I refer to the Malaysiakini report Tamil schools: Whose responsibility? MIC's or government's?

I refer to the ongoing debate on Tamil schools and in general, vernacular schools. I understand that this is an emotional issue and many people feel strongly about the whole concept of education in the mother languages.

I can also understand and agree with the need to preserve the positive aspects of our own rich culture. However, I am not sure that the issues of education and preservation of cultures need to be tied together.

For example, it may be helpful if the parties concerned can be a bit dispassionate and see how these issues are being addressed in other parts of the world.

With the obvious disclaimers that I am no expert in this field and that I have not done full research, I believe that different approaches elsewhere have not led to many detrimental damages to people’s love for their culture and roots.

Let’s look at Singapore. On the ever helpful Internet, I came across a short history of Tamil schools in Singapore. In the final paragraph it says:

‘After 1955 greater recognition was give (sic) to all vernacular schools by the government; from 1959 equal treatment was accorded to all streams of education.

‘Later Tamil parents preferred to send their children to English Schools and this move brought about the closure of all the Tamil medium schools in Singapore. The last to close was the Umar Pulavar Tamil School in Maxwell Road.’

If this is true, there appears to be no Tamil medium school in Singapore or at least, not many. The big question to be answered then is if the non-existence of Tamil medium schools in Singapore has led to the disappearance of Tamil culture in Singapore.

I don’t think so, judging from what I see when I travel there.

I believe that Singaporean Tamils have used other means, and apparently quite effective means, to preserve their culture and language. At the same time, by joining the mainstream education system, Tamil students there appear to me to have done as well as their peers.

The US is another place where Indians have migrated to and they have studied in the English-based education system there without many of them compromising their culture.

Of course, in both these countries, those who decided to adopt other values have done so too. But then again, I am pretty certain that the same happens to some segment of those who study in vernacular language schools in Malaysia.

I reiterate again that everyone involved needs to be a bit dispassionate and examine if maintaining Tamil schools (and yes Chinese schools too) is the only way to preserve the community’s rich heritages.

While doing that, they also need to consider if that approach may actually be detrimental to the future of the very children these champions of vernacular education obviously care so much about.