Choo (second left) presents the incentive to a recipient. Seen are Kiu (left) and Lau. – Photo by Chai Boon Tart
KUCHING: The existing system for the enrolment of public universities should be reviewed to promote meritocracy and fairness, said Kuching Yung’s (Foochow) Club chairman Jeffrey Choo.
He observed that people are more concerned about whether top achievers can book a place in public universities rather than being sacrificed under the quota system.
According to Choo, quite a number of his friends’ children who excelled in public examinations could not gain entry into the public university they wanted or pursue the course they chose.
He added that some of these excellent students ended up relying on their parents’ support to pursue tertiary education at private universities.
He said these during the club’s Mid-Autumn Festival dinner last night, which also saw the handover of incentives to members’ children who did well in examinations.
Choo said the new education minister ought to engage more efforts to improve the existing education system so as not to disappoint students and parents.
He added that the Chinese community is awaiting the recognition of Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) amidst a series of education reforms announced by the minister.
On the festival, he said China also termed it as an occasion for family reunion.
The Chinese across the globe are celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival today (Sept 24), which is the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.
In China, Choo said Mid-Autumn also marks the farmers’ harvest day which people join one another for a grand celebration.
He hoped that the Chinese community here would keep up the tradition of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival for many more years to come.
A total of 44 members’ children were given the study incentives.
Among those present were the club secretary Kiu Bing Siong and organising chairperson Lau Chor Hua.