Wednesday 7 March 2012

A plea to young Chinese school graduates


My friend dropped by in JB last night to see me on her way to Singapore.

This is my friend I had previously written about here...What a DAP girl want

Yup, the very same pro-DAP girl who wanted Guan Eng instead of Anwar Ibrahim as the next PM.

We had dinner at an expensive Japanese restaurant in Taman Pelangi. Her salary is twice bigger than mine, so, she was the one who paid for it.  Very nice dinner leh.



Ok Ok, I know the pictures look different. Of course those are not her real pictures. You all think I'm crazy ka want to put my friend's real pictures here? The pictures I put here are actually the closest I could find which resembles her. Last time she used to have this eye make-up which made her eyes look so big. Last night however she looked normal.

Anyway, as usual we talked about politics.

Being a Chinese and passionate DAP supporter, she enjoys my feed-backs, particularly because I seems to be a rather liberal non-Chinese. Probably it's no fun to talk to fellow DAP gang all the time as they will just agree with one another.  With me, my views from her differ but I do not hantam her too much for her political stand as I understand her background and the reasons why she dislikes the BN government.

And as usual, she complained about things such as what she described to be the discrimination against the Chinese community, corrupt BN government, stupidly arrogant Umno people, useless MCA guys etc etc. I just let my friend go on and on, except interrupting her here and there a bit to explain my side of pro-BN argument. Just the usual DAP-BN ding dong. No need to elaborate on those lah.

Ok, the one I am really interested about what my friend told me last night was the shortage of teachers at Chinese schools. I understand why she got quite agitated about the whole thing. She is a Chinese school graduate and was passionate about it.

I had read somewhere about the issue....about the United Chinese School Committee's Association (Dong Zhong) accusing the government of purposely assigning teachers who are not fluent in Mandarin to teach in Chinese schools and thus being dishonest about solving the shortage of teachers at those schools.

I even heard that Dong Zhong is even planning to hold a huge demo soon on the issue. Something like the DAP-led Lynas demo in Kuantan that day.

It just so happened that several days earlier, I met a friend, who is a high ranking official in the Education Ministry and we happened to talk about the Chinese school issue.

He explained that the government had since last year revoked a requirement which made it a must for anyone who want to be a teacher , including those to teach at Chinese schools to score a credit in Bahasa Malaysia of the SPM. This is so because many Chinese school graduates didn't do well in that subject.

The revocation of that requirement however didn't do too much good to the enrollment of teachers trainees from among Chinese school graduates.

"There are simply no takers," my Education Ministry friend said.

"We got no choice but to send those Malay teachers who are not well verse in Mandarin to the Chinese schools to help overcome the shortage of teachers there," he added.

If he is telling the truth, I think Dong Zhong could do well to plead to Chinese school graduates to apply to be teacher trainees to help their schools overcome the shortage instead of having to endure the government's "lack of sincerity" in overcoming the issue as it keep sending Malay teachers instead.

Of course I am not asking people like my friend, the DAP supporter, to quit her well paying job to become a teacher at a Chinese school. That's asking too much, despite her having a degree in education from a very prestigious Taiwan university. The pay of a teacher is pittance compared to her salary.

I am instead just asking for the younger Chinese school graduates who just started life to consider becoming a teacher instead of aspiring to set up a beauty saloon or automobile workshop.

I know, even selling pirated DVDs can earn more than being a teacher but this is for the sake of the Chinese community. A sacrifice most noble. You may not become rich like your friends, but you will earn the respect of your community.

13 comments:

  1. Ah Kuching Besar, are you for vernacular schools or for one type of national school ? I believe we should have one type of national school with English as the medium of instruction for science and maths. Those who want vernacular schools can do so, but they gotta fund these themselves or the gomen slowly withdraw their funding until they become truly independent. Setuju tak ?

    Godfather

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    1. Please read my previous postings on Chinese schools. Its under the Flavors section on the top right corner of this blog page. I believe I'm quite consistent on this matter.

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  2. Most chinese prefer high paid jobs. So this is what happen ...and those who complain actually they just know how to complain....resigns and be a teacher and see how tough it is......Teachers any comments?

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  3. I think if what you say is true, then the ministry should tell the public about it, that the Ministry had to revoked one basic requirement to become a teacher, and even then there were no takers.

    I think MCA or DAP, and especially Dong Zhong would do well to make some sort of recruitment drive for Chinese school teachers. I think I remember some years back that there was similar drive by the MCA for SPRM officers. the response was very good! that changed my perceptions that government jobs are least wanted by the Chinese.

    In a hindsight, by sending Malay or non-Chinese teachers to Chinese school, wouldn't it be good for the student to increase their BM proficiency? Since in your article, "This is so because many Chinese school graduates didn't do well in that subject".

    I can understand the importance of vernacular school to their respective race. but some sort of mingling from early childhood is important, so I'd say I support KJ idea (he mentioned about this in his London debate with Rafizi)

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  4. I was thinking to send my daughter to a Chinese school.

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  5. As usual DAP will blame BN for every problem that happen under the sun.

    I dont see this problem of lack of teacher in chinese school happening in Singapore.

    The reason is ..... there is no chinese school there.

    That the only thing that I like about LKY and PAP.

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  6. The chinese community should just accept their inherited context which is majority Malay-Muslim with Bahasa Melayu environment.

    It is actually against the constitution for govt to fund foreign language learning. Worse if this funding is actually propagating a non-patriotic sentiment amongst the children.

    Even Singapore has eradicated chinese schools.

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  7. Is that true. You should ask Dong Zong why they taught students at Chinese School to be racists! Those Pro-DAP and parents wanting to send their children to Chinese school should take heed of this problem

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  8. i don't see the link between your rich friend, what party she supports, the type of dinner you had with the current situation of chinese schools and the lack of teachers etc.

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    1. its just my way of writing in my blog. my style, so to speak. i try to relate what goes on in my everyday life with current issues. that's all. you like it, then I'm glad. you don't like it, it's also ok, I'm not forcing u to read my nonsense ya.

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  9. You envied that the vernacular schools graduates earned more than you, didn't you?

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    1. Actually, not at all. God give everyone what they deserve. My friend is in a field which pays more than me. She deserves what she get. She is intelligent, hard working and tenacious. Oh, she is also prettier than me :) Me, I am not complaining much...at least not as far as money is concerned. Cheers ya.

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