KUALA LUMPUR: The passing rate for Bahasa Melayu (BM) in Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaaan Cina (SKJC) has improved significantly in recent years, reaching almost 90 per cent.
Malaysian Chinese Language Council (MCLC) president Datuk Eddie Heng said the passing rate for the subject among SJKC pupils now stood at 85 to 90 per cent, compared to 45 per cent in the 1970s and 1980s.
"Although the passing rate of the Malay language has shown significant improvement, the council is looking forward to witnessing a pass for every SJKC pupil in the Malay language paper where the majority of pupils are able to score a better result, such as A or B.
"BM is important for SJKC pupils to continue their education in secondary school, where the medium of instruction is BM.
"The Chinese community and parents who send their children to SJKC are serious about learning BM and care about their children's command of the language," he said in a statement today.
Heng said the MCLC has set up a working committee since 2017, to focus on upgrading the standard of BM in SJKC by inviting Malay scholars; teachers and representatives of the Chinese education organisations to join them.
He added that the council was planning a training session for BM teachers from SKJC in Kuala Lumpur next month.
"The council is also organising a workshop for SKJC teachers who teach BM in the lower primary levels to upgrade their standard of teaching, especially focusing on enhancing pupils' communication and oral skills.
"We will also be working with education organisations and state education departments to promote the training sessions throughout the country.
On Jan 18, Berita Harian reported the assumption that Bahasa Melayu was a subject that was difficult to master along with the perception that it was an unimportant subject to learn as among the main hurdles and obstacles for teachers of the subject at Chinese vernacular schools.
The report also claimed that there were also some pupils who did not see the importance of BM in their everyday lives, as they would still be able to further their education at private institutions of higher learning.