SJKC reality: Challenging experience for non-chinese students at Chinese primary school?

(From left) S. Sathiswaran, Ang Ee Heng and Muhammad Hakimi Firdaus, all 12 years old, sharing a light moment with friends during recess at SJKC Kampung Baru Paroi. When the school's former headteacher Yee first arrived at the school, she noticed that the teachers there were under a lot of pressure but the pupils were all wearing happy smiles. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

IT CAN be quite frightening for non-Chinese pupils who step out of their comfort zone and struggle to adapt to life in Chinese schools.

Parents Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah says in addition to academic pressure, non-Chinese students also face pressure from their peers, especially when there are only one or two non-Chinese students in the class.