BENEFITING THE SCHOOL: (From second left) Hu, Goh, Lim, Chin, Lau and others at the seminar.
SIBU: The Association of Private Chinese School Management Boards Sarawak president, Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming, has suggested that Chinese primary schools with few pupils should consider relocation.
He said schools in the rural areas, in particular, should move to places where there was better demand for Chinese education.
He made the call on Monday evening during the closing of Chinese Poem and Articulation Seminar at Wisma Hua Wen Du Zhong.
The development of Chinese schools is facing many challenges including financial backing and dwindling pupils intake and relocation could be the answer to these woes, he added.
Lau noted that Chinese schools had not received fair treatment when compared with schools of other types although they were under the same education system.
“In Malaysia, we have 60 Chinese secondary schools and the number cannot be increased despite the increase in Chinese population,” he noted.
He also revealed that in Sarawak alone, there
were 220 Chinese primary schools and 60 of them were in Sibu.
Lau said with the increase in Chinese population, there ought to be a concomitant increase in Chinese schools.
Lau appealed to the government to be more committed in helping Chinese schools grow.
Chinese schools largely depend on the support of the Chinese community and their respective boards of management to progress.
In view of financial constraints faced by the schools, Lau emphasised the importance of sound management.
Also present at the function were the United Association of Chinese Primary Aided School Boards of Management, Sibu and Kapit Division chairman, Hu Siew Liong, and speakers from West Malaysia Chin Sou Kheong, Goh Gim Thuan, and Lim Bee Lan.