The Story of The Satu Sekolah Memo

This is the story of a document that was never delivered to its intended recipient.....

For the full chronology go to Demi Negara to find out how the document was first formulated.

What transpired was a unique online collaboration, perhaps the first of its kind in the Malaysian blogosphere. The Knights collectively conceived, formulated and refined a memorandum to the Deputy Prime Minister in a truly seamless self-regulating "Open Source" environment. source here

The memo was launched on 12th of May 2009, I was the second signatory to the petition (here) , after 932 days it gathered 3105.

The launch came with a particular logo designed by an Unknown.....

As of 26th of October 242 Bloggers are having it on their sites. refer here

The late Wah Al Subangi took the initiative to set up a Facebook group here , it managed to get close to 4000 members (the group is  going to be archived based on FB system requirement). Activity there kinda slowed down after bro Wah passed away due to heart complications. (Al Fatihah, may Allah bless your soul)

The online movement took a new form when the Satu Sekolah Portal launched its first post here at 12 Midnight of 31st of August 2009.

The memo and its corresponding online support put the detractors in one corner, a Deputy Minister even wanted to lodge a Police Report (go here )

The logic module seems to be that this is "An UMNO Lead Initiative and A Move to Propagate Ketuanan Melayu"

They go around town to label this as An Anti Chinese Initiative and zoom into what they think of KijangMas and Demi Negara, till today some of them still thinks so, go here for a recent discussion where A Blogger supporting Vernacular Education terkapai2 to answer question from a comentator.

When I came out with the Legal Angle that Vernacular Education is AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION AND NATIONAL LANGUAGE ACT it took the discussion to the next level.

So far no one whether online or offline is able to refute that.

Mana pergi semua constitution experts??

One MP actually think that there exist a "Virtual Constitution Guarantee" go here , he has changed his tone go here

I remember what Rocky said

KJ as champion for a Single School for ALL Malaysians? I'd like to see that! source here

bro I think he is moving slowly into that direction, for reasons unknown to me.



Now back to the Memo what exactly did the Memo ask for

Berdasarkan kepada fakta dan pendapat yang terpapar di sini dan segala hujah yang dikemukakan di pautan-pautan berkenaan, kami dengan hormat nya meminta agar gejala Sekolah Vernakular ini di hapuskan secara total.

Kesemua Sekolah Vernakular yang ada sekarang harus diserapkan kedalam Sistem Sekolah Kebangsaan dimana peruntukkan secukupnya dibuat untuk menyediakan pembelajaran bahasa ibunda khusus untuk mana-mana murid yang memerlukannya.

Langkah susulan yang kami syorkan:-

Pengkajian Semula Sistem Pelajaran Negara oleh Kumpulan Bebas: Kami mencadangkan suatu kajian terperinci oleh kumpulan pengkaji bebas di adakan keatas fenomena Sekolah Vernakular ini. Kumpulan pengkaji bebas ini haruslah terdiri daripada individu-individu yang berkelayakan dan berpengalaman yang setimpal dan berkecuali dari politik (non-partisan) sepenuhnya demi menentukan integriti laporan yang akan dikeluarkan. Tokoh asing yang terkenal dan berpengalaman dalam kajian sebegitu boleh juga dijemput ke kumpulan pengkaji untuk meningkatkan prestasi dan kredibiliti kajian dan laporan tersebut. Penggubalan semula Akta Pendidikan 1996 Akta Pendidikan 1996 tidak sejajar dengan matlamat pengwujudan Bangsa Malaysia seperti yang termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan. Akta tersebut yang membolehkan wujudnya sekolah vernakular haruslah dirombak agar ianya kembali kepada niat asal penubuhan Persekutuan Tanah Melayu.

Akta tersebut berbunyi:-

“AND WHEREAS the above policy is to be executed through a national system of education which provides for the national language to be the main medium of instruction, a National Curriculum and common examinations; the education provided being varied and comprehensive in scope and which will satisfy the needs of the nation as well as promote national unity through cultural, social, economic and political development in accordance with the principles of Rukunegara.”

Walaubagaimanapun, kewujudan sekolah vernakular mengabaikan objektif yang tertera di atas. Penggubalan semula Akta ini akan membolehkan rakyat Malaysia mengecapi suatu struktur pendidikan yang seragam melalui keperkasaan sistem sekolah kebangsaan.

