Why it must be Chinese School
How very surprised I am after I posted “Short Hair Policy in Chinese School” many voices out their frustrations and disagreements on that issue. Let me tell you why I’ve decided to send Princess to a Chinese school whereby I am a total “banana” (chinese but doesn’t read chinese) myself. Beware that this is kinda long winded post where I will dig the grave and tell you some history even.
Both my parents are chinese school teachers. During my younger days when my eldest sister started standard one (7 y/o), dad insisted that all his children will get a English/Malay education and since they are teachers teaching in chinese school, mom will tutor us Mandarin at home. As saying goes, “It is easier to say than done.” Somehow for God-knows-what-happen they can’t fullfilled their promised. This was told to us by my mom. She regreted every bits of it. Out of the norm, she decided to enrolled my youngest sister in chinese school. At least there are a member in the family that can read chinese and my mom was afraid of some idoitic poker that will look down on them and it is such a shame how a chinese school teacher’s children doesn’t read chinese.
We did get a basic Chinese educations in Primary school. We started during Standard Three (9y/o) whereby we learnt from scrap from std one (7y/o) text books. Can’t remember much of what has been teached and how far I’ve adapted to it but I can remember clearly some naughty things we did when I was in Standard Six (12y/o).
Being a 12y/o grown up, we started to loose interest in learning chinese. One day, a few of my classmates (including those brilliant one i.e. Euj!!!) decided to skip class. We will spent our time in the school library. After few weeks of doing that, one day we heard rumours that the teacher decided to hunt us down. After hearing that, we got panic and running healter skelter not knowing where to hide. So all of us hide under the librarian long counter. We started giggling and giggling in a mixture of fear of being caught, tho we know we look really silly hiding under the counter.
Another frustrating incident. We had Mandarin oral test. The teacher ask me, “哪个方å‘太阳上å‡?” (Which direction does the sun rise?) Dem. I know it is West but what does west called in chinese? 😐 I almost ask the teacher that question but he fucking have to tease me, “What?! You dunno where does the sun rise?” 
Nah, this is for you to think that I am stupid! 👿
Few years ago when I started to patron the karaoke, I was facinated and got hook to Mandarin songs. Not knowing how to read, I memorised the song in my heart. Which means I have to listen to them over and over again from the player. From there, I started to recalled what my mom used to remind us, “Don’t regret in your later life. I’ve given you the extra education and you just wasted it.” *sigh…. I just hope my mom will tell me that again. Such a big regret of not taking chinese seriously!
That is why I told myself, reading chinese is a extra privillage. Die-die also must enroll all my children in chinese school. At least if mummy can’t read, they can help me to read, right? So don’t care if short hair ke, long hair ke, education come first.
Moreover, to get a placement in that school is not easy. I almost have to pay under table if not because I-know-someone-who-know someone-who-is-someone in the school lidat. aitelyou, KL school are lidat wan. I was shock at the first place when I know about those hush-hush thing happening in Chinese school especially those super famous wan. Not like in kampung, school are waiting for you to come. In big city, you have to wait for school to come. Can’t blame them cos nowadays, many parents choose to sent their children to chinese school in hope that one day their children will be accepted into the working world easily with the “I-know-how-to-read-chinese” certificate in hand and in hope to fish something big from Sillypore or China.
Wah…. so long winded. Must stop writing, if not I can go on and on and on.
Fishingman said,
August 17, 2006 @ 12:22 pm
As for me I don’t think I’ll be sending my daughter to chinese school. Reason being that parent (both bananas) can’t help her in her studies and she’ll probably end up last in class. Don’t sound like a good start in school right? Plus chinese school dem competitive and lotsa kiasu parent pushing their children to study dem hard. I want my daughter to have a childhood that she can look back and smile not some 17 years of torture in school under constant pressure to perform. Sometimes I really pity the children these days. There’s a tuition centre 2 doors away from where I live and I can see children as young as 7 yrs old attending tuition till 10pm! Blardy hell! When I was that age, I’ll be in lala land by 9pm latest! Sad man……
sengkor said,
August 17, 2006 @ 4:14 pm
reminds me of my chinese classes too. doing std 1 books in std 4.. and most of the time i am late or absent. and standing outside the classroom and standing infront of the class is more often than sitting down.. regret now..
