COMMENT | A tribute to public school teachers

COMMENT | Imagine this. A middle-class parent is deciding where to enrol their child for primary school. Should they go private, international, vernacular or public?

Private or international seems beyond reach. The annual fees average about RM30,000, excluding other expenses. (For context, undergraduate studies in a public university cost about RM3,000 a year).

Vernacular schools, whether independent or government-aided (SJKC and SJKT), are not ideal either. Learning in a racial and linguistic bubble seems counter-intuitive to educating a child for life.

The only option? Public schools. Not just any public school. But one where the teachers are demonstrably dedicated, teachers who care for their pupils’ social and cognitive development...