Many wonder why non-Malay children are not enrolling in national schools. I am sure some are wondering, too, why there are many bumiputera children enrolling in Chinese schools.

Two of my children were educated in a Chinese school up to SPM level. They have a well-rounded education and are proficient not only in Chinese, but in Bahasa Malaysia and English too.

Their science and mathematic skills were presentable. Whereas, students at national schools, especially from the rural areas, hardly can speak English. Precisely because the teachers who are supposed to teach them English, have no working knowledge of the language.

This is why I and many parents chose other than national schools for our children's education, even though we are bumiputeras. Yet, there are still among our mighty and powerful who are dumbstruck as to the real situation on the ground.

Let's us ask this question. Where do our bumiputera ministers send their children to study? How many rich bumiputera parents send their children to Singapore, or overseas for an education? I understand, the prime minister's youngish, twenty-something son-in-law had his education in Cambridge. Why not at UKM, UPM, UiTM or USM?.

I appreciate every effort by the government to improve the standard of education in the country. Among others, the teaching of maths and science in English. But this effort will only bear fruit in 20 years time.

We have already lost several generations to narrow nationalism. And at this age, where new technologies are being discovered or invented almost every day, we are going to be a big loser.

If we are really serious in our effort to realise our dream of being a developed country by 2020, the government should introduce English as the medium of instruction in national schools. BM should be taught as a compulsory subject. In order to achieve a pass at the SPM level, a credit in BM should be a must.

Proficiency in foreign languages does not necessarily reflect a lack of patriotism. We can be very patriotic but if cannot acquire new technologies because of a lack of proficiency in a language, then our patriotism is next to nothing.

The prime minister has expressed concerns over the huge number of unemployed local graduates. I think the bulk of the problem is their lack of proficiency in the English language.

I can still vividly recall the conversation I had with a consultant engaged by a huge plantation company. He was asked to recruit employable graduates for the company. Working knowledge in English was one of the criteria for employment.

To his horror, hardly a handful could speak and write well in English. The majority couldn't even complete one simple, grammatically correct sentence.

This is quite a revelation about the standard of our education nowadays despite the hype and hyperboles by our politicians that our institutions of higher learning are of high standard.