KUCHING: Sarawak DAP had written to the Sarawak State Ministry of Education seeking more clarification on the proposed ‘YB Adopt School for Better English’ programme.
Chairman of Sarawak DAP, Chong Chieng Jen disclosed yesterday that he had received an invitation circular from the Sarawak Government dated 15 June 2017 requesting all the state assemblypersons to adopt one school in his or her constituency “where teachers and students will be encouraged to communicate in English outside the classrooms”, and in response to that letter he had on 24 June 2017 faxed a letter of request to the Sarawak State Ministry of Education for more detailed information about the programme.
“To such request, we elected DAP YBs will be more glad to cooperate and identify the schools. However, before we can do that, we must be sure what the proposed programme entails,” Chong, who is also Member of Parliament for Bandar Kuching and State Assemblyman for Kota Sentosa told a press conference here yesterday.
According to Chong, as such, he had written a letter to the Ministry of Education seeking the clarification on whether there will be any additional tuition class for the students in school to help improve their speaking English; whether there will be teachers assigned for the implementation of the programme in the school; whether there will be additional facilities or allocation of fund given to the adopted school by the State Government; whether there will be any specific prescribed activities or programmes planned by the State Government to improve the proficiency of English communication; and whether the adopted elected representative has the authority to give directive to the principal of the school for the sole purpose of implementing the programme.
“Not only must we have the answers to the above queries, the principals whom we approach for the adoption programme will surely also ask us these details, if not more, before he declares where to allow the adoption or otherwise,” he said.
Therefore, according to Chong, it is pertinent that the State Ministry of Education provides more details relating to the said programme.
So far, according to Chong, he had not received any reply to his letter.
“We hope the State Government can provide the details soonest possible so that we can then implement the adoption programme without any delay,” he said
According to Chong, Sarawak DAP had always stressed the importance of English.
“We have even, in the 80s, opposed to the proposed abolition of English as the official language,” he said.
“In fact,it is also the DAP Sarawak’s policy that if DAP becomes the Government, we will revive the English medium Missions schools in Sarawak,” he said.
