Chinese schools encouraged to innovate, enhance education to attract students

SIBU (Aug 25): All management boards of Chinese schools in the country are urged to pay more attention to the development of Chinese education, abandon factional disputes, unite as one, brainstorm ideas, and jointly promote the reform and progress of Chinese education.

In making the call, Sarawak United Association of Chinese School Boards of Management (Sha Dong Zong) chairman Temenggong Dato Vincent Lau said the challenges in the future will not be less than in the past.

“We must continue to innovate ourselves and improve the quality of education to make independent Chinese high schools the educational institution of choice for parents.

“This is not only for the survival of the school, but also for the sustainable development of Chinese education,” he said during SM Wong Nai Siong 57th anniversary celebration here last night.

Lau, who is also SM Wong Nai Siong Board of Directors chairman, earlier said that since its establishment, the school has been unswervingly committed to providing high-quality Chinese education.

He said with the unity and cooperation of the board of directors, principal and staff, the school has also been developing continuously over the years.

“The number of students has shown a growth trend every year. The students have also performed outstandingly in examinations and academic and extracurricular activities.

“We know very well that the origin of Chinese schools is not only to provide children with educational opportunities, but also to inherit Chinese culture and preserve our mother tongue,” he said.

However, with the development of society, parents’ expectations of schools are also changing, he said.

Lau said parents not only care about cultural inheritance, but also hope that schools can provide the best educational resources and development advantages for their children.

“Against this background, independent Chinese secondary schools are facing unprecedented challenges.

“According to data, Chinese independent high schools across the country currently attract only 14 to 15 per cent of Chinese primary school pupils, which shows that we still have huge room for improvement.”

He noted that many Chinese independent high schools have been slowly ‘transforming’ to adapt and meet the needs of society and parents.

“In addition to Dong Zong’s unified curriculum, they also offer government courses, overseas international courses, and even open international schools in order to survive and develop, but it is obvious that these efforts have not brought fundamental changes to Chinese education,” he said.

Among those present were Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Alice Lau, SM Wong Nai Siong principal Lu Yew Hiuung, SM Wong Nai Siong Board of Directors deputy chairman Dato Chieng Buong Toon and Bawang Assan assemblyman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh.