Chinese schools produce 'copycat' ?

The issue of single stream school has been much debated of late, especially when prominent historian, Prof Khoo recently remounted his idea of replacing the current vernacular system with a single stream school in the way demolishing all Chinese and Tamil primary schools. Race unity and harmony is of utmost importance to a nation, especially a multiracial and young nation like Malaysia. However, even if we implement single stream school, putting all the young kids of various races under one roof since the very beginning of their formal education, can we be assured that a better race unity will be achieved? Race issue is a very complex one. Even in the country like USA or other European countries where all black and white and other races are studying in the single stream school, is racial harmony really that better than our country? Just look at Indonesia, is racial harmony really better than that in Malaysia with the practice of single stream school?

I supposed a prominent historian like Prof Khoo should know better that the existence of vernacular schools is an integral part of the nation building history of this country. Since independent, countless of students which had gone through the vernacular schools had been serving various economic sectors and contributing to the success of the country. Sadly, when the deputy Prime Minister praises the Chinese primary school for producing students who are capable of better mastering Science and Mathematics, Prof Khoo is of the different opinion that Chinese school is only capable of producing “copycats”.

Prof Khoo questioned that how many prominent scientists or innovators that are actually coming out from Chinese school. What clearly amiss is that he forgets to ask how many prominent scientists or innovators are there in this country regardless of their schooling background? May be our present education system needs a major overhaul as it is incapable of producing great scientists or creative minds such as that of Albert Einstein, Newton or Steven Hawkins and only good in producing historians and politicians. But as a young nation such as Malaysia we should indeed inculcate young talents based on merits and all the talented minds should be given the equal opportunity to acquire higher education so that these young generation will form the moving force to prosper the country through the next millennium.

In a time when our diversity in races should be capitalized as it provides better flexibility in the face of globalization, it is too bad that if we were to close down the Chinese or Tamil primary schools simply because 0f the narrow-mindedness of certain people.