SUBANG JAYA: The National Unity and Integration Department plans to adopt the USJ 15 Vision School here in a move to promote national unity.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy said today the proposal will be submitted to Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik for his approval.
“I see this Vision School having the potential to strengthen relations among the pupils, teachers and parents. Although there are different mediums of instruction, the interaction and unity are very good,” he told a press conference after a visit to the school complex.
The Vision School incorporates a national school, a Chinese school and a Tamil school in separate buildings within a single compound and they share facilities such as the hall, canteen and playing field.
Waytha Moorthy spent about two hours at the complex, which houses Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Dato’ Onn Jaafar, Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) Cina Tun Tan Cheng Lock and SJK Tamil Tun Sambanthan, and said he was impressed with the running of the school and proud of the prevailing harmony.
“Based on my observation, the pupils here mingle during the recess, sports activities, festive occasions and so on. This indirectly promotes cultural assimilation and a sense of mutual respect.
“The Vision School is also the best platform to forge racial integration at the primary level while reducing the racial divide among us,” he said.
Waytha Moorthy said he will meet with the director-general of the National Unity and Integration Department and have a follow-up meeting with the headmasters of the three schools on the plan for the adoption.
There are five vision schools in the country.
The headmaster of SK Dato’ Onn Jaafar, Norlia Ramli, said she welcomed the proposal of the minister and expressed the hope that it will become a reality for the benefit of future generations.
“We do organise many unity programmes. If the National Unity and Integration Department adopts the school and implements other programmes, this will definitely achieve the objectives of the Vision School and it will be a model for other schools,” she said.
— BERNAMA
