I refer to the Malaysiakini report Mukhriz: Close down vernacular schools .

I cannot agree more with the suggestion by Mukhriz Mahathir on the abolishing of vernacular schools. I grew up in an era of the true ‘Bangsa Malaysia’. I went to the Assunta primary school followed by the Assunta secondary school.

There was a time when we could boast about having one 'true' Malaysian society where race, colour and creed were virtually non-existent. Houses hosting birthday parties and Chinese New Year, Hari Raya's and Deepavalli open houses were filled with all colours and races. Friendships were made and maintained on closeness and shared values.

Education then was of a highly respectable standard. Teachers were held in the highest regard and the profession was highly sought after by all races. Teachers then often reminded us students that they were our ‘second parents’ and due respect was given and accorded.

Indeed, it is an era to be emulated. Be rid of the vernacular schools as it breeds polarisation in our young. However, before we consider Mukhriz's suggestion, please be aware that the current sekolah kebangsaan offers a very sub standard level of education capped by increasing internal racial polarisation amongst teachers and students alike.

When our daughter was ready to attend Standard One, indeed my husband and I thought that many of our friends were paranoid and had exaggerated the bad standard of education in the sekolah kebangsaan .

Lo and behold, we were in for a shock. Schools were nothing like in the past. Teachers were often absent yet others were more keen to hold home tuition classes. My daughter pointed out to me that the teachers were grammatically incorrect in their language.

And for some reason, my seven-year-old often referred to her classmates as that ‘Malay or Indian’ girl, there being no Chinese students in her class! Go figure.

Are our dear MPs aware of this or are their children in private and international schools? Are the MPs willing to put their money where their mouth is? Take a bet on their own kids? Enroll their their own children in the sekolah kebangsaan ?

Religion and race have become such a sensitive topic in our society nowadays and the politicians are using it as a weapon to destroy the peace and unity in our community. To all politicians, do not pursue your propaganda amongst our young.

Indeed, if there was a racial balance amongst the teachers in the national schools, the standard of education would be better and there wouldn’t be constant change in the teaching syllabus. All Malaysians will be proud to enroll their children in our beloved sekolah kebangsaan.

Please give our children a Malaysian future that they can be proud to inherit. Start by taking politics out of our education system. The current rush for international, private and even home schooling has reached 'epidemic' levels.

Those less well informed or the underprivileged have little choice but to rely on the decaying national schools. Racial, economic and religious divergence can only magnify in the forseeable future.

Talk is cheap. Doing takes courage. Start not by doing away with vernacular schools. Start by making it compulsory for all MPs and state assembly persons to send their children to national schools. Don’t stand for elections otherwise.

The minister of education should take the first step towards fulfilling this pledge. Politicians need to walk the path, to have first-hand experience before any meaningful change can take place.

Make Chinese, Tamil and Islamic studies compulsory for Chinese, Indian and Malay children in all national schools. Pay teachers very well and ensure that they spend time teaching with paper work, meetings and kursus attendance kept to the minimum.

This will attract the best brains to the teaching profession - not like now where it is currently a kind of ‘last resort profession’.

Make our national schools so good and attractive that eventually vernacular, private and international schools won’t be able to compete. Then we can hope for a 'natural' death of these racially and economically divisive institutions.

It may take decades, but the journey of a thousand miles does start with the first step.