For some parents, SJKCs promise a brighter future

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PETALING JAYA: Civil servant Hazal Talib sends her daughter to a Chinese-medium school for one reason: to be fluent in Mandarin. The language, she contends, is used widely around the world.

“No matter where you go, there will be Mandarin speakers,” she told FMT. However, she also says getting her daughter to study in a SJKC (national-type Chinese school) goes beyond learning the world’s second most popular language.

A mother of four, she believes Chinese-medium schools do better than national schools when it comes to fostering national unity.

“I think it’s better to let our children attend an alternative stream so they can get to know children of other communities better (through daily interactions).”

She also finds the Chinese-medium schools have better facilities compared with many national schools. Hazal’s three other children attend national schools. Her daughter’s SJKC has an indoor stadium and air-conditioned classrooms.

Hazal is equally drawn to the school’s active parent-teacher association (PTA) which creates a conducive environment for students.

Her praise for the SJKCs tallies with the opinion of Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid of DAP, who said some parents were reluctant to send their children to national schools due to poor infrastructure, a lack of teachers, and inadequate resources.

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