Saravanan writes to PM, Fadhlina: Don’t compromise Tamil language hours

MIC Deputy President M Saravanan has challenged proposals to reduce Tamil language teaching time at Tamil National Primary Schools (SJK) from 12 to 10 periods per week as part of the drafting of the school curriculum for 2027. The MIC deputy highlighted concerns among teachers, parents, Parent-Teacher-Guardian Associations (PTGA), and the Indian community regarding the future of teaching their mother tongue.

Saravanan has submitted a letter to Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek on November 4, to challenge the proposal, which has also been sent to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. According to Tanah Merah MP, SJK(T) plays a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage, cultural identity, and the preservation of the Tamil language among Malaysian children.

"Tamil mother tongue is not just a means of daily communication, but rather, an essential foundation for shaping intellect, emotional development, moral values, and cultural identity in early schooling," he said in a statement. Saravanan stated that the already existing teaching time for mother tongue should not be reduced solely to accommodate new subject modules or introduction of character-building modules.

However, he supports the Ministry of Education's efforts to introduce a character-building module to nurture well-rounded students. As an alternative, Saravanan proposes incorporating the content of the module 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 reducing the time allocated for Tamil language instruction," he added.