Christian Council Wants Bible Knowledge For SPM

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.

– BERNAMA
(Education News Update)
Friday, Dec 18, 2009

Council: Allow Bible Knowledge as extra subject in SPM

PETALING JAYA: Students should be allowed to decide which subjects to take for their two additional papers in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, says the Malayan Christian Schools’ Council.

“Surely, such an inclusive approach is more in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of 1Malay sia, ‘People First, Performance Now’,” council chairman Yap Kok Keong told a press conference yesterday.
The council, which represents 464 mission schools nationwide, expressed shock at the omission of Bible Knowledge from the list of subjects Form Five students are allowed to take for the two additional SPM papers.

“It is not the number of candidates that is important,” he said, adding that he did not want the move to be interpreted that the subject was not important.

He said the decision appeared to have been taken hastily without consulting the affected groups, adding that it had also excluded other subjects highly valued by ethnic and religious minorities in Malaysia.

“Bible Knowledge may not seem to have a practical purpose in terms of advancing one’s career but it contributes towards holistic development of the student and inculcates good lifelong values,” says Yap.

He clarified that the council was not pushing for the two additional subjects to be counted in the granting of government scholarships or admission to public universities.

“We don’t want to undermine or affect what the vernacular schools are fighting for; we just want to maintain the availability of the subject to all,” he said.

Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said earlier this month that the two additional subjects students can take are limited to Chinese, Tamil or Arabic Language, and Chinese or Tamil Literature.

– The Star Online
Friday December 18, 2009

Council on SPM: Include Bible studies

PETALING JAYA – The Malayan Christian Schools’ Council, representing Christian schools and missionaries in Peninsular Malaysia, has expressed dismay at the government’s exclusion of Bible Knowldege as an optional subject in the SPM examination.

In June, the public examination was limited to 10 subjects, following complaints that the Education Ministry was losing focus on the core syllabus.

Before that, students were allowed to take up to seven additional subjects.

On Dec 8 the government revised its decision, saying students could now take two more papers in addition to the 10 core subjects.

Under the 10+2 scheme, students can draw their additional papers from the limited field of Arabic, Chinese and Tamil language papers as well as Chinese and Tamil Literature.

‘Leave choice to students’

“This decision appears to have been hastily taken without due consultation,” said council chairman Yap Kok Keong at a press conference here Thursday.

“We urge the Cabinet, in particular the Education Minister, 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’,” said Yap, who is also the deputy executive director of the Methodist Council of Education.

He lamented that the government had ignored their appeals despite “repeated representations” up to as recent as June.

The group said it had also issued a memorandum to Education director-general Alimuddin Mohd Dom.

Yap said it was also unjust to exclude subjects such as as Iban and Pinjabil language, “which are highly valued by ethnic and religious minorities in Malaysia.”

“This marginalisation is a source of great consternation among the affected communities which constitute a significant percentage of Malaysians,” said Yap, adding the council is considering further appeals to the ministry, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Malayan Christian Schools’ Council represents the Mission Authorities of the Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Brethren, Presbyterian and Basel Churches.

– Bede Hong
Malaysian Mirror
Thursday, 17 December 2009 16:13

MCSC: Shocked by SPM 10+2 Exclusivity

The Malayan Christian Schools’ Council (MCSC) held a Press Conference this morning, December 17, 2009 at the MCSC HQ in Petaling Jaya. This is to express the shock of MCSC at the exclusivity of the recently announced SPM 10+2 subjects and the marginalization of subjects like Bible Knowledge.

– Written by pahlawanvolunteers
December 17, 2009 at 4:56 pm

Press Statement by MCSC
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)