Puad: Provisions on mother tongue, religion adequate

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KUALA LUMPUR: Provisions in the Education Act 1966 on mother tongue and religious education are adequate and able to fulfil the needs of the country’s education system.

Deputy Educatiion Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said these stipulated regulations proved that the government did not marginalise any group, hence the question of equality under the Act should not arise.

He said Sections 50 and 51 of the Education Act provided for learning religion in the educational institutions, while a professional circular No. 4/2011 allowed for the teaching of Bible Knowledge for Christian students in government schools and government-aided mission schools after school hours.

“The ministry also allows the teaching of the subject during school hours to assist students sitting for it in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination.”

He said this in reply to S Manickavasagam (PKR-Kapar) who wanted to know whether the government would draw up an equality in education act so that there would be no mother tongue and religious discrimination.

Mohd Puad said the ministry did not sideline students’ mother tongue, including the indigenous languages, in the teaching and learning process.

“The mother tongue is the medium of instruction in national-type Chinese and Tamil schools.

“And depending on its capacity, the ministry also offers indigenous languages like Iban, Kadazan Dusun and Semai to fulfil the needs of the minority groups in the country,” he said. — Bernama