National Education Blueprint sidelines vernacular education system

 The Malaysian Education Blueprint (MEB) 2013-2025 is said to be ‘frank and bold’ and purports to propel Malaysian education system to world class standard. Education activist say it however overlooks an ‘unintended consequence’ as the blueprint would result in marginalising and destroying multi-lingual education” The blueprint states that the ultimate objective is for the National schools to be the school of choice such that interactions between students of different socioeconomic, religious and ethnic backgrounds naturally occur in school. The rational is to achieve national unity by getting the children of all races to go to national schools. A substantial number of children are enrolled in vernacular schools (about 96 per cent of the Chinese children and 56 per cent of the Tamil children go to Chinese and Tamil medium schools). The parents of all these children want mother tongue education for their children for the building and the preservation of cultural heritage, identity and dignity. The advisor of Tamil Foundation K Arumugam demands the relevant authorities of the government should put the education blueprint to public debate and seriously consider the economic, social and political benefits of multi-lingualism and multi-culturalism in this country.