KUALA LUMPUR – Concerns have been raised by outraged parents of non-Muslim students in an all-girls public school in Johor after the institution allegedly conducted a workshop for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination exclusively for its poor-performing Muslim pupils.
The matter was highlighted by Twitter user Anne Louis yesterday evening, claiming that the two-day-and-one-night workshop was held at a hotel recently.
According to her, the institution, listed as one of the country’s high-performance schools, had originally claimed that the programme was meant only for Muslim students as it would be focusing on Islamic studies.
However, she said, it was later discovered that the workshop was a comprehensive one covering several critical subjects, including chemistry and additional mathematics, triggering the ire of non-Muslim parents and students.
When contacted, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the Johor Education Department was currently looking into the matter and would respond with a statement soon.
The Vibes has also reached out to the school in question for comment, although a staff member said all the teachers are currently unavailable due to the Chinese New Year holidays.
In her Twitter thread, Louis said the school principal should take accountability over the issue, while expressing bemusement that one of the country’s top schools could allow such a blatant and discriminatory practice.
#MalaysiaMadaniFail alert
— Anne Louis (@sangria200) January 23, 2023
So this happened few days back at SMK IJ Convent, Johor Bahru, which upset & outraged non-Muslim parents and students??
School held overnight 2D1N SPM bengkel exam prep for Muslim students only at a hotel, announcing it as for Agama-subject students
She noted that the parents of the non-Muslim students have yet to receive a satisfactory explanation on the matter.
Louis also shared a series of screenshots of a WhatsApp group conversation between school staff and disgruntled parents.
One of the parents, in demanding an explanation, said it was shocking that a convent school would practise racial segregation and that it was extremely unfair to leave the non-Muslim students out.
‘Muslim students faring poorly need help’
In response, the principal said in the purported group conversation that the workshop was part of an intervention to assist Malay students who have fared poorly in their studies.
She noted that a total of 40 students had failed their recent trial examinations, and that if no measure was taken to intervene the students would not be able to pass their SPM.
However, she did not confirm if there were any poor-performing non-Muslim pupils in the school.
“Efforts are being taken to focus on students who failed, to assist them in improving their performance,” she said, adding that the workshop was conducted using funds contributed by parents and other individuals.
“The issue of the school differentiating or neglecting certain students doesn’t arise.
“We want all our students to excel in the SPM in order to maintain the convent’s status as the best school in Johor. We don’t want the performance of the Malay students to be the reason for the convent’s downfall in the 2022 SPM.”
The principal added that she would have been blamed if the school’s SPM results were to deteriorate, and urged parents not to turn the workshop into an issue.
Lawyer and former Johor DAP deputy chief Norman Fernandez however said the school’s focus only on Malay students reeked of selective concern, questioning why only pupils of one race were given attention.
“Are the teachers not concerned about whether the Chinese and Indian students are doing well? Surely, among them, there are also weak students,” he said in a message to The Vibes.
“Rightly, the school should and ought to have done motivational camps, workshops, and provided exam modules for weak students of all races.”
Fernandez asked if there was something more sinister to the issue or if the motivational camp was held to give a leg up to the Malay students.
“The Education Department should immediately investigate the matter and sanction the principal for approving the covert motivational camp, and the teachers who participated and conducted the workshop.” – The Vibes, January 24, 2023
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