An Equitable Education System?

On the 3rd December 2006, the Minister of Education, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein announced a budget of RM709 million to build up to 15 new Maktab Rendah Sains Malaysia (MRSMs) and more for upgrades and repairs of existing MRSMs. This announcement actually exceeds the RM90 million announced in the 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP) to build 2 new MRSMs as well as upgrade of existing facilities.

On the 9th December 2006, that is last Saturday, the same Minister of Education announced additional funds of RM2.1 million in the 9MP for the purposes of "upgrading "96 Chinese vernacular schools in the country. Grateful Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) president, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting goes out of his way to thank the Minister for his consideration and generous allocation. This was headline news for the local vernacular dailies.

And as political analyst Khoo Kay Peng calculated the complicated sums before arriving at the conclusion that the additional allocation meant a magnanimous RM22,000 for each of the Chinese schools, we are left aghast at state of beggar politics in this country.

On the one hand, we have the richly funded MRSM system which caters almost exclusively to the bumiputera community, while on the other, we have the drastically short-changed vernacular school system which caters largely to the minority communities. Do we have a just and equitable education system in this country?