KUALA LUMPUR, March 16, 2011: The cabinet has agreed to allow Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) holders from Chinese independent schools to enter government teachers’ training colleges.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has agreed with this after a meeting with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and party Youth chief also a Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The senior level UEC holders now can use it to enter teacher training colleges and take part in the special intake for the Chinese language degree course with a distinction for SPM Bahasa Malaysia and three distinctions for UEC subject including a mandatory pass in Mandarin.
The issue of UEC holders entering teacher training colleges surfaced on Monday, when the Education Ministry advertised the enrolment to these colleges and opened applications to those UEC students on its website.
‘We are going to take UEC holders who have three credits for UEC subjects plus a credit in Bahasa Malaysia into Teachers Training Institutes. We are already accepting UEC leavers”, said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong.
He said the students must also pass the entry interview for the programme.
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| Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong said the acceptance of the UEC by Teachers Training Institutes is a breakthrough. |
MCA president Dr Chua said with the move to recognize the examination for Chinese independent school was to enable UEC holders to help overcome the shortage of Mandarin teachers in Chinese schools throughout the country.
“The Government stands by the decision in December and the notice on the ministry’s website has been corrected,” Dr Chua added.
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| “This is done to overcome the shortage of teachers in Chinese school,” Dr Chua said. |
—The Star