Mata Pelajaran Sejarah Dimestikan: Melihat betapa pentingnya generasi pelapis negara kita diserapkan dengan pengetahuan sejarah yang kukuh dan mencukupi, kami juga mencadangkan agar subjek Sejarah diwajibkan di semua sekolah di Malaysia. Anak muda yang Celik Sejarah akan memahami asal usul, arca dan konteks pembentukan negara Malaysia.

Ini termasuklah latarbelakang institusi Raja-Raja Melayu, perjuangan wira tanah air kita di zaman silam, peranan Orang Melayu dalam mencetus tamadun dan pembentukan negeri-negeri di Tanah Melayu sejak abad-abad awal selepas Masihi, kemasukan kaum-kaum lain ke Tanah Melayu, permuafakatan di antara kaum yang membawa kepada pembentukan Kontrak Sosial yang tersirat dalam Perlembagaan dan punca termaktubnya hak-hak dan keistimewaan Orang Melayu dalam Perlembagaan.

Masyarakat yang Celik Sejarah akan mencetuskan suasana yang menyemarakkan pengwujudan Bangsa Malaysia yang kita idamkan selama ini. Selagi tidak timbul Bangsa Malaysia ini, selagilah kita berterusan sebagai sebuah negara rojak yang dilanda berbagai gejala sosial yang tidak sihat dan berbahaya kepada keselamatan negara.

Penulisan Semula Buku-Buku Teks Sejarah: Kami juga mencadangkan supaya buku-buku teks Sejarah negara di kaji semula secara menyeluruh. Fakta-fakta sejarah yang lebih tepat dan terperinci harus dicatatkan oleh kumpulan cendiakawan yang terbukti kewibawaan dan integriti mereka. Penghuraian sejarah yang betul akan memainkan peranan sebagai pencetus kepada pembentukan suatu Bangsa Malaysia yang sehati dan sejiwa di Tanah Air kita yang bertuah ini.

Rumusan:

Kewujudan Sekolah Vernakular adalah satu-satunya punca utama ketidakserasian dan ketegangan kaum di negara kita tercinta. Fenomena ini hampir tiada tolak bandingnya di dunia ini dan telah menjadi suatu barah yang kian menular dalam kancah kerapuhan masyarakat Malaysia. Jika gejala Sekolah Vernakular ini tidak dibendung, negara kita akan terus bergerak ke ambang kehancuran.

Dalam segi Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia, Sekolah Vernakular jelas tiada tempatnya, bahkan bercanggah dengan fasal-fasal Perlembagaan dengan begitu ketara sekali. Percanggahan ini harus di bendung dan di perbetulkan secepat mungkin demi kestabilan dan keselamatan negara. Kami pohon agar Y.A.B. Tan Sri memberi perhatian, pertimbangan dan penekanan yang sewajarnya keatas cadangan-cadangan yang dikemukakan di sini demi masa depan Bangsa dan Negara Malaysia tercinta. Kami berdoa agar tindakan yang sejajar dengan kepentingan perkara ini diambil oleh Y.A.B. Tan Sri dan langkah-langkah susulan dilaksanakan oleh kementerian Y.A.B. Tan Sri. Source here

Some people may not like to the tone of the memo and gets put off with the whole initiative, another fundamental problem with the Satu Sekolah is that it is not clear what exactly is Satu Sekolah and how does this address all the issues that has been raised by those who are against it.

I think its a valid concern, I have my own version of satu sekolah, you may have yours (go here for an example)

But hey ....we are not the Policy Makers, we are just voices in the sea of information. The Government  need to consolidate all the views whether it is Pro or Against the initiative.

Now lets us assess the "performance of the Memo" in shaping the policies of Ministry of Education.

Langkah Susulan 1 : Pengkajian Semula Sistem Pelajaran Negara oleh Kumpulan Bebas

Malaysia, Unesco to review education policy (Nov 18, 2011): 

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) experts will jointly review the national education system in line with global changes. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Malaysia’s education policy review was signed yesterday by the Education Ministry and Unesco.

The ministry's secretary-general Datuk Dr Rosli Mohamed said the review would provide a more balanced assessment of the country's education system. "The collaboration with Unesco is important as the review will help our education policy meet the challenging times and hyper competitive environment ahead," he said in his speech prior to the signing ceremony. The review will cover the country's education system at all levels from pre-school to higher education. It is also aimed at preparing the future work force with the required skills in line with the government transformation programmes (GTP) to achieve a developed and high income economy by 2020.

