Joint Statement Made by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

August 3, 2019

In response to the recent report made by Sinchew Daily and Utusan Malaysia pointing out that Dong Zong and relevant organisations will stage a rally on the 5 of August with the intent to voice objection against the additional Jawi Scripts Learning in the Bahasa Melayu subject in vernacular primary schools, Dong Jiao Zong feels that the misnomers in their reports were dubious as well as misleading and a redress is urgently needed. This statement is thus forwarded.

1. Dong Jiao Zong clarifies that there will be no rally of any sorts to be staged on the Jawi scripts learning issue but an internal meeting held for Chinese organisations and Tamil associations. Its objective is to exchange views on the Jawi scripts learning in national-type Chinese and Tamil primary schools. The meeting will be held upon the equal footing of informed pedagogy, learning effectiveness, real situation, practical function, the promotion of Bahasa Melayu knowledge and the mastery of the language to examine the Jawi scripts learning implementation raised by the Ministry of Education. Meanwhile, participants in the meeting will also further study the latest statement released by the Ministry of Education the previous day.

2. The attendees in this internal meeting will mull on the appreciation of Jawi scripts implemented by the Ministry. Dong Jiao Zong has no objection on any cultural interactions between ethnic groups and the promotion of value and harmony existing in the multicultural society imposed by the Ministry. It is solely that any worrying approach employed to tackle the issue should not be in place before any fruitful discussions and exchanges are obtained between the educational parties and stakeholders in this multicultural society.

3. Dong Jiao Zong is worried that any inaccurate reports will likely beckon misunderstanding and suspicions or worse still, conflicts. Dong Jiao Zong therefore hereby pronounces and emphasises the August 5 meeting is merely an internal meeting for specially invited organisations from various communities and it is not a rally as reported.

Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

July 29, 2019

Dong Zong Objects to Additional Jawi Calligraphy in Vernacular Schools Bahasa Melayu Subject

Dong Jiao Zong is firmly against the Seni Khat (Jawi Scripts Learning) unit to be included in the national-type primary school Bahasa Melayu curriculum. Meanwhile, Dong Jiao Zong will stage a joint meeting with other Chinese associations and Tamil educational organisations. The meeting is intended to collect viable comments and subsequently forward recommendation to the MOE hoping the Ministry will attend to public views and abandon the mentioned unit eventually. Dong Jiao Zong is not against the learning of calligraphy of any ethnic group just that the curricular inclusion of Jawi scripts learning in the Bahasa Melayu subject is thought to be inappropriate. As scheduled by the Ministry, the Seni Khat unit will be included and taught to Grade 4 to 6 students in national-type Chinese and Tamil primary schools.

It was informed that the Jawi script learning unit is merely part of the fun language learning, which is claimed to help students appreciate Malay calligraphy and not the teaching of Jawi scripts. Yet it is expected that learners can recognise, distinguish and read the taught Jawi scripts and pronounce them precisely and write subsequently according to the Grade Four curriculum standard of vernacular schools. Further to this, the briefing made by the Ministry of Education officials likewise pointed out that students would learn Jawi scripts through the five proverbs provided. Dong Jiao Zong is convinced, this learning model has in practice incorporated Jawi scripts learning, and not merely calligraphy appreciation.

Dong Jiao Zong understands that Bahasa Melayu was written in Jawi scripts in the past and later replaced by Roman (RUMI) writing. The syntaxes of the two forms of writing are totally different. For any non-Muslim student, Jawi scripts are totally unfamiliar scripts and inevitably extra efforts will be needed to excel. As a matter of fact, Jawi scripts learning and Bahasa Melayu learning have no direct correlation; the learning of Jawi scripts will not in any way help in the learning of Bahasa Melayu.

