Bumiputera children in Chinese schools no longer unusual

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This is the fourth of our five-part weekly special report on Chinese medium education in Sarawak

IT is not unusual for Chinese parents to send their children to Chinese independent secondary schools which use Mandarin as medium of instruction, but it is unconventional for Bumiputera parents to do so.

Though all subjects at these schools such as Science and Mathematics are taught in the Chinese language, their students do study Bahasa Malaysia (BM) and English as separate language subjects.

Nurturing multilingual talents is an emphasis of Chinese independent secondary schools which base their values on Confucianism that is influential in the traditional Chinese culture, stressing the importance of personal ethics and morality.

Siti Indra Awang Fauzi and Adam Harith Hasnol.

Siti Indra Awang Fauzi, mother of Chung Hua Middle School (CHMS) No.4 Junior One student Adam Harith Hasnol, said she wanted her son to be fluent in Mandarin as well as mingle with the Chinese.

“I myself went to Chung Hua Primary School (CHPS) No.4 and after that SMK Kuching High. I wanted to go to CHMS No.4 but my father refused to send me there.

“To me, sending Adam to CHMS No.4 is a way to promote understanding and expose my son to a better learning environment, and this is not to say that government schools are not good. I just prefer my son to learn Mandarin and excel in the Chinese language,” she told The Borneo Post recently.

Coming from a pure Malay family, Siti said she insisted on sending her second child to CHMS No.4 because she saw the importance of the Chinese language.

She observed that many companies based in China especially from the construction sector had started operating in Malaysia. With this, she could foresee that her son would have better options in terms of career development with him mastering the Chinese language.

“I also want him to experience a different learning environment. He went to CHPS No.1 and even though he still does not do well in the Chinese language subject, there is always room for improvement.

“I am grateful for parents and teachers of CHMS No.4 who have been very helpful to me and Adam. In our chat group, some parents offer help. My son is an independent boy and I can tell he enjoys studying at CHMS No.4 although he may still find it a bit of a challenge to pick up the language,” said the mother of three.

Siti said the principal of CHMS No.4 Johnny Kon’s Facebook page was one of the reasons she decided to send her boy to the school.

To her knowledge, the school emphasises the teaching of manners among students, and it seems to her that the school is offering a balanced education.

“I want my son to have the right attitude and manner,” she enthused.

Her youngest child is five years old, and is attending kindergarten at CHPS No.1. She said this youngest child of hers was definitely going to Chinese school.

“I could not send my eldest to Chinese school due to a disagreement of opinion with my husband. Back then, he did not have confidence in Chinese education. But for Adam, I really pushed for it because I want what is best for him. And now my husband is seeing the difference between Chinese and government schools.

“I want to see Adam change his life for the better. Our family is not well-to-do but education matters. And I believe Adam will fare well after going to Chinese school.

“I am not worried at all that the government does not recognise UEC (Unified Examination Certificate). This is because even without the recognition of UEC, I can see that Chinese students, who do not hold the SPM certificate, are still doing so well in this country. If I have the means and Adam wants it, I will send him overseas for tertiary education after UEC,” she said.

Siti and her husband are paying RM99 per month as Adam’s school fee. The usual rate is RM240. Her husband is presently working two jobs to support the family.

She said she would push Adam to do better at school even though he is struggling with the Chinese language.

“I want him to grow to become a better person and make our family proud. I want him to have a different circle of friends to motivate him to seek improvement.

“When it comes to education, politics or race should not get in the way. Even if the current politics in Malaysia seems to be not in favour of Chinese education, I believe Chinese schools should continue to be there for people to learn an extra language.

“I believe mastering the Chinese language will be an added advantage for Adam. With this language skill, Adam can easily find a job in the future,” she added.

Siti, who has a bunch of Chinese friends, said she adored the thinking of the Chinese. She said her father, who worked as a policeman, mingled with the Chinese, too. This was probably how she ended up being sent to CHPS No.4.

“It is a long-term thinking as I decide to send Adam to CHMS No.4. I have Chinese friends too, and I shall say that their thinking is so different. I want Adam to think like the Chinese, who knows, he may grow to become a successful businessman,” she said.

In a bid to encourage Bumiputera children to study in Chinese independent secondary schools in the state, the Chinese Consulate in Kuching has started offering a one-off fund to 14 Bumiputera UEC holders every year, to pursue tertiary education in universities in China.

Wallace Liew

Wallace Liew, a CHMS No.3 Senior Two Art student, will be the first Bumiputera student of the school to apply for the fund provided by the Chinese Consulate in Kuching.

The fund, solely for Bumiputera students of Chinese independent secondary schools in the state to pursue tertiary education in China, was launched last year.

It is a one-off fund of RM10,000 for each successful applicant.

Liew, who is the head of prefects at CHMS No.3, aspires to become a chiropractor and because of this, he aims to pursue further studies in China upon obtaining his UEC. He is adamant in his decision to become a chiropractor.

“I’ve been a sportsman since I was in primary school. Being a sportsman also means that you tend to get injuries. Every time I get injured, I have to see a physician. This is how I became interested in chiropractic. I’ve been learning the skill from a local physician,” he said.

Among the three languages, he said he enjoyed BM the most because it is the easiest of all as far as he is concerned.

“As much as I like Mandarin, classical Chinese is really a headache. But thanks to my love for the Chinese language, I am willing to learn more about it, classical Chinese included.”

Liew has been a self-disciplined individual since young. He felt that he would not be disciplined had he not been active in Wushu since he was a Primary Two pupil. His brother is an alumnus of CHMS No.3, and is currently pursuing studies in Peninsular Malaysia.

“My mother is a Hakka but our family uses Hockien to communicate. I picked up Hakka from my maternal grandparents too,” he said.

Sherniecia Jospot and Josharisson Jospot

Two other Bumiputera students at CHMS No.3 are siblings Sherniecia Jospot, currently at Senior One, and Josharisson Jospot, Junior Two.

Their father and two elder siblings also went to CHMS No.3, and because of this, they did not think of other choices when it came to secondary level education.

Sherniecia said they had been using Mandarin since young and she was aware that CHMS No.3 constantly monitored students’ performance.

“If we do not pass the subjects, we won’t be able to proceed to the next grade. In a way, this motivates me to strive to do well. I know that in government schools, whether you pass or not, you get to move to the next grade,” she said.

It is understood that there are a few students at the school who have to repeat their respective grades due to very poor results.

“CHMS No.3 is not a strange environment since I first joined the school. I’ve been familiar with Mandarin speaking and the Chinese language isn’t a barrier,” she said.

Sherniecia said even though she had not given a thought on what course to pursue, she had already decided to go for higher studies in Taiwan.

She recalled that almost all her friends from her former primary school went to government schools, but she did not feel alone because she really likes the Chinese language.

“Furthermore, I get to make more new friends at my school now. I was born into a Bidayuh family and it is interesting to learn about Chinese culture.

“Back in my hometown at Kpg Panchor (Mile 27 Kuching-Serian Road), a Bidayuh village, neighbours and friends visited us during Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival. But this was 2012 and before, now we don’t get to go back very often,” she said.

Josharisson said he would opt for vocational class after completing his Junior years.

“I am more interested in assembling parts rather than academic studies. I like robotics and technology kind of stuff. I’m also interested in the Japanese language, most probably due to watching too many anime series. I’m in the midst of learning Japanese and I have a plan to study in Japan,” he added.