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| Malaysian Mission Schools News Archive New Straits Times, Tuesday, August 26, 2008 SCHOOLS should make it a priority to purge racial harassment, perpetrated by either teachers or students. In most national schools, there are a number of children from minority communities. No child should be racially harassed in school just because he or she comes from a minority group. Racial resentment, if allowed to fester, would cause unrestrained hatred among students of different backgrounds. A racially hostile environment only worsens the emotional anguish of students. There have been reports of minority students changing schools because of the intolerance they encountered. This is an unhealthy development when the philosophy of our education policy is to integrate children of all races through national schools. There has to be genuine commitment from both teachers and students to ensure that schools have a safe learning environment, irrespective of the racial composition. The Ministry of Education should be proactive to nip this malignancy in the bud. It should ensure that schools adopt policies and procedures to address racial harassment. Principals should be chided if their schools do not comply with the requirements of best practices in harmonising the school community. It is the responsibility of the principals to identify these best practices. These have to be implemented in all national schools. Despite assurances from the authorities that racial harassment is not tolerated by the government, we still see seasonal incidents in schools. If racial harassment becomes frequent and common, it would be construed that school teachers are ill equipped and poorly trained to respond appropriately to incidents of this nature. Schools should strive to be a desirable and welcoming place to study for students of all backgrounds, and a safe and hospitable place for all. Teachers and students should be exposed to social activities within the school community to foster greater tolerance and sensitivity to racial issues. Teacher-training must include diversity and anti-racism issues in the curriculum. Future teachers must appreciate better the importance of tolerance and patience in handling students of different races and religions in their classes. Teach trainee teachers how to nurture the mental health of minorities and instil in all students the values of tolerance and understanding to develop a harmonious society. Teachers and parents should at all times identify positive steps to overcome the problem of racial harassment. After 50 years of independence and defining ourselves as Malaysians, we have to learn to embrace the growing diversity of all communities and take steps to produce students who can understand and respect the differences among all people. Bigotry in the form of racial harassment, if allowed to persist, will only deprive our future workforce of tolerance and understanding. DR M.A. NAIRBandar Muadzam Shah Malayan Christian Schools Council (MCSC) Symposium on Mission Schools Meeting the Needs of the Nation » Watch videos and read forum papers |
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