Maszlee: Teachers to decide how to teach khat, lessons cut to 3 pages
Teachers would be given the option to decide whether to teach khat (Jawi calligraphy) which has been included in the Bahasa Malaysia syllabus for Standard 4 pupils starting next year...
Teachers would decide on the method of teaching khat (Jawi calligraphy) which has been included in the Bahasa Malaysia syllabus for Standard 4 pupils starting next year.
Following objections from various quarters, including Chinese and Tamil education groups, Education Minister Maszlee Malik said the cabinet also decided that the lessons would be reduced to three pages instead of the initial six.
"The cabinet decided that the introduction of khat will be optional with teachers given the power to decide on how to use their creativity to implement in their respective classrooms," he told a press conference in Putrajaya this afternoon.
Previously, the ministry announced that the teaching of khat would be made compulsory, igniting concerns it was aimed at establishing Islamisation in vernacular schools, which Maszlee denied.
In his media statement, the minister said: “Pengenalan tulisan khat ini dilaksanakan secara pilihan dengan guru diberikan kuasa untuk membuat keputusan mengenai kaedah pelaksananya di bilik darjah masing-masing. (The introduction of khat would be implemented in an optional manner and teachers would be given the power to decide how to implement it in their respective classrooms).
Quizzed later if this meant pupils could choose whether or not to learn khat, the minister did not provide a direct answer but corrected the journalist that Jawi is not a language or subject.
Maszlee then explained in Mandarin the difference between Jawi and khat.
"Bu Shi Zhao Yi Wen (khat is not Jawi language), Zhao Yi Shi Shu Fa (khat is a form of calligraphy). Jangan tersilap (Don't make a mistake),” he said.
The minister further explained that the introduction of khat is just an activity in the Bahasa Malaysia textbook.
Malaysiakini understands that the statement meant teachers would be given the power to decide whether to teach khat or otherwise.
Meanwhile, Maszlee said the cabinet decided on the revisions yesterday after considering feedback from various quarters.
"The cabinet also has a consensus that the introduction of khat will not be evaluated in tests or exams.
"The Education Ministry hopes that with the decision by the cabinet, the introduction of khat will no longer be raised in an inaccurate manner which causes public confusion," he added.
The revision came after more than a week of pushback, with pressure being piled on DAP in particular.
While DAP central leaders defended the initial six-page lessons, the party's grassroots denounced the move.
This prompted DAP to summon all its elected representatives to Kuala Lumpur on Monday where secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also finance minister, was tasked with resolving the matter.
Lim met with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad twice over the issue within a span of 24 hours.
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