I would like to express my utmost gratitude towards my parents who made their most crucial decision a decade ago to send their children to national schools since primary level despite received criticism from friends and family whom have strong chinese education background. They see the future in which a national school may promise although strongly agree to the effectiveness in chinese education especially in the subjects of Maths and Science. What have bear in their mind is not only the academic importance but also the holistic viewpoint that their children will achieve. They have even hailed the idea of national unity and believed national schools can provide a platform to carve it in each n everyone of us. What is the importance in holding fast in extremism the idea of ethnic identity and preserverence of mother tongue if we are not able to mingle well in a such complex and diverse society which reflect uniqueness of Malaysian culture.
It is no doubt that culture and mother tongue language should be the priority to reflect the identity of each ethnic group but we should also must remind ourselves that we are living in Malaysia where she will always be our homeland. We shall not make the differences between ethnicity surrounding us as a liability but as an asset to which we can reap much benefit from. This is what the true objective of a national school intended to sow in every Malaysian. This is what may actually determine the future and Malaysia and certainly not what our forefathers hope to see what is happening right now when the idea is first introduced. Despite being taught in full Bahasa Malaysia except for Maths and Science is taught in English which is the most brilliant brainchild in the education history in our country, we are still given many chances to learn our mother tongue in school and opportunities to involve in cultural society such as the Tiong Hua Society and the Indian Cultural Society. Undeniably, the system certainly did not propel my English proficiency to Shakespearean level but certainly did provide me opportunity to learn in which many of us find it very useful in facing English Proficiency Test like MUET or IELTS in our tertiary education now. This is indeed suits the saying, "killing two birds with one stone", in fact not only two but a flock of them in which from my personal point of view from what I had experience and are enjoying till today.
Hence, let us not continue bickering on the issue of vernacular school or the language of teaching for Maths and Science as this will not benefit anyone but certainly will jeopardise the future of the children. Instead of finding fault in each option that are available, why not let us together find the solution in merging the best from them. A comprehensive decision have to be made from top authorities and stakeholders to put this ongoing dispute to rest. As the saying goes, "always look at the glass as half full and not half empty". We should always hold fast to that in every decision we make.
