1. Bernama.com(http://www.bernama.com)
Christian Council Wants Bible Knowledge For SPM, 17 December 2009
PETALING JAYA, Dec 17 (Bernama) -- The Malayan Christian Schools' Council has urged the education ministry to include Bible Knowledge as among the options for two additional subjects for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
Council chairman Yap Kok Keong said the government's decision to limit the additional subjects to Bahasa Arab, Bahasa Cina, Bahasa Tamil, Chinese Literature and Tamil Literature would impact on the number of Bible Knowledge candidates.
At a news conference here on Thursday, he said there were about 1,350 candidates to sign up for the Bible Knowledge subject for the SPM examination.
"Now, we have to tell those students who have taken a year's study of Bible Knowledge that they can't take the subject for the SPM exam because it is outside the quota...and we suddenly noticed that a lot of students would drop the subject," he said.
"In the end, it will kill an important subject in our school curriculum," added Yap.
Yap said the council had urged the ministry to leave the choice of the two additional subjects to the candidate as an inclusive approach, in tune with the 1Malaysia 'People First, Performance Now' vision.
2. NECF Malaysia (http://www.necf.org.my)
PRESS STATEMENT
MALAYAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS’ COUNCIL SHOCKED BY SPM 10+2 EXCLUSIVITY
The Malayan Christian Schools’ Council is shocked at the Government’s decision not to include Bible Knowledge in the 2 additional SPM subjects as announced recently.
This is despite repeated representations and memoranda to the authorities concerned since June this year.
In The Star Online news report dated Tuesday December 8, 2009 it was announced that the two additional SPM subjects are limited to Bahasa Arab, Bahasa Cina, Bahasa Tamil, Chinese Literature and Tamil Literature.
This decision appears to have been hastily taken without due consultation. It has unjustly excluded other subjects which are highly valued by ethnic and religious minorities in Malaysia.
Among these subjects are Bahasa Iban, Bahasa Punjab and Bible Knowledge. This marginalisation is a source of great consternation among the affected communities which constitute a significant percentage of Malaysians.
We urge the Cabinet, in particular the Minister of Education, to leave the choice of the two additional SPM subjects to the candidate. Surely, such an inclusive approach is more in line with the PM’s vision of 1Malaysia “People First, Performance Now”.
YAP KOK KEONG
Chairman
MALAYAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS’ COUNCIL
Dated this 17th December 2009
(The Malayan Christian Schools’ Council represents the Mission Authorities of the Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Brethren, Presbyterian and Basel Churches)
(End)
