Don’t blame vernacular schools for polarisation, say educationists

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: Educationists believe that the vernacular education system is not the cause of racial polarisation but rather how the system and the country are divided, between Bumiputeras and non-Bumiputeras.

Cheryl Ann Fernando, who heads a school leadership training project, said there was no correlation between national unity and vernacular schools.

“There is no evidence showing that if we abolish the vernacular education system, we can achieve national unity. That is just a simplistic argument that does not hold any truth,” she said in a panel discussion on whether education is a force to unite or divide.

Human rights activist and educationist Kua Kia Soong suggested for the Malaysian education system to be integrated instead of vernacular schools being assimilated.

“These schools with different languages can be grouped together under one precinct where they share facilities such as IT room and sports centre together,” he said.

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