Chinese schools in Sabah filled mainly by other communities

KOTA KINABALU: More than half of the students in the national-type Chinese primary schools in Sabah are from non-Chinese communities, Deputy Education Minister said.

Datuk Chong Sin Woon said on average, there are 65 non-Chinese for every 100 students at SJK(C) here, which is the highest in the country.

“The sino-natives, such as sino-Kadazans, constitute about 10% of the total.

“If we take them into account, then there are 44% Chinese students in Sabah. This means that 56% of the SJK(C) students here are from non-Chinese communities,” he said.

Chong was here to open a seminar on best practices for teaching Mandarin yesterday.

He said the percentage was even higher in Kota Kinabalu where 59 out of the 83 Chinese primary schools have more than 70% non-Chinese students.

In total, there are about 100,000 non-Chinese students at some 1,300 SJK(C) nationwide, added the Deputy Minister.

“We expect the number to grow,” Chong said.

He also advised parents wishing to enrol their children into SJK(C) to prepare them early by sending them to preschools or kindergartens that offer basic Mandarin.

“It would be better for children to have rudimentary Mandarin by the time they enter Year One, or it will be challenging for them and their teachers,” he said.

Chong added that SJK(C) would continue to open its doors to students from non-Chinese communities as this would foster better understanding among all races.

He said studying in SJK(C) would give the students an extra edge as they would be conversant in Chinese, which is fast becoming an international language.