TO HELP Malay students in a Chinese school pick up the language (Chinese), a dedicated teacher spends hours teaching them free of charge.
Beh Chooi Ken, is a Chinese language teacher in SJK(C) Khay Beng in Kangar and gives 90 minutes of free tuition weekly to Malay students from Years One to Five.
According to reports in Sin Chew Daily, the number of Malay students began increasing every year and many only began learning Chinese in Year One.
These Malay students also did not speak Chinese at home and this made it difficult for them to pick up the language.
Beh then took up the suggestion by the school headmistress and began teaching Malay students the Chinese language without charging any fees.
Due to the growing number of Malay students and dropping number of Chinese students, the school has been working hard to maintain its academic performance.
There are currently 54 students in SJK(C) Khay Beng, of which 33 are Malay students
The school which began as a dilapidated building has since grown to one equipped with a computer lab, science room, library, music room and school hall.
After 27 years of dedicating her life to teaching Chinese, Beh retired last year.
"She has never failed to inspire us and always made it a point to correct our pronunciation to ensure we spoke well," said a student. - The Vibes, March 27, 2024
