KUCHING: Assistant Treasurer of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Robert Lau welcomed the call made by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan for English medium schools to be set up.
The Minister had recently called for the reintroduction of English medium schools in order to improve the language proficiency and employability among graduates.
He said Sabah, which is his home state, should take the lead in setting up government English medium schools. He urged the people of Sabah and Sarawak to tell their elected representatives that they support such a call.
“The importance of English is indisputable. It is a global language and the language of trade and commerce worldwide. English also dominates the digital world. The digital age is accelerating the pace of change and development. It is also dividing the world at an even faster pace by those who can gain access and use the knowledge in the digital world. Without a sound foundation in English, this new world is shut to them. We are depriving our next generation and our country a better future if we continue to ignore this fact.
“Sarawak has consistently been calling for the return of English medium schools in the state. The late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem had made such calls. Our present Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg has again echoed the stand,” said Robert Lau.
In order to speed up the implementation of this policy, Robert Lau proposed that the authority over and funding for education be devolved from Putrajaya to Sabah and Sarawak.
“Let the two states handle their own education policies. This, after all, was what was provided in the Malaysia Agreement 1963. Let the people of Sarawak and Sabah administer matter related to education. Rural schools are worst affected by the concentration of power in the national capital. Many of the rural schools are run down, teachers struggling to get the needed support from Putrajaya. There are schools where classrooms are still wooden shed built during the colonial days; schools without consistent electricity supply; no internet access and no photocopying machines, just to name some of the problems faced by these schools. The size of the two states is huge and administrative and management decisions cannot be effectively made on their behalf far away.
“In fact we should go further. We should devolve the power even further down to the local authorities. In the 1960s until the early 1970s schools came under the jurisdiction of the local councils. There are still many schools that carry the name of the local councils.
“The other benefit of using English in schools is it fosters integration among people of different backgrounds. Sarawak has been admired and praised by all quarters for the depth of integration among its people and the harmonious relation among the different races. This is in no small measure due to the legacy of the English medium schools that was the norm for most students until the mid 1980s. The English medium schools were real melting pots,” he said.
Lau also pointed out that mushrooming of private schools and international private schools in Sarawak over the last decade was because they use English as the medium of instruction.
“This has brought back much integration in classrooms in these private schools. Unfortunately, these schools are only available to those who can afford the fees and the urban folks. The general public, especially the poor and the rural children are left out. This is leading to a social divide among those who have get better opportunities through better command of English and those who are not.
Robert Lau also lauded the move by our Chief Minister in creating a new ministerial portfolio over education. SUPP congratulates Dato Sri Michael Manyin for being entrusted with the education ministry.
SUPP hopes there is no further delay in the return to the State on the jurisdiction over education together with the proportionate funding.
