ADDITIONAL TUITION FOR MALAY PUPILS

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Education, in view of the proportionately small number of Malay students enrolled in our local University, whether he is willing to make provisions for Malay pupils to get additional tuition outside the normal school hours.

The Minister of State for Education (Dr Tay Eng Soon) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister.

Sir, our schools conduct remedial classes outside the normal school hours for their pupils who are unable to cope with their studies. This applies to all pupils including Malay pupils. Malay pupils who need help in their studies are catered for as they normally attend these remedial classes organized by their own schools.

In addition, our Ministry provides support to Mendaki to assist the organization in providing special tuition classes to help the Malay pupils improve in their studies. Sixteen schools have made available their classrooms for use by Mendaki to conduct their tuition classes during the weekends. A number of school teachers have also volunteered their services to help conduct these classes.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Sir, I believe and the Minister of State also believes that there is a problem of education amongst the Malays and of the low enrolment in our local university. Has he got plans to set up a committee to study in-depth into this education problem amongst the Malays? If he has not, whether he is willing to set up a committee to study the problem?

Dr Tay Eng Soon: Sir, there is no plan to set up any committee to study this problem. In fact, the problem has been studied at great length and in depth by Mendaki itself which has come out with a number of schemes to help precisely the kind of students the Member is referring to.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, is there an increase in the intake of Malay pupils in our junior colleges in the last two years?

Mr Speaker: I do not think it is relevant to the Question asked, Dr Tay.