Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email GO TO SCHOOL WITHOUT BIRTH CERT.
FUND FOR ESTATE WORKERS’ CHILDREN.
AID FOR CAPITAL-AIDED SCHOOLS.
ONE WORD – GREAT!
TWO WORDS – ELECTION GOODIES.
THREE WORDS – THANK YOU HINDRAF!
after reading carefully, the usual words – “willing” and “in the process” – was found, meaning not conclusive and no guarantee! More bullets for MIC candidates to win over the Indian community.
However, I guess this encompasses schools in Sabah and Sarawak as well, so that the schools for Orang Asil community is also taken care of. If not, not fair right?
NST as usual praises SV and Toyo for highlighting the plight of Tamil schools and Birth Cert/IC problems.
The joke comes from Hishamuddin who says:
… most estate schools were not fully aided. “We are identifying more schools that will be eligible for full government assistance.” The cabinet had directed him and Plantation Enterprises and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin to look into ways to help the schools.”I hope this decision will not be politicised as the time has come for estate schools to be given assistance.”
Can anyone wonder why after 50 years and specifically in the last two months, these changes are being “looked into”. Seems like he just woke up and realised that most estate schools were not fully aided!
Finally, if one reads NST version, we can see that the Indian community in the estates are now being compared with Penan and Orang Asli communities. No offense to these community, but I feel that show how much the Indian community have been left behind.
Children without birth certs can now attend school
BERNAMA
source
PUTRAJAYA, Fri:
The children of plantation workers who do not have birth certificates can now go to school, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein announced today. He said the Cabinet had decided that it was no longer necessary for the parents or guardians to wait for the National Registration Department’s certification to register their children at any school. All they had to do was to obtain a verification letter from the village head or Village Development and Security Committee chairman in their areas, he said.
“I have instructed all schools to accept these children. I have asked the headmasters and teachers to put themselves in an accomodative position. “I do not want to hear any headmaster blocking or rejecting such applications,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting involving his ministry and the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry on the setting up of a scholarship fund for the children of plantation workers here.
He also said that the Education Ministry was in the process of identifying capital-aided schools in plantation areas which would not be able to survive and would give them full assistance.”The government is willing to look into ways on how capital-aided schools can have their status changed,” he said. – BERNAMA
New hope for no-cert estate kids
By : Hamidah Atan
source
PUTRAJAYA: With immediate effect, children of estate workers without birth certificates can now enter national schools. The cabinet made the decision recently in the wake of reports about many Indian children without birth certificates. Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the door was now open to them and other children in rural areas to get easy access to, and equal opportunities in, education. “We are opening the door to these children and we hope they will make the best of it,” he said after chairing a meeting at his ministry on an educational fund for children of estate workers.
At the meeting were Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Dr S. Vijayaratnam, Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom and chief executive officer of Malaysia Palm Oil Association Datuk Mamat Salleh.
Children who lacked a birth certificate have hitherto not been allowed into national schools. Hishammuddin said the cabinet had also decided that parents of children with birth certificates need not wait for a letter of endorsement from the National Registration Department. It is sufficient for parents to get a letter of consent from their headmen or village development and security committee leaders. “Parents or guardians of the children only need to inform or prove to the headmen or committee leaders that they are Malaysian citizens.
“Schools have been told to accept such letters. “They must present the letters before the children are allowed into the schools.”
Hishammuddin said the decision was important in ensuring that certain clusters of the community would enjoy equal benefits made available by the government. “It is similar to the Penan and the Orang Asli communities who were previously placed under a separate category.
“Under our national education plan, all will be treated equally and by 2010, no student, from any race or group whatsoever, will be margi-nalised or sidelined. “We will strive to bridge the educational gap between urban and rural areas.”
The minister added the government spent millions of ringgit each year on scholarships and other forms of educational assistance for school children. “Money from the fund can be used to upgrade schools and teacher’s quarters in rural areas.” About 85,000 children of estate workers are expected to benefit from the fund. He added there were 517 schools in estates or plantations against 10,000 national schools run by the government.
Hishammuddin also said most estate schools were not fully aided. “We are identifying more schools that will be eligible for full government assistance.” The cabinet had directed him and Plantation Enterprises and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin to look into ways to help the schools. “I hope this decision will not be politicised as the time has come for estate schools to be given assistance.”
MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had highlighted the problems faced by Indian children without birth certificates. He had said it would be better if the state governments handled the matter rather than the MIC itself. Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo had said recently that he had brought up to the Umno supreme council the matter of around 40,000 Indian children in the state who were without birth certificates. Selangor, he said, was enlisting the help of non-governmental organisations to get details about these children.
Children without birth certs can now go to school
Children without birth certificates can now go to schoolBy KAREN CHAPMAN
PUTRAJAYA: Children who do not have birth certificates can now be enrolled in school as long as their parents obtain a confirmation letter from their village headman or the Village Development and Safety Committee (JKKK) head.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said under present regulations, children who do not have birth certificates cannot attend school.
“This is a Cabinet decision and takes effect immediately. These children no longer need to wait for confirmation from the National Registration Department,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting between his ministry and the Plantation and Commodities Ministry. All school heads have been directed to accept these pupils, he added.
Hishammuddin said the Cabinet has also approved the setting up of a fund especially for the children of estate workers. “This will help ensure they receive equal access to education and prevent them from dropping out of school,” he said. The two ministries, he added, have taken the initiative to set up the fund. Money for the fund would come from donations from government-linked companies as part of their corporate social responsibility, he added. He said 85,000 pupils in 517 schools in estate areas should benefit from the fund.
On another matter, Hishammuddin said the ministry would identify partially aided schools at estates, which were having problems with their status. “We will look into how we can convert their status,” he said.
