EDUCATION: Mother tongue education vital

2009/11/05

S. SUNDARESON, Petaling Jaya

THE current education system that allows parents the choice of national, vernacular or Islamic religious schools should be continued.

The presence of vernacular schools will not hamper national unity.

On the contrary, early education in a mother tongue equips students with basic human values such as universal love, righteousness, filial piety and good neighbourliness, which are the building blocks of national unity.

Studies have shown that children who begin their education in their mother tongue make a better start and continue to perform better than those who start their education in a new language.

Once a solid foundation has been laid, there could be a shift in the medium of instruction.

In Malaysia, Tamils constitute the largest sub-ethnic group (85 per cent) of the Indian Malaysian population of about 1.7 million.

There are 541 Tamil schools in the country and they are vital for the development, nurturing and preservation of the language and culture of the community.

Failure to develop the language will result in Indians losing access to their cultural heritage, including religious texts.