch will be able to provide security assurance to the people as well as exerting the power of supervision to prevent the society from collapsing into a state of narrowminded and extremist political whirlpool.

 

Though under the impact of the virus spread, there is no alibi for procrastination in education reform and the inadequate distribution of educational resources. In the midst of crisis and the provision of learning assurance for the students, a new influx of education outlook must be at play for reinvention. For instance, whether the distance taught mode will ensure students’ learning right an unignorable issue for teachers, students, school authority and the government. The government and society should leverage the existing social system, social work system to care for students’ physical and spiritual health. For the fairness of education, the government needs to quicken common digital construction, alleviate the cost of internet usage and digital facilities for underprivileged families so that they are not further caught in a lurch resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Looking forward to this brand-new year, Dong Zong wishes you a fruitful and prosperous year ahead.

Vernacular Chinese Primary School Teacher Shortage Reemerges Expedited Solution from the MOE Expected

Vernacular Chinese Primary School Teacher Shortage Reemerges Expedited Solution from the MOE Expected

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

December 29, 2020

Vernacular Chinese Primary School Teacher Shortage Reemerges

Expedited Solution from the MOE Expected

Teacher shortage in vernacular Chinese primary schools once again emerges as a problem lately and Dong Zong understands it has long been interrupting the frontline educators and undermining the learning right of the students. We think it is time the MOE earnestly behoves itself a long-term solution and timetable for the settlement once and for all, and not repeating the momentary ease seeking approach practiced by the government over the years.

We are uncomfortable with the mispresented statistics released by the MOE on teacher statistics and the need of temporary teachers in vernacular schools since it is the existing fact which reemerges whenever new academic year begins. As such, Dong Zong urges the MOE to immediately rectify the informational errors as well as mispresented statistics and forward both short-term and long-term solution and measure for the pending problem.

We opine, on the matter of teacher shortage in vernacular Chinese primary schools, for a short-term measure to ensure school opening on 20 January 2021 punctually, the MOE needs to post and recruit new teachers and temporary teachers for the schools, including 681 Bachelor of Arts holders majoring in teaching graduated in June 2020 and the 21 temporary teachers who had been interviewed. Their earlier report to work will help students’ learning progress and administration work. Other than this, the MOE should release sufficient appropriation for schools of all streams to recruit temporary teachers needed and expedite approval in the recruitment of temporary teachers. With the appropriation, the school boards as well as parent teacher associations will not have to continuously pay for the salaries of the recruited temporary teachers.

As a long-term measure, thorough review and improvement should be at play on matters of teacher statistics, teacher education, interview and posting as well as recruitment of temporary teachers, including a rigid tracking mechanism for teacher shortage and the review of teacher source to broaden channels for teacher education; that is, to open teacher education courses for national university graduates and tertiary level graduates to apply thus to increase enrollment for the intake need of teacher training colleges.

As a final note, we urge the MOE to set up a vernacular Chinese primary school teacher committee shortly by inviting stakeholders like Dong Zong to review vernacular Chinese primary school teacher education system and operation. It is for a comprehensive algorithm to safeguard the teaching quality of vernacular Chinese primary schools.

Multilingual Resource Manual Addresses Not Qualms Jawi Learning Implementation to Be Set Aside Urged

Multilingual Resource Manual Addresses Not Qualms Jawi Learning Implementation to Be Set Aside Urged

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

December 21, 2020

Multilingual Resource Manual Addresses Not Qualms

Jawi Learning Implementation to Be Set Aside Urged

The “Multilingual Resource Manual” introduced by the Deputy Education Minister Mah Hang Soon of late including not only Jawi, but also Chinese, Tamil, as well as the native languages of Sabah and Sarawak to resume the multilingual teaching in Grade Four Bahasa Melayu coursebook was claimed to address the concerns of many over the Jawi teaching issue. Yet Dong Jiao Zong otherwise opines the said supplementary reference cannot alleviate the doubts on the contents of the existing coursebook. Rather, the MOE needs to set aside all the contentious measures and earnestly review the Jawi calligraphy issue.

