KUALA LUMPUR – The number of Malay students enrolling in Chinese vernacular schools has increased significantly in the last 10 years, according to Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.
In a parliamentary written reply, the senior minister said Malay participation surged from just 9.15% in 2010 to 15.33% this year.
Participation from Indian students and students of other races has also increased during this period, from 1.67% to 2.75% and from 1.02% to 1.67%, respectively.
Interestingly, it is the number of Chinese students’ enrolment that has seen a decrease, from 88.16% 10 years ago to 80.25% presently.
He was responding to a question from Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PH-Setiawangsa) on the racial breakdown of students in Chinese schools, as well as national, Tamil, and private schools from 2010 to today.
According to Radzi, there has been a drop in enrolment among non-Malay students in national schools, with Chinese participation dropping from 1.17% to 0.73%, and Indians from 3.15% to 2.63%.
Malay students’ enrolment increased during this period, from 93% to 94%.
Radzi added that the participation in Indian vernacular schools have largely remained the same, with Indian students making up 99% of the overall enrolment.
“As for private schools, Chinese make up the majority this year with 65.88% of the overall students' intake, followed by Malay and Bumiputera (26.96%), Indian (4%) and others (3.17%). – The Vibes, November 11, 2020
