Education groups have questioned the government's intention to standardise timetables for all schools, pointing out that vernacular schools may not benefit from the move.

"Standardising timetables may sound good for most situations. However for Tamil schools it may pose peculiar problems especially when we have pressing issues like shortage of headmasters, teachers, classrooms, chairs and tables," said M.Manogaran, president of the Tamil Foundation of Malaysia.

He is not in favour of the move right now because of a difference in curriculum and structure as Tamil schools are not on a 'level playing field' with national schools.

"Standardise the school buildings first before its curriculum. Install ceiling fans in all schools or even air conditioning. Give us better funding for furniture and books.

"We've related our plight and issues to the government constantly but it isn't addressed fully," he said when contacted.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the government may standardise school timetables nationwide to allow schools to receive simultaneous broadcasts of educational programmes and teleconferencing.

"This approach is also helpful for schools without adequate teachers or lacking certain facilities," he said. Abdullah said he had also spoken to Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein about this.

"This will provide an opportunity for a specialist teacher in a certain subject, especially science and mathematics, to provide guidance to students all over the country, without the need for his or her physical presence at the schools," the premier explained.

Pressing necessity

However according to Manogaran, basic facilities are the pressing necessity for many Tamil schools and this should be given priority.

"I'm dumbfounded at the call to standardise timetables for viewing TV programmes when a number of our Tamil schools don't even get electricity," lamented the educationist.

"Time-tabling should be left to the school's administration as we can manoeuver around our handicaps. Will it (the ICT move) work when schools and students are at different levels?

"Perhaps it may work only for a subject like Bahasa Malaysia," he added.

Far fetched idea

Meanwhile, the Malaysia Youth and Student Democratic Movement (Dema) also aired its reservations about the proposal.

"I really doubt whether the proposed move will be effective in rural and vernacular schools. The use of high tech information technology systems seems a bit far fetched for schools without basic facilities." said its secretary of national affairs Chang Lih Kang.

The issue of what language the subjects will be taught in is daunting as Chinese and Tamil schools will certainly have a poser if these are done in Bahasa Malaysia or English since all subjects apart from language subjects, science and mathematics are taught in their respective mother tongues in vernacular schools.

"Perhaps there should be a closer look into the implementation of the move to address questions like whether of not a translator will be needed for vernacular schools when a lesson is televised using teleconferencing.

"It's important that education policies are not made by politicians. It's imperative that educationalist should be consulted closely in such matters," Chang said.

He named the Tamil Foundation and Dong Jiao Zhong as key players that needed to be consulted in matters pertaining to education.