KUALA LUMPUR – Vernacular schools are not a factor leading towards racial divisions, but instead serve as an attraction towards unity, said Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang.
He said this was proven by the enrolment data for non-Chinese students in Chinese vernacular schools and non-Indian students in Tamil vernacular schools, which showed a continuous increase from 2018 to 2023.
“This also shows that national unity can be built anywhere if there is commitment from all parties.
“The ministry has also conducted a ‘social deficit discourse’ featuring experts in the field last year and the findings show that vernacular schools can no longer be considered as the cause of racial division in society; instead, they should be deemed a platform to nurture and manage social harmony, similar to the role of national schools,” he said in a statement Monday.
He said managing social harmony depended on four factors, namely adaptability, goal, integration and latency.
“Hence, the vernacular education sector needs to be able to manage all four of these factors to create social order in their schools,” he said.
Aaron also called on all parties to immediately stop the polemics on vernacular schools in the country, as it would shake the spirit of unity and harmony among the people.
He said that in November 2023, the Court of Appeal also ruled that the existence and establishment of vernacular schools and the use of Mandarin and Tamil languages in these schools was constitutional.
“Any effort to abolish those schools is inappropriate and in fact, contradicts the court’s decision that upholds the principles of the Rukun Negara, namely the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law.
“I also fully support the stance of Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, who stated that the Education Ministry will continue to defend the vernacular education system as it is in line with Section 28 (on the establishment of national schools and national-type schools) of the Education Act 1996,” he said.
Aaron said that his ministry had established a technical committee on Rukun Negara education involving the education, higher education, and communication ministries, with the aim of reinstating the understanding of the basic principles of the Rukun Negara in the national education system.
Aaron said his ministry, in collaboration with the MoE and MoHE, had established 6,849 Rukun Negara Clubs and 189 Rukun Negara Secretariats nationwide to enhance the understanding of the Rukun Negara among the younger generation.
“This year, the ministry, through its agencies, will intensify efforts to promote a deeper understanding of the Rukun Negara among the people so that it becomes a daily practice,” he said.
Among the initiatives to be implemented this year are the Rukun Negara Exploration; Our King, Our Umbrella Programme; Royal Archives Exhibition: Symbols of National Unity, and the Rukun Negara Secretariat Convention. – Scoop
