Perception of Chinese-Type Schools’ Higher Education Standards Leads to Increasing Enrolment of Non-Chinese Students
PETALING JAYA: The perception that Chinese-type schools maintain stricter discipline and higher educational standards has led to an increase in the enrolment of non-Chinese students, says an academic.
Teo Kok Seong, a senior fellow with the National Council of Professors, said parents are of the view that Chinese-type schools offer better quality education due to their rigorous academic culture. "Chinese school principals are very strict. They set a high standard for all to follow," Teo told FMT. Their teachers are also regarded as hardworking and punctual, he added.
Teo said the work culture appears to be very different at national schools.
Growing Concerns about National Schools
Teo was commenting after a Chinese school in Arau, Perlis raised eyebrows with an ‘all non-Chinese’ student enrolment for Year One this year. Teo, who was involved in drafting the 2013-2025 Education Blueprint, noted that the government had aimed to make national schools the first choice for students of all backgrounds by this year. However, he said national schools are increasingly being seen as Islamic rather than national institutions, leaving non-Muslim parents seeking alternatives for their children.
"The government cannot dismiss these concerns. Customers are always right. If parents are sending their children elsewhere, it signals that national schools are failing to meet expectations," said Teo.
Decline of National Schools
Former MP Tawfik Ismail said Malaysia’s education system was once highly regarded, with institutions such as the Royal Military College (RMC), Victoria Institution (VI) and St John’s Institution offering world-class education. He said schools like VI had attracted the elites from Brunei and Indonesia, while RMC offered quality teachers.
"We need to retrace our steps to improve our national schools," he told FMT. He said the decline in national schools began in the early 1970s, when the government changed the medium of teaching from English to Malay. He said confidence in the national school system began to erode due to the lack of Malay textbooks. These schools also became overly nationalistic, he added.
Trilingual Push
Noor Azimah Rahim, chairman of the Parent Action Group for Education, said practical factors also played a role in the choice of school. She said the proximity of Chinese schools to residential areas and smaller class sizes allowed for easier access and more personalised attention. "Parents recognise the growing importance of Mandarin, especially as Malaysia is strategically positioned near China, a major global economic power," she said, adding that parents are pushing for their children to be trilingual. They are also looking beyond primary and secondary schools, noting that Chinese universities are climbing in global rankings, she said, while the government is strengthening collaborations in institutions that offer technical and vocational education and training or TVET.
Conclusion
The increasing enrolment of non-Chinese students in Chinese-type schools highlights the growing dissatisfaction with the quality and direction of national schools. As Teo Kok Seong said, "If parents are sending their children elsewhere, it signals that national schools are failing to meet expectations." It is imperative for the government to address these concerns and work towards improving the quality of education in national schools.
FAQs
- What is driving the increase in non-Chinese students enrolling in Chinese-type schools?
- The perception that Chinese-type schools maintain stricter discipline and higher educational standards.
- What are the concerns about national schools?
- Non-Muslim parents are seeking alternatives for their children due to the increasing perception that national schools are Islamic rather than national institutions.
- What is the impact of the decline of national schools?
- Confidence in the national school system has eroded, leading to a decline in the number of students enrolling in these schools.
- What is the trilingual push?
- Parents are pushing for their children to be trilingual, with a focus on Mandarin, English, and Malay, due to Malaysia’s strategic positioning near China and the growing importance of Mandarin in the global economy.