Malaysia is a multiracial, multicultural and multi-religious country. We are delighted to see that all ethnic groups get to know one another’s culture, including their calligraphy but we cannot compromise with pushed learning. If Jawi calligraphy were to be included in Bahasa Melayu subject for all vernacular primary schools, Dong Jiao Zong would think it wise to restricted on the appreciation of its calligraphy merely. At the meantime, if the intent is to promote the ability to appreciate its calligraphy, then efforts should also be put in the incorporation of calligraphies of other ethnic groups to be taught in the Art subject. Other than this, its learning can also be encouraged by virtue of co-curricular activities.

We second and support cross-ethnic cultural exchange in schools, but are firmly against unnecessary inclusion of curricular units and contents that entails extra efforts for both teachers and students. The good intention of promoting cross-ethnic cultural interaction should be looked forward to in light of the incorporation of multicultural values embedded in the curriculum and activities of other stream schools and this act is believed to be the practical way to show understanding and care in national harmony.

Joint Statement Made by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

July 17, 2019

Dong Zong Objects to the Reactivation of Using English in Math and

 Science Teaching

Same Error Commitment is Cautioned for the Pawn of Students’ Learning Right

The address delivered by the Prime Minister Tun Mahathir in the House of Commons (Lower House) informing that the government is studying the reactivation of the use of English in Math and Science teaching has rippled some doubts towards Dong Zong and Jiao Zong. Herewith Dong Jiao Zong forwards its firm stance as follows:

1. The results of Math and Science in Primary Six UPSR (2018) indicated that the percentages of the minimum pass were 15 and 96.12 respectively. Dong Jiao Zong reckons that it is the effectiveness of employing mother tongue as medium of instruction in vernacular schools. Nonetheless, for the sake of grasping the fundamentals of Math and Science, the government should further enhance the use of mother tongue in Math and Science Teaching for optimal learning results but not the use of English in the teaching as it forces primary students to learn Math and Science through English which is an additional language. It is attributed mainly to the fact that the primary students in general cannot master an additional language easily and this very reality weakens students’ performance in Math and Science, which seriously undermines the quality of national education.

2. The necessary provision of mother tongue education in any nation is the common understanding of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (henceforth UNESCO) and educationists worldwide. “Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025” likewise quoted UNESCO’s report stating the importance of mother tongue-based learning during the preschool period as it ensures effective preparation for bilingual or multilingual education. The citation shows the Ministry of Education realises this decisive factor. Inconceivably, the government intends to reactivate the use of English—which is not the mother tongue—in the teaching of Math and Science contradictorily. Dong Jiao Zong pleads the government to admit that mother tongue education is the most effective learning approach for elementary students and it has nothing to do with national pride but plays a critical role in the right to learn for students. The government should rather practise mother tongue education in compliance with education theory accordingly. It is evident that the Use of English in Math and Science Teaching Policy pushed hastily forward from 2003 to 2009 severely posed harmful consequences to the quality of national education. As such, the central government should not repeat the commitment.

3. We also believe that what our Prime Minister Tun Mahathir had claimed—new software of Intelligence Technology would be used in the said policy—was essentially incorrect as Intelligence Technology is merely a supplementary asset for education and it has no correlation with the use of language in Math and Science learning. As it was known, national funds were used for the purchase of educational aids in the implementation of the policy previously but consequently the effort did not pay off. At the end of the day, students’ proficiencies in English, Math and Science were not improved; worse still, there was an abuse of resource due to improper use of devices and equipments installed. In view of this, Dong Jiao Zong believes the government should rather enhance the use of mother tongue in Math and Science teaching and concurrently leverage Intelligence Technology for effective and optimal learning. It cannot be gainsaid that successful results are obtained and national development achieved through the preservative use of mother tongue learning in educational advanced nations such as Korea, Japan and Finland, etc.

4. Dong Jiao Zong reckons that the success of additional language learning differs from one individual to another and therefore not everyone can be well-versed in three languages as anticipated. In national education, the learning of other subjects should not be hindered by students’ language proficiency. National education caters for all and hence it should meet the needs of the students. English is not the mother tongue of most of the different ethnic groups and the government should not sacrifice the learning right of the majority at the expense of minority elites. If the Use of English in Math and Science Teaching policy were to be implemented mandatorily, the limited education resource provided by the Ministry of Education and schools would be focused on the prodigies, and it would consequently accelerate educational inequality and be baneful to low achieving learners.

