SANDAKAN: State Education, Science and Technology Minister Datuk James Ratib called on the Government to provide special allocations for tuition classes to strengthen English proficiency in national schools and Mandarin proficiency in Chinese vernacular schools (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina).
He said the proposal is timely, particularly when more non-Chinese students, including Malays, are enrolling in SJKCs.
“Today, many students in Chinese vernacular schools are no longer only Chinese. Many Malay parents are also choosing to send their children there.
“However, many of these students only use Mandarin in school and revert to speaking Malay at home, which affects their mastery of the language,” he said after officiating the School Management Appreciation Ceremony, organised by the Sandakan District Education Office, at the SMJK Tiong Hua hall.
James said tuition classes would help non-Chinese students improve their command of Mandarin and maximise the benefits of studying in SJKCs.
He also stressed the need to improve English proficiency among students in national schools, saying classroom exposure alone is insufficient.
“In many schools, English is taught only for a limited period each day, which is not enough for students to develop strong language skills. English remains an essential language, especially for international communication and future employment opportunities,” he said.
James noted that proficiency in three languages - Bahasa Malaysia, English and Mandarin - would provide students with a competitive advantage in higher education and the job market.
“Mandarin is a widely spoken language while English is an international language. Students who master these three languages will have wider opportunities in the future,” he said.
He urged the Government to allocate funding for tuition programmes in both national and Chinese vernacular schools to enhance language proficiency among students.
James also called on the Government to restructure Sabah’s school grading system to ensure a more comprehensive assessment of school performance and needs.
During the ceremony, he presented the Outstanding Educator Award to former headmaster Jamal Asim, 70, who served as headmaster at SK Jaya Bakti Beluran (1989-1995), SK Sungai Kayu Sandakan (1995-2001), SK Bandar Sandakan (2002-2011) and SK Sungai Anib 2 Sandakan ( 2011-2016).
