Photo: Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) is not a priority, says Fadhlina Sidek (pic).
The Education Minister said that to date, the ministry does not recognise the UEC which is implemented in private Chinese secondary schools (SMPC).
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"And the ministry does not view the issue as a priority.
"This stand is based on the National Education Policy and Education Act 1960 which has always been the view of the ministry," she said in a written reply to a question raised by Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang (PN-Marang) in Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Feb 20).
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Hadi wanted to know what is the stand of the current administration on the recognition of the UEC.
In November last year, the United Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) repeated its call for the recognition of the UEC.
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Dong Zong had previously raised the request during the Pakatan Harapan administration after it came to power in 2018.
According to Dong Zong, the SMPC adheres to a curriculum, which includes history as a subject, drafted based on the ministry's standard, as well as having Bahasa Malaysia as a compulsory subject in recognition of the national language under the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara.
On a related question by Hadi, Fadhlina said that no allocation is provided to the SMPC.
She said this is because the SMPC is not considered part of the national education system and does not fall within the category of government or government-assisted schools which are provided allocations.