5. Dong Jiao Zong reiterates, its objective stance towards the Use of English in Math and Science Teaching Policy cannot be translated as denying the importance of English as the lingua franca as well as the register for technology. It is simply that the use of English in such teaching does not comply with educational theory and is known to be an inappropriate approach; it not only weakens students’ level of Math and Science in the national education but also pawns students’ learning right which essentially poses harm to the nation. We agree that students’ proficiency of English should be enhanced and it appears to be imminent but to reach such goal, we should refer to language acquisition principles, viz., to begin with elements like teaching objectives, curriculum, lesson duration, learning materials, pedagogy, teaching force and facilities among others for a holistic and successful learning.

6. Last but not the least, Dong Jiao Zong pleads the government to abandon sentiments and persistence, and eventually push educational reform forward based on research findings and data analysis documented globally. All and all, Dong Jiao Zong insists on mother tongue education and is strongly against the reactivation of the Use of English in Math and Science Teaching Policy.

Joint Statement Made by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

June 24, 2019

Calling for Transparent Policy Implementation

Prompt Release of Policy Research Report Expected

It was informed by the Minister of Education Dr. Maszlee that the education policy committee report had been submitted to the Prime Minister early this week. Dong Jiao Zong urges the Ministry of Education to release the report simultaneously with the submission to uphold the right to know, thus to be examined and discussed by the general public.

Dong Jiao Zong had submitted a proposal to the committee this end of February to reflect the education of Malaysia from pre-school to higher learning, including the challenges faced by mother tongue education and it later forwarded a countermeasure hopefully the government would look into and ruminate. We Dong Jiao Zong, and many other associations and organisations, who together submitted the proposal are unsure if the recommendation had been mooted and documented in the report. If it was denied, we would wish to know the criteria of the decision. We understand that the committee had received 3,378 proposals from relevant organisations and individuals. The contents of this report are undoubtedly a compilation of wisdom from various stakeholders and the report is de facto the property of the general public. As such, the Ministry of Education bears the duty and responsibility to make the report known explicitly thus addressing public confusion.

We believe, the recommendation of this education policy report will inform the future policies of the country. As it ensues subsequent impact to the nation, the Pakatan Harapan government has the obligation to implement measures in transparency and practise accountable politics, respect democratic participation and defy black box culture, as well as taking the initiative to release the contents of the report as soon as possible since it is necessary.

Joint Statement Made by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

June 20, 2019

The news reports in media stating that a certain number of project assessment reports posted to national-type Chinese primary schools Grade 1 to 3 students are merely in Bahasa Melayu indeed had cast some shadows of doubt among parents. Dong Zong and Jiao Zong are deeply concerned about the matter and herewith forward their stance proper:

