Chinese schools body against plan to combine classes
SIBU: The United Association of Chinese Primary Aided School Boards of Management, Sibu and Kapit Division has strongly opposed the plan by the Education Department to introduce a combined class system next year.
Its chairman Dato Tie Chie Ping said should the ‘Kelas Bercantum’ system be implemented, then the Primary 2 would be combined with Primary 3, and Primary 4 with Primary 5. Primary 1 and 6 classes would not be affected.
“Our association opposes strongly the plan to be implemented based on the reasons that the teachers’ workload would be increased and (they would be) facing more work pressure because they have to prepare two lesson plans.
“The time allocated for the combined classes would be shortened from 30 minutes to 15 minutes per period. This could affect the pupils’ attention and performance as well as their learning process.
“The parents would be reluctant to send the children to schools with combined classes. The gap between rural and urban schools would be greater. This would affect the results of the schools at all levels,” he told a press
Our association opposes strongly the plan to be implemented based on the reasons that the teachers’ workload would be increased and (they would be) facing more work pressure because they have to prepare two lesson plans. Dato Tie Chie Ping, United Association of Chinese Primary Aided School Boards of Management, Sibu and Kapit Division chairman
conference at the association’s premises here yesterday.
Tie said the Education Department had planned to introduce the combined class system for both Sekolah Kebangsaan ( SK) and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan ( SJK) schools with enrolment of less than 30 pupils.
Under this plan, he said the excess of the teachers’ quota would be reposted to schools with large enrolment ( Type A schools).
He said there would be 16 SJK Cina (SJKC) and four SKs affected should the implementation be materialised next year.
It is understood that there are 111 primary schools across the state that would be affected, with the most affected category SKs numbering 80, while the rest would be the SJKCs.
Earlier on, the association held a meeting and signed a memorandum by all the representatives of the affected schools.
The memorandum would be submitted to the relevant authorities, including the Education Department.