EDUCATION IMPORTANT PART OF NATIONAL MISSION - PM NAJIB

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 (Bernama) -- Education will continue to be an
important part of the National Mission and its objectives, said Prime Minister
Najib Razak.

He said, even the new economic model which the government planned to
introduce, would not be possible to be attained, until and unless the country
was able to produce the right kind and quality people, which had very much to do
with education and the values it brought.

"Education is not about producing academic persons...(it is about) a person
who is educated in his hearts and mind. That is the true purpose of education,"
he said in his speech when opening the Conference of Mission Schools of Malaysia
at the St John Institution here Saturday.

The prime minister said that apart from education curriculum, another strong
influence on students was the ethos of schools, and all the values it imparted
would shape the belief and attitude of the students.

"For that mission, the mission schools has been recognised as schools with
special ethos...which is in consonance with my desire of a truly 1Malaysia,"
said Najib.

Najib said that part and parcel of the 1Malaysia concept would include
the basic premise, that all Malaysians should accept wholeheartedly the
diversity of this country as their strength, and not as a source of problem.

"1Malaysia calls going beyond the concept of tolerance...instead, it calls
to migrate to a mindset of accepting in total, the diversity which existS in our
society," he said.

"I call all Malaysians to transform because this journey is about
transforming on mindset...not distinguishing so much in terms of ethnic and
religion differences but instead, what we can contribute to this nation.
1Malaysia means one people, one dream and one nation. And if we believe and
continue in this path, I believe Malaysia will be a much stronger nation," he
said.

Najib, who was a former student of St John Institution, spending five
years at the primary and another three at secondary-level, said he was fortunate
that his formative years were spent in an institution recognised for its
commitment in not only providing quality education, but also that was renowned
for imparting the ethos of hard work, perseverance, humility and
humanity in its students.

"I, and generations of Malaysians, owe St John Institution and its teachers
an eternal debt of gratitude," he said.

Later, at the press conference, Najib announced that the St John
Institution, opened in 1904, would be declared a national heritage site in a
ceremony on July 12.

In his speech, Najib also said that the education ministry would study all
issues and requests concerning mission schools in the country, brought up by
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Bernard Giluk Dompok,
who is also the Conference Convening Chairman, in his speech earlier.

"I hope the education ministry will study the requests very seriously...
where we can accomodate and if (it is) in line with the government's policy,
then I think, we should accomodate their request," he added.

Among the issues and requests made by Dompok, on behalf of the conference,
were the preservation of the culture, character and ethos of mission schools,
funding for mission schools and the creation of a special unit in the education
ministry for mission schools.

Others are issues related to the consultation between the government and the
mission authorities in the appointment of principal/head teachers, maintaining
the multi-ethnic character of mission schools in terms of student enrolment and
teaching staff and also on the policy related to mission schools on leasehold
land.

Today, there are about 250,000 students studying in 410 mission schools in
the country.

-- BERNAMA