‘Sensible to set up ‘transition classes’ for Bumiputera students’

0

KUCHING: With the number of Bumiputera students entering Chinese primary schools increasing, it is sensible to set up ‘transition classes’ for them as they have no prior Chinese language education.

Sarawak United Associations of Chinese Primary Aided Schools Boards of Management president Datuk Pau Chiong Ung said this would help Bumiputera students to catch up with other students who already know the language.

“If these Bumiputera students do not understand Chinese at all, they will be at a disadvantage when they enter Chinese primary schools.

“With some training in the language prior to going to Primary One, they would be able to catch up with the syllabus when they join Chinese primary schools,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Pau was responding to the suggestion of Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia) president Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau to set up a ‘transition class’ to prepare Bumiputera students to enter Chinese primary schools.

Agreeing fully with Lau, Pau said for that to happen, it would mean the Sarawak United Associations of Chinese Primary Aided Schools Boards of Management would have to work up a mechanism which would take time and effort.

“Since the trend is showing that there are more and more Bumiputera students attending Chinese primary schools, both in urban and rural areas, it is something that we will have to think about.” Last year, he said, Bumiputera students made up 24 per cent of the total population of Chinese primary schools and this year, the number had gone up to 30 per cent.

“Especially in the rural areas, Bumiputera students may even constitute as high as 90 per cent of total students population. The percentage in the urban areas may be lower but it is also on the increase.

“For example in SJKC Chung Hua No. 2 Bintulu, the percentage of Bumiputera students is 35 per cent while for SJK Siong Boon, the percentage is as high as 60 per cent,” said the former senator.

Apart from attending special transition class, Pau believes that another way to better prepare Bumiputera students for Chinese primary schools is for them to attend kindergartens that use Chinese as medium of instruction.

“For parents of Bumiputera students who are planning to send their children to attend Chinese primary schools, I would urge these parents to consider sending their children to attend kindergartens which use Chinese as medium of instruction.

“This is what I have been advocating all this while. For Bumiputera students interested to attend Chinese primary schools when coming of age, if they are to attend kindergartens using Chinese as medium of instruction, they will be well exposed to Chinese language.

“They will have no problem in catching up with the syllabus once they enter Chinese primary schools. They will have the same starting point as any Chinese student. This will ensure that they fit in comfortably with the syllabus which is all in Chinese,” said Pau.