Compiled by FATIMAH ZAINAL, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
AN Indian NGO has slammed a secondary school in Bestari Jaya in Selangor for preventing Science stream students from taking Tamil Language and Tamil Literature subjects for SPM, Malaysia Nanban reported.
The Selangor Makkal Kalvi Kalachara Samoga Membattu Kazhagam said many school administrations have given weak justifications in the past for not having Tamil Language and Literature classes, such as not having teachers or not enough students.
However, the school in question has the teachers and about 11 students wanting to take the subjects.
During a discussion with the school management, it was claimed that Science stream student already have a lot of subjects.
Taking Tamil subjects may affect the student’s exam results which in turn would affect the school performance, Kazhagam rep and MIC central working committee member L. Siva Subramaniam quoted the school management as saying.
“This is an unacceptable excuse and preventing the students from taking Tamil subjects is intolerable,” he said.
The Kazhagam has submitted a memorandum to the school, demanding that the students be allowed to take the subjects and for the school to organise Tamil language classes during school hours as has been done since 1966, he added.
● The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ‘ >’sign, it denotes a separate news item.