Keep the legacy alive
Our convent schools should be saved for the good of the nation.
PLEASE save our convent schools for the good of the nation. Malaysia is unique because of our education system which dates back to the pre-independence days,” said the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP).
The nation’s convent schools, set up by the Holy Infant Jesus Mission, are a melting pot of all races, and a reflection of the 1Malaysia aspiration, said NUTP secretary-general Harry Tan( pic).
He was responding to talk about the possible closure of SK Convent Light Street, SMK Convent Light Street, and SMK Convent Pulau Tikus, in Penang, after a letter from the Northeast District Education District went viral recently.
The letter, which stated that the schools would not take in new students from 2018, has since been withdrawn.
Urging the Government to look into the administration of the schools, Tan said discussions must be held with the Sisters of the Infant Jesus Malaysia (IJS) – a Catholic order that owns the land.
Tan said he was concerned about the possible closure and the various constraints that the sisters have endured over the years.
“They have been systematically phased out of the schools which they started, and have been side- lined on so many issues pertaining to the schools.
“The government’s assurance of maximum consultation in relation to reasonable requests, have not been honoured.
“For example, one school has, for many years, been denied the principal of its choice.”
NUTP, he said, hopes that the government can meet with the IJS to find an amicable, and lasting solution, for the good of the country.
“I appeal to the government not to let this illustrious chapter of our history come to a close. He said it was a fact that the IJS schools have produced highly talented students, with good English.
These students, he said, are diligent, innovative, and creative, because they’ve had to make do with whatever little they have.
The government, under the leadership of the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, has recognised this, and is assisting mission schools with allocation given direct to the Board of Governors, he said.
“This is an important acknowledgement of the role mission schools play in our education system.
“I hope the government can also look into the other concerns these schools face so that they’re not forced to close their doors to a nation that clearly still needs them.”
Its spokesman Sister Celina Wong said IJS was founded in France for the education of the poor and abandoned children.
The Sisters, she said, want to go back to their initial reason for being here, that is, to provide a wholesome education in their mission schools.
“They have no intention to sell the land and buildings for redevelopment,” added Wong.