In National/Malay Muslim school system the theme seems to be to produce excellence. In the Chinese school system the theme seems to be to produce world class and competitive students. Whereas the Indian Tamil school system is groveling with basic issues like no electricity, no fields to play for school children and ill equipped classes in poor conditions. Most Tamil schools lie on private lands and hence apparently do not come under the Federal Education Ministry to qualify for fully aided status. Out of sheer indirect neglect by the UMNO government, most of these Tamil schools remain in pre-independence state.
There have been numerous articles written about the Tamil vernacular schools in Malaysia over the years:
1) Tamil school problems by S. Indramalar and Hariati Azizan, March 12,2000, The Star.
2) Is abolishing Tamil schools the solution by M Nadarajah , October 9, 2000 Malaysiakini.
3) Don’t forsake Tamil Schools by Vasanthi Ramachandran, September 16, 2002, New Straits Times.
4) Tamil schools have important role to play by Ve Elanjelian , November 30, 2004, Malaysiakini.
5) Vernacular education system and the Left (Parts 1&2) by Lee Ban Chen September 14,15, 2005, Malaysiakini.
6) Pre-Merdeka Tamil school in a quandary by K Kabilan January 4, 2007, Malaysiakini.
7) Tamil schools, sacrificial lambs of a political agenda by Prof P Ramasamy April 10, 2007, Malaysiakini
8) Are Tamil schools ever meant to be an integral part of the National Education System ? by Jiwi Kathaiah July 29, 2011, Malaysiakini.
These are the numerous articles highlighting the terrible condition these Tamil schools are in:
1) SJK(T) Ladang Bukit Jalil was relocated from a cemetery to the basement of DBKL low cost flats. 10/04/2008 Malaysiakini.
2) SJK(T) Ladang Escot finally received piped water supply after 50 years. 03/05/2010 Bernama.
3) Four acres of land allocated to SJK(T) Midlands , Shah Alam had gone missing. 01/11/09 Tamil Nesan.
4) SJK(T) Ladang Sungai Salak, Lukut where the school was situated upstairs in a shophouse. 10/08/2010 Malaysiakini.
5) SJK(T) Kuala Muda Hose, Sg Petani faces closure due to lack of transport. 08/01/2010 Makkal Ossai.
6) SJK(T) Jugra in Banting have to put up with overcrowding. Steel shipping containers were used as a solution for this problem. Previously 2 classes were sometimes even held in the canteen due to shortage of classrooms. 24/02/2010, Malay Mail.
7) Kindergarten in Ladang Bagan Pasir that was operating for 34 years was closed suddenly without giving any notice, according to shocked parents. 02/03/2010 Makkal Ossai.
8) MIC vice president Datuk Dr S Subramaniam said less than 10% of students in SJK(T) attended pre-schools which was well below the targeted 87% pre-school’s student by 2012 under NKRA (National Key Result Areas). National average was 76%. 15/03/2010 Star.
9) Sungai Para Estate kindergarten seen to appear like a cow shed. 07/09/2010 www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com.
10) SJK(T) Sentul had electricity and water problems for a whole year. 25/01/2011 www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com.
11) Pupils of a Tamil school at Ladang Jeram in Kuantan have been using a container as their class room for the past decade reported Tamil Nesan. The school building had been reportedly been demolished by a company which took over the estate for commercial development 10 years ago on the condition that it will build a 6 classroom building and a Temple. However there has been no development to date. Efforts to put up a school building have been futile hence enrolment has been dwindling. 11/02/2011 Star.
12) Bagan Serai Tamil School congested with 350 pupils and no extension of building given. It has only 5 classrooms. 10/05/11 Malaysian Nanban.
13) Malaysian Nanban reported that a Tamil school in Gurun would be closed down due to low enrolment. The 70 year old school would be relocated to Gurun town as the estate wanted the land back. 02/06/11 Star.
14) Pictures appear to show dilapidated colonial wooden Kulai Tamil school building. 23/06/11 Malaysian Nanban.
15) Deputy Urban & Wellbeing Minister and MIC vice president Datuk M Saravanan said nearly a quarter of the Tamil school children in KL were underperforming because they come from poor homes. He added there were a large number of pupils who could not afford to pay school fees (RM 24 per year). A survey conducted in 2010 by an NGO found that 42% of Tamil school pupils in the country cannot read and write because they come from poor homes. About 10k Tamil school pupils attending year one are illiterate because they cannot afford to attend kindergartens. 29/06/11 Star Metro.
16) Primary School unsafe for 163 pupils. SJK (T) Ladang Kulai. The Star, 24/09/2011.
17) Many more schools are listed under the Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2010 which can be read from http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/books/annualrightsviolations2010.pdf.
For many decades now, the Malaysian public has been lead to believe that vernacular schools are the responsibility of the respective communities and the government’s role are at best acts as a mere supplementary caretaker only. As Tamil schools are the bottom worst among the vernacular schools, this article shall be focusing on it.
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