Mah Hang Soon’s proposal is well in sync with the persistent stance of Dong Jiao Zong and other Chinese organisations; that is, to continuously employ the multivariate presentation approach in Grade Five Bahasa Melayu coursebook in the introduction of calligraphy and language of other ethnic groups so as to embody the multiracial inherence of the country as well as promoting inter-cultural interactions.

In a recent survey conducted by Dong Jiao Zong, almost all parents of vernacular Chinese and Tamil school students reject the Jawi script unit in Grade Four Bahasa Melayu coursebook. Of all 1,298 vernacular Chinese schools, 1,275 (98.23 percent) schools oppose to the Jawi calligraphy teaching, only a meagre 23 schools agree. We thus urge the MOE to set aside the controversial measure prior to the implementation and conduct an overall review beforehand, but not after having pushed out all Grade Four to Six coursebooks. It is feared that once the implementation is in practice, internal conflicts will be generated within the schools as confrontation between the schools and parents as well as the Parent and Teacher Associations will emerge which in actual fact undermines the decision power of the school boards. For the respect of the managerial power endowed upon school boards in Education Act 1996, the MOE should designate the vernacular school board decision maker on the Jawi script issue.

The Jawi script teaching worries of the general public saliently exhibit the seminal impact of social trust towards government policies. To avoid recommitting similar error, we urge the MOE to convene Chinese and Indian educational organisations for the formation of a multilingual teaching committee such that all relevant stakeholders can partake in decision making and supervision on Jawi script implementation in vernacular primary schools.

Rejection Stance on Jawi Script Implementation Remains Dong Zong Welcomes Examination from All Social Sector

Rejection Stance on Jawi Script Implementation Remains Dong Zong Welcomes Examination from All Social Sectors

Statement Released by Dong Zong

December 9, 2020

Rejection Stance on Jawi Script Implementation Remains

Dong Zong Welcomes Examination from All Social Sectors

The news entitled “Perlu ikut prinsip Kepelbagaian budaya, kata Dong Zong” reported on Sinar Harian recently interpreting Dong Zong President Tan Tai Kim’s interview response was partially incorrect as it generated confusion belying the connotation of the title. Dong Zong deeply regrets and herewith rectifies in this statement.

Most of the aforementioned news reports quoted Tan Tai Kim’s address correctly yet the interpretation in the first paragraph was incorrect resulting in quotation out of context by many, including the former Minister of Education Dr Maszlee.

In actual fact, Dong Zong has unswerving stance on the Jawi script issue and hopes all walks of life can grasp the gist and comprehend thoroughly such that it is not misinterpreted. The fact being, while Tan Tai Kim, the president of Dong Zong was interviewed by Sinar Harian, he spoke in consonance with the joint statement released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong on November 21, 2020. That is, Dong Jiao Zong disagrees with the Jawi teaching implementation in vernacular primary schools’ Bahasa Melayu subject, but reiterates Dong Jiao Zong does not oppose to the learning of other ethnic groups’ language and writing, including that of Jawi scripts as long as it attunes with the multiplicity principle. The Ministry of Education is recommended to refer to the unit introducing calligraphies of all ethnic groups in the country in Grade Five Bahasa Melayu coursebook which has been used since 2015 as it accords well with multi-coexistence spirit.

The stance rejecting Jawi learning in Grade Four Bahasa Melayu coursebook is consistent with the joint statement carrying five major points made by Dong Zong together with some Chinese and Indian organisation submitted to the then Minister of the Prime Minister’s Department Mukashi on 15 January 2020; the statement not only proves that whether it is in the face of Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan Nasional government, Dong Zong is firm in its rejection stance on the Jawi script learning.

We welcome all social sectors to refer to the above statement and announcement released by us Dong Zong on the Jawi script issue. At any rate, our stance is open for examination for the sake of collaborative progression.