One fact remains to be said that vernacular schools have produced some of the most successful people in the country.
These prominent people in society, whose vernacular education has not deprived them of a good foundation for their achievements in life, have contributed towards human development as well as the economic growth of the country.
There are also many politicians from both camps who are products of vernacular schools, yet they are nationalistic in outlook.
Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal should check his facts before croaking away and be found making baseless allegations that vernaculars are a bane to national unity.
Ahmad Fayhsal should also emulate his counterpart, Umno youth chief, Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki whose child attends a local vernacular school in Petaling Jaya.
Statistics also show that Malay students take up 20 percent of the student places in vernacular school. This shows that, increasingly, urban Malay parents are beginning to realize the importance of a good education, and they have strong reasons to choose vernacular schools.
Most of these parents realize that, besides America, China is now going to be the next global economic power house. The additional ability to speak, read and write in Mandarin is a plus point for the younger generation of Malaysians.
The other reason is because confidence in our national schools has taken a dive over the years. This is one of the major reasons for parents to look for other options, and many of them have no other choices but to turn to the vernacular schools.
It goes without saying that for any parents, they will always look for the best of education for their children.
Instead of singing to the old tune that Umno and PAS used to champion, I suggest Ahmad Fayhsal to urge the Ministry of Education to revamp the policy in order to improve the quality of our education level instead of destroying what others have built up over the years.
As admitted by the National Unity Minister, Datuk Halimah Sadique, there is a provision under the Federal Constitution for the setting up of vernacular schools under the national school curriculum.