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| Malaysian Mission Schools News Archive Sunday Star, Star Education, July 4, 2004 FOR much of their history, mission schools have enjoyed a level of autonomy that allowed them to develop traditions reminisced about by those who have passed through the system. Since becoming partially-aided government schools in the early 1970s, however, things have changed drastically. Preserving the legacy they are stewards of is no walk in the park today for mission authorities – all too often, they have to contend with people who do not quite grasp the schools' history. Despite their success in producing top scorers who are also all-rounders, these schools face the threat of losing touch with their mission roots and the traditions established by their founders. The problem, say mission school authorities, is not with the upper echelon of government administrators but the implementers, including some Education Ministry officers, school heads and teachers. “The directors-general and ministers have all been very supportive of our schools but at the end of the day it means nothing if the headmaster does not follow through,” says Malaysian Christian Schools Council (MCSC) honorary secretary K.Y. Yin. Leadership lacking According to the council, some school heads have even changed school logos, mottos and colours unilaterally. In what is referred to as a “gentleman's agreement” with the Government in the early 1970s, it was agreed that government-paid teachers would serve in mission schools and there would be consultation on the appointment of school heads. Previously, the mission authorities had the power “to hire and fire school heads”. “We ask for the principle of maximum consultation to be adhered to so that broadminded, cooperative heads will be appointed,” says the council in a statement to StarEducation outlining the strengths of mission schools and the problems they face. “But this has not been adhered to in its entirety,” says Yin, noting that heads who do not understand nor respect the ethos of mission schools have been appointed in some cases. As a consequence, a number of school heads have in the past gone to the extent of spelling the name of mission schools in Jawi and removing crosses from the schools. Brother Michael Jacques, who has served in many La Sallian schools, says items such as the school logo, motto and colours as well as crosses are essential to the identity of mission schools. “It is a matter of respect. When you visit your friend's home, do you ask him to take down pictures that you do not like?” he adds. In such cases, he says, the boards of managers must play a more effective role as custodians of the schools' legacy. “They are the trustees of the schools and as such must make it their responsibility to oversee the general development of the schools,” he says. Brother Michael points out that in the board hierarchy, the school head is only the secretary while the chairman is appointed by the church, so the authority should really rest with the board as a whole. Maintaining good leadership, however, is just addressing a part of the larger challenge faced by Finding the funds “We always refer to ourselves as the stepchild or Cinderella of the ministry. Our schools are always the last to receive any aid – financial or otherwise,” says Yin. The headmaster of a suburban school in the Klang Valley claims that mission schools have all been lumped into the final phase of the ministry's computerisation programme. “Till today we have yet to receive a single computer. Some people from the Public Works Department came to my school last year to measure the area to build the computer laboratory but I have not heard from them since,” he adds. A lot of the facilities in mission schools are, in fact, paid for through self-generated funds and donations. “Everything from jogathons to walkathons and readathons have been organised to raise funds for our schools,” says Yin. Being partially-aided schools, both primary and secondary mission schools are entitled to ringgit-for-ringgit grants from the Government for new development projects. But in this case too, the agreement has not been adhered to in its entirety. When the Methodist Girls Secondary School in Ipoh wanted to build a new school hall costing RM800,000 back in 2000, it raised RM400,000, hoping to get a matching amount from the ministry. It only got RM50,000 and had to raise the remainder on its own. Such is the fate of mission schools. Ministry allocations are also exclusively for new development projects. With many mission schools being very old, fund-raising activities have become regular features for these schools to finance face-lifts and maintenance work. To make matters worse, Brother Jacques adds, some old boys associations are beginning to question the rationale for them to raise funds for the schools. “They ask me: 'Why do we, who are taxpayers, have to raise funds to finance schools that have been provided free to the Government to educate citizens of this country? The mission authorities have already provided the Government with the land and buildings, so why can't we get more help?'“ he says. Dealing with red tape Those fighting to preserve mission schools find it an uphill battle dealing with certain officials who are not supportive of mission schools. Ministry officers, for instance, have often delayed approval of applications to start Christian Fellowship Clubs for no reason at all. A more recent development is the frustrating trend where pupils from primary mission schools are being transferred to other national schools instead of being retained in the same school for their secondary education. For example, SK La Salle and SK Assunta II are no longer feeder schools to SM La Salle or SM Assunta as students are not guaranteed a place there even if they do request for it. All these factors together have resulted in lower enrolments in primary mission schools. And considering the plight of mission schools, more Chinese parents are also opting to send their children to Chinese schools instead. “In Methodist schools, the majority of non-Malay pupils are Indian. Clearly, there is an imbalance,” adds Yin. The MCSC statement also notes that the student population in semi-urban areas does not reflect the non-Malay element in the larger Malaysian population. “A good example is SK Methodist, Pelabuhan Klang – of the 1,292 pupils in the school 1,094 are Malay, 189 Indian, seven Chinese and two of other races,” it says. On a national scale, about 49% of pupils in Methodist primary schools are Malays. While the issues plaguing mission schools may be many, the mission authorities still choose to remain optimistic as they feel the discouraging actions are the work of individuals. “There are circulars and laws in place that protect the status of mission schools. For example, there is a circular stating that Christian Fellowship Clubs can be set up at any school, so there is no reason for the ministry not to approve these clubs,” explains Yin. Perhaps, the Government should reciprocate by giving the mission authorities a clear basis for their faith in the system. The MCSC's plea to the Government is this: “Look after our mission schools, shore them up, appoint suitable heads, maintain a good racial mix and balance in our schools, and give more allocations for maintenance and capital assistance. “This is because mission schools, having lost the esprit de corps through the nationalisation of the schools, find it very difficult to find the financial support that used to be provided by the community, church and old pupils.” – BY GAVIN GOMEZ Pix: ASSUNTARIAN DISCIPLINE: Schools such as SK Assunta II work hard to preserve the ethos of their roots. Pix: BROTHER MICHAEL: ‘School heads need to understand and respect the heritage of mission schools. |
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