THE government must establish a high-level committee to look into ways of reinforcing the Tamil school system, DAP leader P. Ramasamy said.

The former educator who is now the second Penang deputy chief minister said the committee can be chaired by a senior civil servant or the education minister.

Its function would be to look into improving the state of existing Tamil schools, including addressing poor student enrolment, which had resulted in closure of such schools in the country, he said.

“The last one or two decades have seen a reduction in the number of Tamil schools and this is a major concern to the Indian community,” he said in a statement today.

Ramasamy was referring to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent remarks in a seminar on education and the Indian community that it was better to close down micro-Tamil schools with 15 students or fewer, so that funds could be diverted to improving the existing Tamil schools with high enrolment.

He further said populist attitudes towards the preservation of Tamil schools with declining student populations might not be in the best interest of the Indian community.

“Anwar is partially right in saying that some Tamil schools located in estates might become untenable due to low enrolment.

“However, before a decision is made, I suggest that Anwar appoint a high-powered committee to look into ways of strengthening the Tamil school system,” said Ramasamy.

The DAP leader said the Indian population relocating to elsewhere from the estates, over the years, has resulted in a decline of student enrolment in vernacular schools.

“While the enrolment of Indian students have increased in urban Tamil schools, it is the opposite for schools in estates.

“Today, some of these schools have student enrolment ranging from 15 to 50 students.

“In the years to come – and that might not be far ahead – these schools stand the chance of dying a natural death,” he said.

The Perai assemblyman added that there were more than 1,000 Tamil schools in the country in the 1960s and 1970s, but the number has now dwindled to 526.

“If student enrolment continues to decline, there is a high possibility that more schools will have to be closed down,” he warned.

Ramasamy admitted some of the schools located in the estates with only 15 students or fewer are beyond rescue.

However, he wants the government to stop these schools for dying a natural death. He suggested for a parallel initiative to build new Tamil schools in urban areas to replace the ones that had shut.

He said there is an effort to transfer the licence of SJKT Bednoch in Kulim, which was shut due to low enrolment, to a new school in Bagan, Penang.

“The Penang government has provided a four-acre (1.6ha) plot of land for the relocation of the Bednoch Tamil school.

“The school’s newly formed committee is waiting for the Education Ministry’s final approval,” Ramasamy said. – June 12, 2023.