1. Dong Jiao Zong understands through feedbacks from national-type Chinese primary schools in all states that the project assessment reports provided by the Ministry of Education to Grade 1 to 3 students are printed in Bahasa Melayu unanimously and the Ministry of Education has never informed national-type Chinese and Tamil primary schools the availability of other versions. Due to the inherence that the medium of instruction and administration language of national-type Chinese primary schools is in Chinese Mandarin and has since become a norm, some national-type Chinese primary schools believe the said report by right should be in Chinese. In the face of this, they resorted to computer agency, among others, to prepare additional version bilingually or in Chinese while others ‘modified’ the assessment report provided by the Ministry of Education such that teachers could enter additional comments in Chinese. Further, a part of the national-type Chinese primary school teachers explained in Chinese to parents about their children’s learning based on the Bahasa Melayu version.
2. This incongruence indicates that the Ministry of Education—as what it has been practicing all these years—ignores the existence of vernacular education and implements education measures solely within unitary mindset. Dong Jiao Zong is deeply disturbed by this practice and believes if there is no room for review, it will pose harm to the uniqueness of national-type Chinese primary schools using Chinese as the medium of instruction.
3. Dong Jiao Zong posits that the Ministry of Education should take the existence of other stream schools seriously and acknowledge their needs are different attributed to their medium of instruction. Take national-type Chinese primary schools for instance, apart from using Chinese as the language of instruction as well as in examinations, the school administration is operating in Chinese Mandarin daily. As such, the announcements released by the schools on a daily basis, including academic transcripts, by all means must be in Chinese and in compliance with their unique characteristic. This act of providing merely Bahasa Melayu version in project assessment reports does not meet the expectation of the stakeholders and thus confuses parents as it not only generates barrier in content understanding but also keeps the parents out of reach of their children’s learning progress. Worse still, it will consequently undermine the nature of national-type Chinese primary schools.
4. Based on the principle that vernacular schools are currently using their own mother tongue as the medium of instruction, Dong Jiao Zong urges the Ministry of Education to provide different versions of project assessment report to the said schools, take for example, in national-type Chinese primary schools the report should be bilingual both in Chinese and Bahasa Melayu and this is thought to be the correct and necessary approach to comply with national-type Chinese primary schools’ characteristics. Due to the seriousness of the matter, Dong Jiao Zong urges the Deputy Minister of Education, Ms Teo Nie Ching, to see to it and take prompt response to relieve public qualms.

Joint Statement Made by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

June 20, 2019

The news reports in media stating that a certain number of project assessment reports posted to national-type Chinese primary schools Grade 1 to 3 students are merely in Bahasa Melayu indeed had cast some shadows of doubt among parents. Dong Zong and Jiao Zong are deeply concerned about the matter and herewith forward their stance proper:

1. Dong Jiao Zong understands through feedbacks from national-type Chinese primary schools in all states that the project assessment reports provided by the Ministry of Education to Grade 1 to 3 students are printed in Bahasa Melayu unanimously and the Ministry of Education has never informed national-type Chinese and Tamil primary schools the availability of other versions. Due to the inherence that the medium of instruction and administration language of national-type Chinese primary schools is in Chinese Mandarin and has since become a norm, some national-type Chinese primary schools believe the said report by right should be in Chinese. In the face of this, they resorted to computer agency, among others, to prepare additional version bilingually or in Chinese while others ‘modified’ the assessment report provided by the Ministry of Education such that teachers could enter additional comments in Chinese. Further, a part of the national-type Chinese primary school teachers explained in Chinese to parents about their children’s learning based on the Bahasa Melayu version.

2. This incongruence indicates that the Ministry of Education—as what it has been practicing all these years—ignores the existence of vernacular education and implements education measures solely within unitary mindset. Dong Jiao Zong is deeply disturbed by this practice and believes if there is no room for review, it will pose harm to the uniqueness of national-type Chinese primary schools using Chinese as the medium of instruction.

3. Dong Jiao Zong posits that the Ministry of Education should take the existence of other stream schools seriously and acknowledge their needs are different attributed to their medium of instruction. Take national-type Chinese primary schools for instance, apart from using Chinese as the language of instruction as well as in examinations, the school administration is operating in Chinese Mandarin daily. As such, the announcements released by the schools on a daily basis, including academic transcripts, by all means must be in Chinese and in compliance with their unique characteristic. This act of providing merely Bahasa Melayu version in project assessment reports does not meet the expectation of the stakeholders and thus confuses parents as it not only generates barrier in content understanding but also keeps the parents out of reach of their children’s learning progress. Worse still, it will consequently undermine the nature of national-type Chinese primary schools.

4. Based on the principle that vernacular schools are currently using their own mother tongue as the medium of instruction, Dong Jiao Zong urges the Ministry of Education to provide different versions of project assessment report to the said schools, take for example, in national-type Chinese primary schools the report should be bilingual both in Chinese and Bahasa Melayu and this is thought to be the correct and necessary approach to comply with national-type Chinese primary schools’ characteristics. Due to the seriousness of the matter, Dong Jiao Zong urges the Deputy Minister of Education, Ms Teo Nie Ching, to see to it and take prompt response to relieve public qualms.