KOTA KINABALU: Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang has been appointed by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman to compile a comprehensive report on the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), the standardized test for Chinese independent secondary schools.
Teo said the matter of UEC recognition had been raised in the last State Cabinet meeting, whereby Musa appointed him to work with The United Association of Private Chinese School Committees, Sabah (Sabah Dong Zong) to study, collect information and compile a report on UEC.
“What we need to do now is to collect the relevant information and compile a report for the Chief Minister.”
He said the report would contain information such as the number of Chinese independent schools graduates who pursued tertiary education, universities that recognized UEC and the standard of UEC examination.
“As a Chinese independent school graduate, I hope that Sabah will be the second Malaysian state to recognize UEC.”
Teo said that during a meeting with delegates from Sabah Dong Zong led by its president, Tan Sri Andrew Liew as well as principals from Chinese independent schools here yesterday.
Teo said the Sarawak State Government had in principle recognized UEC and had discussed the matter in the state cabinet while details would be announced by its state secretary soon.
“We have been pursuing the Federal Government for the recognition of UEC all the while.
“The Sarawak State Government’s announcement in recognizing UEC is indeed an exciting piece of news.”
Teo said there were many technical issues to be studied and resolved in order to grant recognition to UEC, especially issues involving the National Education Policy.
Nonetheless, he said any policy was not rigid and should allow for amendments to be made to ensure its relevancy.
According to the figure from national Dong Zong, more than 70 of the world’s top 200 universities recognize UEC qualification, including renowned institutions such as the Oxford University, Cambridge University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, University of Tokyo, University of Melbourne and University of Sydney.
In Malaysia, about 74 per cent of Chinese independent school graduates pursue their tertiary studies in Malaysia and abroad, of which 98 per cent of them enrolled into private higher learning institutions.
Teo said Chinese independent schools in Sabah adopted a holistic approach towards education compared to that in other states as independent school students here sat for both the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and UEC examinations.
He said the Chinese independent schools here also placed equal emphasis on the teaching and learning of the three main languages, namely Chinese, Malay and English.
Contrary to most Chinese independent schools in other states, Teo said all the nine independent schools in Sabah had adopted a double-stream education system.
“Independent school students in Sabah are required to sit for SPM examination, and if they wish to take the UEC examination, they will stay on for another year of study.
“This sets us apart from Chinese independent schools in other states, especially those in West Malaysia because they emphasize more on Mandarin and use the Chinese language as the medium of instruction and in UEC examination.”
He said the Chinese independent schools in Sabah emphasized on the learning of Chinese, Malay and English languages, while the school’s double-stream education system meant that students learn the same curriculum as their counterparts in government secondary schools.
“As a result, Sabah UEC-holders have a stronger command of English and therefore, more at ease when they pursue their tertiary studies abroad compared to their West Malaysian counterparts.”
Meanwhile, Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School principal Hiew Hoh Shin said the Sabah State Government should have preceded the Sarawak State Government in granting recognition to UEC because almost all Chinese independent school students in Sabah held UEC and SPM qualifications, who had sat for Bahasa Malaysia and History subjects in SPM examination.
Hence, Hiew said independent school students in Sabah were actually more qualified than their counterparts in Sarawak.
“It will be wonderful if Chinese independent school students, who have both UEC and SPM qualifications, are accepted into public universities.”
Also present were Sabah Dong Zong vice president Datuk William Chu, SM Kian Kook principal Paul Voo, political secretary to the minister Peter Chong, liaison secretary to the minister Albert Kok and others.