THE assurance given by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (”We will do more for Indians” — NST, Feb 4) is wonderful news.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had outlined issues relating to the Indian community requiring action.

Greater employment and promotional opportunities in the civil service, better education opportunities in public universities, more scholarships and an effective urban poverty eradication programme are in the pipeline for the Indian community.

However, there is another issue that was addressed by Samy Vellu that needs serious attention from the government: the poor state of the Tamil schools.

There are 525 Tamil primary schools in the country, categorised as either fully-aided government schools or partially-aided schools. The former are located in big towns and housing schemes and are modern concrete buildings owned by the Education Ministry and are fully funded by the government.

The partially-aided Tamil schools are located in estates and plantations. Most of these schools are old blocks, some built during colonial times.

Most of these schools are single-storey wooden blocks and look like longhouses.

They are owned by the estates, some of which have closed or been sold. The teachers in these schools are paid by the ministry.

The infrastructure of most of these schools is in a deplorable state. Canteens hardly exist and libraries are small. The environment is not conducive to learning or teaching.

The ministry should take over these schools and convert them to fully-aided schools status so that they can be funded fully by the government.

The ministry has always said they are unable to help these schools financially and build new blocks because these schools are located on estate land and, therefore, beyond their jurisdiction.

Furthermore, they are afraid that if the ministry builds new blocks and if the estate closes, the schools will be closed down, too.

What the government can do is either relocate these schools from the estates or undertake agreements with the estate management to improve their physical structure.

Tamil schools are the responsibility of the MIC.

Samy Vellu said the MIC was also the guardian of temples in the country. There are 26,000 temples, most of which are funded and managed well.

But there are only 525 Tamil schools and most of them are in dire need of funds and physical improvement.

SAMUEL YESUIAH, Seremban

Source: NST – February 12, 2008