Why SJKC is growing

Why are the standards of Chinese primary schools (SJKCs) attracting non-Chinese parents to enrol their non-Chinese children there to the extent that has led Professor Dr Teo Kok Seong to daringly say a two-year study by the National Education Advisory Council had showed that Chinese-medium schools would be increasingly multiracial, with Malay pupil enrolment now at 18%.

There is now undeniably a clear and present danger for national-type schooling.

Prof Dr Teo stated to FMT: “These numbers are expected to go up each year. Our research shows these vernacular schools, within 10 years, are likely to become the mainstream schools as more non-Chinese parents are refusing to sign up their children in national schools.”

Goodness, going up from the current 18% Malay enrolment at SJKCs?

It has also been reported that it's understandable SKJCs are result-driven, with their teachers strongly motivated to push their pupils to better performances, maybe just for their (teachers) own survival?

SJKCs are thus producing more competitive pupils and better overall results in public examinations.

But some have asked whether SJKCs are setting the standard too high? Their homework are just too excessive - maybe 'excessive' only in Malay educationists' eyes?

All these worryings, about the ridiculousness of SJKCs replacing the National-type school in a decade or so, has led Ultra Kiasu Ridhuan Tee Abdullah (RTA) to investigate and also comment on the supposed superiority of Chinese medium schools (SJKCs), pointing to the strength of those bloody sneaky Chinese as follows:

(i) Chinese students are hard working. What? Surely not!

But Ridhuan Tee Abdullah admitted that the Chinese were synonymous with hard work and the struggle for survival, especially those in the Chinese Diaspora, meaning overseas Chinese living in SE Asia like Malaysia. But in my days, my dear sweet Ms Goh told me I was too far laid-back (f**king idle lah), wakakaka.

(ii) RTA also said the f**king Chinese did not believe in depending on the government alone when it came to acquiring teaching and learning resources - no sir, not when our racist education officers are notorious for their lepak-ness and kedut-ness.

RTA said Chinese parents who sent their children to Chinese schools would not hesitate to fork out money for fees related to extra classes and facilities. What to do when gomen doesn't bagi duit?

(iii) RTA noted the credible fund raising activities of Chinese schools, which held annual fund-raising drives to raise funds that went towards better infrastructure, especially when 'kami' (wakakaka) ta'bolih harap kerajaan, wakakaka.

(iv) RTA acknowledged the quality of teaching and learning of Mathematics in SJKCs, which perhaps has been why Mahathir had wanted the teaching of Maths to be in English - in this the Malay and Chinese teachers were coincidentally and happily together, or Maths (instead of History, Literature or Social Science) would have been taught in English.

(v) RTA observed the willingness of the Chinese to have extra classes on Saturdays, especially for “killer subjects” such as Bahasa Malaysia and English (in Maths? wakakaka, wah Mahathir, lu kotor ler).

(vi) RTA said the Chinese school management boards association, known as Dong Jiao Zong – which combined the management boards of schools, headmasters, teachers and parent-teacher associations – was another strength of Chinese schools.

Mahathir hated them. Wikipedia said: In 1975, Chinese educationalist Dr Kua Kia Soong mentions the introduction of the UEC in his book Protean Saga: The Chinese Schools of Malaysia. According to the book, the introduction of the UEC led to Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the then Minister of Education and later the Prime Minister of Malaysia, summoning the Chinese educationalists to parliament. To quote the book, "The latter (Mahathir) did not mince his words but told the Dong Jiao Zong leaders that UEC had better not be held or else ... He did not ask for any response and dismissed the Chinese educationalists with a curt ... 'that is all'."

(vii) RTA also attributed another SJKCs' strength to the frequent meet-the-parents sessions that were held no less than three times a year. He moaned: “In national schools, if a meet-the-parents session happens once a year, it is considered good".

Amazingly, RTA admitted that for the Malays, “Other meetings in national schools are geared towards solat hajat (prayers), air yasin, buka puasa and raya receptions” ...

... which has been precisely why my FB matey, MCA Ti Lian Ker said to FMT, Parents want education, not religion, in schools and that 'crowds will return' with proper focus, but local politicians like Anwar [Ibrahim] tampered with a working education system after independence to leave their mark, wakakaka.

You know something? Actually, you can sum every Chinese educational strength into just two word, which is coincidentally common for the Chinese (including Taiwanese, Hongkies, Macanese), Koreans, Japanese, Sings and the Vietnamese, to wit: Confucian ethics.

BTW, Confucian ethics is not what Dr Bakri Musa would have you believe, supposedly about Chinese dog-eat-dog ethics (or lack of, wakakaka), which he believed did not have the willingness or capacity to nurture its lagging minority (meaning the Malays). […]

Confucian ethics is correctly about cultivating, practicing and promoting the 8 virtues of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, fidelity, loyalty, filial piety and service to elders.

why Chinese are the best monarchists 

Hmmm, that the general Chinese Singaporeans or mainland Chinese don't practise them doesn't mean their alleged 'dog-eat-dog' mentality (as supposedly witnessed by Dr Bakri Musa) has been an outcome of Confucian ethics.

In short, Confucian ethics on education lay down 12 points, as follows:

1. "Isn't it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned? Isn't it also great when friends visit from distant places? If one remains not annoyed when he is not understood by people around him, isn't he a sage?" 

2. "At home, a young man should be a good son, when outside he should treat others like his brothers, his behaviour should be one of trustworthy and proper, and should love the multitude at large and keep himself close to people of benevolence and morality. If after all these activities, he has any energy to spare, he should read widely to stay cultivated." 

3. "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

4. "He who excels in study can follow an official career.” 

5. “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.” 

6. "A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake." 

7. "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." 

8. "It is not possible for one to teach others who cannot teach his own family." 

9. "When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self." 

10. "The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance."

11. "Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others." 

12. "When I walk along with two others, from at least one I will be able to learn."

Confucius also said: A picture is worth a thousand words and The journey of a thousand li (about less than a mile) has to begin with the first step.

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