I urge all Tamil parents who have children in Secondary Schools to write in to the Forum Page if you have a similar experience like us.
In 1973 I was posted to Jurong Integrated Secondary School.
Back then, there were no Tamil classes conducted in the school.
Students had to travel by bus from Old Jurong road to Whitley secondary
at Dunearn road to attend Tamil lessons either after or before school
depending on whether one is in the morning or afternoon session.
Stress aside, I always slept during lessons out of sheer tiredness.
Sad to say, many of my classmates as well as myself, did not do well in Tamil.
During normal school hours, while all of the Chinese and Malay students
were having their second language sessions, Tamil students will have to
laze around the fields or tuck shops without any supervision.
We just took it in stride as Singapore was different in the old days.
We were undeveloped and lacked resources in many areas.
40 years forward, it's 2013 and my daughter is posted to Regent Secondary school.
Imagine my shock when she came home to announce that she is required to travel
to Teck Whye secondary for her Tamil lessons after school. Regent secondary only
have classes for students from secondary 2 onwards. None for secondary one students.
Same as before, they have to remain in school while the other races are
having their mother-tongue lessons. Simply laze around without any supervision.
We parents find this an utter waste of time and resources.
Not to mention the additional stress of having to travel to and fro.
Despite all the progress and improvements to our country as well as our education system,
during the last 40 years, one thing still remains the same.
Tamil students are expected to excel over their peers, but where is the support from the ministry?
There is no shortage of Tamil teachers in Singapore, given that the ministry now has, not only a talent pool
of local graduate teachers, but also many foreign teachers from India, of whom many have already been awarded PR status.
We parents also believe that there's no lack of Tamil students to form a cohort.
Parents like us feel that Tamil, being one of the four official languages in Singapore is being discriminated.
After 40 years of nation building, where is the progress for Tamil students?
Are our schools so poorly funded or equipped that we cannot even arrange classes for Tamil students in their own school.
Who is responsible for these arrangements? The school or the Ministry?