Saravanan bantah pengurangan waktu bahasa Tamil di SJK

MIC Deputy President M Saravanan has challenged proposals to reduce Tamil language teaching time at Tamil National Primary Schools (SJKT) from 12 to 10 periods per week as part of the revision of the 2027 school curriculum. The Indian leader stated that the reduction would cause concern among teachers, parents, Parent-Teacher-Guardian Associations (PIBG), and the Tamil-speaking Indian community worried about the future of their mother tongue education.

Saravanan said he had sent a letter to Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek on November 4 to object to the proposal, with a copy also sent to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. According to Tanah spokesperson, SJK(T) plays a crucial role in preserving the legacy, cultural identity, and maintenance of the Tamil language in Malaysia. "Tamil mother tongue is not merely a daily communication tool, but rather a vital foundation for shaping intellect, emotional development, strong values, and cultural identity in early school years," he said in a statement.

Saravanan argued that the existing teaching time for Tamil should not be reduced solely to accommodate new subject modules or lessons. However, he supported the Education Ministry's efforts to introduce a character-building module to shape well-rounded students. As an alternative, he proposed incorporating the module content into the existing moral education teaching time without reducing the time allocated for Tamil language instruction.

"This approach can achieve the goal of character development without needing to reduce Tamil language teaching time," he said.