"Among the objectives of the review is to evaluate the policies, strategies and achievements of the country's education system and it is also expected to focus on several priority areas such as curriculum development, technical and vocational training and ICT in education," Dr Rosli said. The review will be taking into consideration of several dimensions such as planning and management, equity of education opportunities and quality of schooling. Source here

Langkah Susulan 2 dan 3: Mata Pelajaran Sejarah Dimestikan dan Penulisan Semula Buku-Buku Teks Sejarah

History subject to be revised (Feb 10 2011): 

PUTRAJAYA: A committee has been set up by the Education Ministry to review the history subject in schools. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, said the review was necessary to provide students with good understanding of the nation's history.

"It's important for students to gain a clear grasp of the nation's history to appreciate the nation-building since the subject will be made a 'must-pass' paper from 2013," said Muhyiddin after delivering his 2011 special message to ministry staff at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here this morning.

He said the committee would be requested to improvise the history content and facts as well as enhancing the teaching method. "We want the current and future generations to understand our nation's history better. This will make them more patriotic and nationalistic," he said, adding that the improvised curriculum would also cover in-depth aspects of regional and world history. "We will get the input and recommendations from the committee of 14 experts with various history backgrounds from universities and organisations. "There will not be a timeframe for them to complete the review. They will provide a draft proposal on how to make the subject more interesting with necessary amendments in textbooks." When asked if there will be a new history textbook, he said: "There won't be any major revamp. The ministry just wants to improve the content, delivery and give a better understanding for students on history." The government was responding to calls by various quarters to take a holistic approach to History for secondary schools before making it a 'must-pass' subject beginning 2013. Source here

Not bad at all.

Not a single body went to the streets......

No kepochi Memo delivery to MOE.........

No keranda without body dalam masjid either........(lu nak buat solat "jenazah ghaib" ke?)

I remembered what i said to the Deputy Minister 

 A new contender just applied to join my kitchenware collection....I'm still not sure whether to add this one or not..... One peabrain Deputy Education Minister that goes by the name of Wee Ka Siong is in a fix from my point of view 

• He is a Chinese

• He is a Chinese Politician representing MCA which is part of BN

•  He is the Deputy Education Minister

As a Senior Official from the Education Ministry one has the responsibility to look at the overall education policy from ALL angles, one needs to have NO POLITICAL nor RACIAL BIAS in order to undertake that function properly without ANY conflict of interest situation especially in deliberating on policy action with a NATIONAL impact for GENERATIONS to come

Looks like Wee wants to do a police report against the people who are supporting the Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua Campaign

This monkey says go ahead but RESIGN first as Deputy Education Minister!!!!

Now i bet this peabrain will go and ask one of his running dogs to go and file the report....but dude you already said your position........which means that YOU ARE NOT EVEN OPEN TO DIALOGUE.........

I will be here.........and if I die .......my children will continue this struggle and their children and so on and so forth.....until this dream of Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua becomes a reality for Malaysia....

So folks where do we go from here?

Should we take the struggle to the next level?

Should we put this Issue to the Judiciary to decide once and for all on the Legality of Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan so that NO ONE CAN POLITICIZE OUR CHILDREN EDUCATION ANYMORE?


Or should someone "intervene" in formulating the Terms of Reference (to include review of the position of Vernacular Education from a legal, social and impact to National Unity) of the UNESCO "independent" review?

A bit of background on UNESCO position on Vernacular Education

In 1953 UNESCO published a paper refer here 

And this is what they think of it then

An Axiomatic Proposition

 ax·i·o·mat·ic   [ak-see-uh-mat-ik] adjective 1. pertaining to or of the nature of an axiom; self-evident; obvious. source here

prop·o·si·tion   [prop-uh-zish-uhn] noun

• the act of offering or suggesting something to be considered, accepted, adopted, or done.
• a plan or scheme proposed.

• an offer of terms for a transaction, as in business.

• a thing, matter, or person considered as something to be dealt with or encountered: Keeping diplomatic channels open is a serious proposition. 5. anything stated or affirmed for discussion or illustration. Source here

What do you think folks?

Legal Approach or Intervene in the TOR?

Are you all ready to meet me?

Or should we leave this to the Politicians?

Come on Malaysians let us be together on this journey of Nation Building....