KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 – Chinese education groups said today that the government’s reluctance in recognising the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) from Chinese independent secondary schools could cause a brain drain that is already a growing problem.
Although Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia) and Jiao Zong (The United Chinese School Teachers’ Association of Malaysia) welcomed the government’s historic move in awarding scholarships to 50 UEC top scholars today, they said that their fight to have the UEC recognised appeared to be a long-drawn battle.
“If students are given the opportunity to study in local universities, they can service the country after graduation,” Jiao Zong chairman Ong Chiow Chuen told reporters today.
“But if they get scholarships like the Asean scholarship, they have to serve in Singapore instead of Malaysia,” he said, adding that Singapore had actually offered the Asean scholarship to 27 out of the 50 scholarship winners today.
Government-linked strategic development company 1 Malaysia Development Berhad awarded today the first portion of its RM2.25 million in aid to 50 UEC top achievers last year.
An initial total amount of RM750,000 was presented to the students today.
Each recipient will receive RM15,000 annually for the next two years, amounting to a total award of RM45,000 per student.
Dong Zong chairman Dr Yap Sin Tian lamented the long journey towards getting the UEC recognised since the group started running the examination in 1975.
“There is still a long way to go,” said Yap, pointing out that the UEC was already recognised by foreign universities and local private colleges.
UEC holders cannot enter public universities, although they are recognised by international tertiary educational institutions in Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, China and some European countries.
“If the government can at least approve UEC holders to enter teacher training colleges, it will solve the Mandarin teacher shortage problem,” said Yap.
Yap nonetheless cited the Najib administration’s move in awarding scholarships to UEC scholars as an indication of recognising the certificate.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek announced earlier today that the government was in the process of recognising the UEC with SPM, adding that UEC students could obtain an SPM partial certificate by taking a few SPM subjects.
He also said the Najib administration agreed that the first step towards resolving the issue was to have UEC holders enroll in teacher’s training colleges to reduce a shortage of Mandarin teachers in Chinese national type schools or national schools.
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said earlier this year that the government does not recognise the UEC because it does not adhere to the national education syllabus and not because it is associated with Chinese education.
Ong welcomed the government’s scholarship programme as a good “first step”, but urged the government to recognise the UEC so that students would not be bound to serve another country after completing their study overseas.
Dr Chua said earlier he was confident that many of the UEC scholars who won government aid would return to Malaysia despite receiving a scholarship with “no strings attached”. Go here
Interesting indeed, baru semalam merdeka....
At one point this racist is considered as the "Son of Muar" even did a take on the UEC
Independent high schools promoting Chinese education during the intake season, carrying the slogan of “Keeping the 5000-year-old Chinese culture alive”, but I think that’s merely to attract students to keep their book balanced. They get lucky if they recruit children from super rich families, where the parents will inject thick donations every year.
go here and here (caution videos are offensive and vulgar in nature)
For that effort this racist bigot got served a legal notice from the School
The three newspapers, Sin Chew Daily, Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press reported that Wee, who caused an uproar with his parody of the Negaraku last year, had been issued a legal notice by his alma mater, Chung Hwa High School.
The notice was to remove his latest recording from YouTube entitled "The ABC Time of Teacher Khoo".
The school in Muar had demanded that the recording, which used the school as the backdrop while criticising the Malaysian Chinese education system, be removed.
The school said it had not given permission to Wee to use the school as a backdrop in his recording.
China Press reported that Wee had been served the legal papers at his home in Muar, Johor, on Monday.
Asked how he felt about the legal papers, Wee said that he was not surprised.
In his blog, Wee said the legal papers had helped raise awareness about his latest effort and problems faced by independent school students.
Criticising the local Chinese education system as being incomplete, Wee said it would force Chinese school graduates to look for alternatives to make a living.
Go here
In case you forgot what he said before that I suggest you read this old post
In a display of mind boggling Racism and religious intolerance, Ah Chee launched a blistering attack on the Azan Subuh, the early morning Muslim call to prayer, rapping in Mandarin to a background of mosques and Muslim congregations:-
"... there's a Morning Call asking me to wake up; at times several of them singing at the same time, like the duet of a love song, with High and Low notes like an R&;B tune, although sometimes some of them are out of tune, although some of them sing with a croaked voice; there are also voices like a rooster's call, but they wake up earlier than the chickens (... cock-a-doodle-do sound in the background). Like this, we'll know the time to get ready for school and work."
It's good that the authorities have finally acted.
Now back to the central issue of the post.
What business does 1Malaysia Development Fund has in giving out scholarships for UEC which is NOT RECOGNISED by the Malaysian Government, this act will hamper the efforts to build a consolidated national education system envisaged by all the various education reports since Merdeka.
Support SatuSekolah project and lets put and end to this divisive and breeding grounds for rabid racist like Wee Meng Chee
Now back to the central issue of the post.
What business does 1Malaysia Development Fund has in giving out scholarships for UEC which is NOT RECOGNISED by the Malaysian Government, this act will hamper the efforts to build a consolidated national education system envisaged by all the various education reports since Merdeka.
Support SatuSekolah project and lets put and end to this divisive and breeding grounds for rabid racist like Wee Meng Chee