REGISTRATION FOR 1962 PRIMARY I CLASSES

Mr Low Por Tuck asked the Minister for Education what is the number of pupils registered in the Primary I classes of each of the four streams of education for 1962.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: The number of pupils registered for 1962 Primary I classes in each of the four streams of education according to the choice of parents is as follows: English Stream 30,650 Chinese Stream 20,174 Malay Stream 4,369 Tamil Stream 161 Total 55,354

Mr Low Por Tuck: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, according to the figures given us by the Minister for Education for 1962 in respect of the English stream, it is 30,650, and for the Chinese stream 20,174. May I ask him whether he has taken notice of the fact that the number of Primary I pupils in 1962 in respect of the English stream has increased by 5,000 as compared with the number of Primary I pupils in 1961; whereas in respect of the Chinese stream, there has been a reduction of 349 pupils? What is the reason for this?

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Mr Speaker, Sir, 1 think there is a general answer coming from my friends in reply to the question put by the Member for Havelock. What is the reason for the increased number of registrations for English schools compared with Chinese schools? In my reply I stated that it was the choice of parents. If the Member for Havelock would like to have an answer, perhaps he would contact the 55,000 parents in Singapore and ask them why they did this. Surely it is their choice.

Mr Ong Chang Sam: (In Mandarin): I would like to ask the Minister whether he has taken notice of the fact that many parents of pupils wanted to get enrolment for their children in Chinese schools, but that there were no vacancies. They had been forced to go to English schools.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: The question put forward by 'the Member for Choa Chu Kang, Mr Speaker, Sir, is a vicious one. It is not true that parents did not go to register their children in Chinese schools because there were no places, because every primary school, whatever the language media of instruction, was more or less a registration centre. It was left to the parents themselves to choose which language media they wished to have their children registered for.

Mr Wong Soon Fong (Toa Payoh): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, I have heard the reply given by the Minister just now to the effect that because there were fewer number of Chinese schools, therefore the choice depended on the parents where they wished to send their children. I want to quote an example. In my constituency there is a Chinese Primary School by the name of Hang Siang School. The number of new pupils enrolled there was 117. Because there was no vacancy there, the parents turned to other schools. Many joined English schools instead. But according to my understanding, that school has already applied for an extension of the school building, but it has not received any approval from the authorities concerned.

Mr Speaker: Is the Minister aware of that?

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: I could explain, Sir, that the inference started by the Member for Choa Chu Kang and carried on by the Member for Toa Payoh is that, because there was no place in the Chinese schools, the parents were therefore seduced to go to the English schools. Every school is allowed to register pupils. It is true that there is a limitation in every school to the number it can take. I mean a school does not just open and take in all Primary I pupils. Each school would indicate whether it could take in 40, 400 or 4,000 pupils. As far as possible, every primary school should have a number of different standards to give it some balance, but it is left to parents to register. If, for example, the school could take in 100 pupils, it might register 150 pupils, but the remaining 50 pupils would be offered places in a Chinese school if that is what the parents want. But if parents choose to have their children registered in an English school, well, it is only fair that they are offered places in an English school. So the determinant factor lies with the parents. Members on the opposite Benches, including the Front Bench, are aware that many Chinese families do send their children one-half to English schools and one-half to Chinese schools. Let us face it. That is the composition in which the schools are at present.

Dr Lee Siew Choh: Would the Minister kindly tell us, in view of his policy of equal treatment for the four streams of education, why he just picks out one example? There is not a single Chinese Primary School in Queenstown, in which there is a huge population and in which there are round about 9 or 10 English schools?

Mr Speaker: It is a different question. The Member for Queenstown will have to give notice of that question if he wishes to pursue it. Mr Ong Chang Sam.

Mr Ong Pang Boon rose -

Mr Speaker: Is it a point of order?

Mr Ong Pang Boon: A supplementary question.

Mr Speaker: A supplementary question of his own Minister? It is never done. It is something extraordinary.

Mr Ong Pang Boon resumed his seat.

Mr Ong Chang Sam (in Mandarin): Is the Minister aware that if the pupils are not enrolled now, then after some time when they want to enrol in a school they will have to pay school fees?

Mr Speaker: That question of school fees is a different question.

Mr Chan Sun Wing: (In Mandarin): According to the figures given by the Minister, whether we can say that was formerly under the colonial four-year education plan, the chief purpose was to increase the number of pupils in -

Mr Speaker: Here again, I think this will be fertile ground for exciting debate, and I suggest if the Member is interested he should file a notice of motion. We will have several motions before the year is up. I must remind Members this is Question time. Mr David Marshall.