alfred98 said,
August 17, 2006 @ 4:48 pm
Wah Hijack!!! Ok banana or not…still chinese is so important to daily life…as a doctor I can tell U that…..99% of the patient will some how speak mandarin to us…..So how banana also have to learn lor…Thanks for the enlighting story about mandarin class…..Me having the same experience…..dono head or tail the teacher talking about in the class….partially is the teacher fault lor….He’s teaching mandarin to the fellow student who already know basic of mandarin…..in no time we are lost in the class and soon lost interest in it lor……For us if we think we are banana…..better sent our children to chinese school and get chinese tuition if we cannot teach our children mandarin…….cheersssss….ah Hijack ah……seldom see U in the forum?????
ront said,
August 17, 2006 @ 5:40 pm
i only had formal chinese language class (1 subject) in my primary school and up till Form 2……..but its on my own initiative to expose myself in the language that i manage to read and write and speak the language….and it has proven quite useful…not just back at home in Msia……..i think I got this job partly because of this….and I am in a Nordic country.
ront said,
August 17, 2006 @ 5:42 pm
what i am trying to say is…..it is a good idea to enrol your kid in a chinese school……..dont lose the heritage and dont forget the roots…..
Simple American said,
August 17, 2006 @ 10:33 pm
Education is definitely more important than hair. Can always grow hair later or buy a wig. 🙂
It’s going to be tough for y’all though. I remember sending my kids to Chinese school (Mandarin) when they were young. Very difficult as I speak no Chinese (though I took a class at the same time) and my missus speaks only Cantonese. My daughter is pretty smart and self motivated so she did not have a lot of problems. Though us parents are not much help on homework. All we can really do is nag, “do it do it!” My poor son is in a class where most of the other kids have Taiwanese origins and the family speaks Mandarin at home. The boys tease him for his accent and call him stupid. Kept him there for two years but he is stubborn and demoralized. So we pulled him out. Daugther went four years before she became too busy as well.
I just mention my experience so you can think if this may happen to your girl. Maybe the insight can help you plan some contingencies to provide a more pleasant shool experience. Best wishes to her and y’all.
The Queen says: My case is not that bad as I grow up speaking Mandarin fully at home. As for my children, I uses English and Mandarin. Princess kindie had mandarin subject too and she’s coping the reading well. Infact 10x better than me!!!
mumsgather said,
August 18, 2006 @ 9:38 am
I was thinking of sending mine to chinese school at first but me and hubby are bananas cannot guide them. Even if I were to take up tutoring in Chinese so that I could guide, I don’t think I would be much of a good guide as a learner myself. I think parental guidance is important so I don’t think I’ll be sending them to chinese school as I don’t want them to suffer from being second best and struggling in a subject which comes naturally to some of their classmates from a chinese speaking home. But we’ll still learn chinese together as an extra subject at home. Hard but I will try my best to learn along with them and encourage and teach them that way.
J said,
August 18, 2006 @ 9:54 am
ok ah.. sorry ah.. but i am missing the point.. what the post got to do with the short hair policy?!haahahah… wah i chinese school dropout… stupid teacher bully me..always beat my hand..
pablopabla said,
August 18, 2006 @ 10:12 am
My daughters will definitely be enrolled in a chinese school. I don’t want them to be like me, can’t even read some of the chinese characters in your blog!! 🙂
At least my wife is chinese-ed. So, that helps. Otherwise, can ask grandma lor 🙂
meng said,
August 22, 2006 @ 3:06 pm
I think mainstream government school system pretty poor…unlike our days of mission schools where the teachers teach with conviction and sacrifice. So chinese school is closest option. However there are 2 types of chinese school, thankfully I like the one my sons go to. There is another in Subang….very kiasu. I wrote about it in my blog. study study study only…..
squaremined said,
September 26, 2006 @ 4:56 pm
i m agreed with ront said. But 1 question. the sun is rise from East isn’t?