VI. SPECIAL ANNUAL GRANTS FOR CHINESE INDEPENDENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS, AIDED CHINESE PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND AIDED MISSION SCHOOLS.

VI. SPECIAL ANNUAL GRANTS FOR CHINESE INDEPENDENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS, AIDED CHINESE PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND AIDED MISSION SCHOOLS.

Sarawakians well versed in the Chinese language provide the state with a major competitive advantage in the globalised world of today. This fact is recognized not only by the ethnic Chinese, but by many other Sarawakians as well. Chinese secondary education is also the key to the preservation of Chinese culture, and the importance of the Chinese language to all Malaysians is now nationally recognized.

In recent years, the 14 Chinese Independent Secondary Schools in Sarawak have seen steady annual rises in enrollment in Sarawak; from 4,564 to 5,099 in 2006, testifying to widespread community demand. Nationally, some 50,000 are enrolled at 60 non-profit Chinese Independent Secondary Schools. The Chinese Independent Secondary Schools try their very best to comply with curricular standards laid down by the Ministry of Education. BM, and English are compulsory subjects.

In the last 30 years or so, of the some 150,000 students who completed schooling with Chinese Independent Secondary Schools , many have gone on to tertiary education locally and overseas, or become entrepreneurs. They have made significant contributions to national progress in all fields of political, social and economic life. Government should thus accord recognition and encourage community initiatives in organizing quality education to complement the fully National type schools. It is time the Federal and State Governments both step in to share the burden that has fallen so heavily on the Chinese community.


Aided Chinese Primary Schools

While the Federal Government provides limited funding for Aided Chinese Primary Schools, the State Government could well give further financial assistance to the Aided Chinese Primary Schools in areas such as buildings and material, maintenance, IT and sports facilities.

The Aided Chinese Primary Schools are facing the prospect of increased demand in enrollment from all communities, and this I consider a good thing. There is indeed an urgent need for new Aided Chinese Primary Schools building projects to decongest class-rooms bursting with 60 or more students. However, since the establishment of Chung Hua Primary No. 6 in Kuching, there has not been an increase of Aided Chinese Primary Schools.


Chinese Independent Secondary Schools

It is the faithful individuals and associations in the Chinese community, who toil to raise funds for the 14 Chinese independent secondary schools in the State. Yet the Chinese Independent Secondary Schools still face a collective budget deficit of some RM 5 million a year. So the so called initiative that the SUPP announced a couple of days ago that they will come up with RM500,000 a year is far too little and too late. RM 500,000 is not enough.

Mr. Speaker, for the sake of the continued survival and progress of Chinese Independent Secondary Schools, public sector funding, and not the dependence on charity, must be the only way forward.

And ample precedence throughout Malaysia exists for State Governments providing funds for Chinese Independent Secondary Schools:

States with BN State Governments making annual grants or have alienated land to Chinese Independent Secondary Schools include Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kedah;

The Malacca BN Government grants scholarships annually for the students from poor financial backgrounds attending Chinese Independent Secondary Schools.

In Sabah the PBS, then BN Government has been making annual grants for the 9 Chinese Independent Secondary Schools since 1991.
SABAH BOLEH, SARAWAK TAK BOLEH!

The Kelantan PAS Government is even more dedicated to the principle of mother tongue education by solving the funding problem once and for all. It generously donated 1000 acres of land for agricultural development to Chinese School association, proceeds from which will see Chinese education go a long way. And this for a Government which others in this House enjoy vilifying, so often and so wrongly.
KELANTAN BOLEH, SARAWAK TAK BOLEH!

Does Sarawak not have a greater percentage of ethnic Chinese, than Kelantan and Sabah?

Does the Sarawak BN Government not have a stronger Chinese political partner than the Chinese partnership in the Kelantan PAS Government?

Why then if Kelantan can, Sarawak cannot deliver for Chinese education?


Aided Missionary Schools

If one has the opportunity to travel widely in Sarawak, one would be able to see many a Missionary schools; they are in almost every corner in Sarawak. This is a result of the selfless sacrifice of the Christian missionaries, be they Catholic or Protestant. They have diligently taught and brought up entire generations of well educated and rounded students and who are now leaders of today.

I am one such proud product, of no less a school than that of St Joseph’s Kuching. Indeed I dare say that half the present cabinet and most of the previous cabinets are products of such schools, from the CM down.

Yet despite all their contributions and having all the people in the highest of places, the need for sufficient funding continues to haunt practically every one of them.

Two years ago, SMB St Teresa raised an amazing sum of RM450,000. This was the largest ever raised in any fund raising event it had undertaken. That came about because there was a donation of RM250,000 from the State government. However that kind of magnanimity came but once in a blue moon. And despite that the school still lacks in several key areas. They could only renovate parts of the assembly hall, buy some furniture to replace broken ones and etc, but the school is still desperately in need of funds for many other smaller and much needed projects.

The PTAs and esp the teachers of such schools spend a significant amount of their efforts on raising money. Sometimes the fund raising is throughout the year! Surely this is no way for schools to be run, taking precious resources away from the education of the children which should be foremost on the agenda of any school!

The only solution is again public funding and annually too, and its time that the state government take up its responsibility to ensure that the education of our children in such schools be not compromised.