Tamil school action council with the assistance of Yayasan Strategik Sosial has prepared a memorandum for the development of Tamil schools. A committee comprised of representatives from Malaya Tamil School Teachers Union, National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP), Tamil School Organisers, and Indian Studies Department had studied various issues faced by Tamil schools.

As a result, a memorandum containing 11 main issues faced by Tamil schools was prepared. This memorandum was submitted to YB Dato' Hishammuddin, Minister of Education by YB Dato' Seri S. Samy Vellu, Minister of Works on 25th November 2004 at the Ministry of Education.

Issue.
There are 376(71.5%) out of 526 Tamil schools classified as partially aided schools. Partially aided schools do not have proper infrastructural facilities and logistics compared to fully aided schools. It causes a not so conducive teaching and learning environment in the partially aided schools.

Suggestion.
All Tamil schools need to be made as fully aided schools so that sufficient allocation can be channeled to ensure proper teaching and learning facilities in Tamil schools. Dilapidated Tamil schools also can be repaired or rebuilt with the provision of sufficient allocation from the government.

Issue.
It was found out that there are 129 Tamil schools out of the 526 schools in dilapidated condition. Those school buildings are old and not suitable for the current teaching and learning purposes. In addition, several portions of the buildings may collapse any time and it may endanger the security of the students.

Suggestion.
The 129 schools need to be repaired or rebuilt immediately. The Ministry of Education should provide special allocation to rebuild these schools. It is of paramount importance to create a pleasant teaching and learning environment to the students and teachers so that they can produce high quality education.

Issue.
Most of the Tamil schools especially partially aided schools are not provided with sufficient basic amenities for the purpose of teaching and learning. For example, enough chairs, tables, cupboards and stationary are not provided to the partially aided Tamil schools. This situation weakens the teaching and learning system in Tamil school.

Suggestion.
The Malaysian Education Ministry should ensure that the partially aided Tamil schools are provided with all basic amenities especially chairs, tables, cupboards, office equipments and stationeries. It is very important to ensure that the children from low-income families in Tamil school study in a place where there are sufficient basic amenities.

Issue.
There are 22 Tamil schools with less than 15 students. Those schools are located in the estates. The students' enrolment in these schools declined due to migration of Indian residents from the estates to the urban areas. It is forecast that there will not be a single student in those schools within a period of 5 to 10 years.

Suggestion.
Tamil schools with less than 15 students need to be relocated to areas where a big Indian population dwells. The Malaysian Education Ministry should allow the school to use the license to rebuild the school in the Indian majority area. A piece of land also needs to be allocated in the Indian majority area for rebuilding the school.

Issue.
There is a shortage of 748 trained teachers in Tamil schools nationwide. The current teachers in Tamil schools are in a situation where the extra work load needs to be shared due to shortage of trained teachers. It devastates the teaching and learning process in Tamil schools. The situation becomes worst when the enrolment in Tamil schools increases every year.

Suggestion.
More trained teachers must be recruited in Tamil schools so that the quality of education in Tamil schools can be upgraded in line with the philosophy of the Malaysia Education Ministry. The courses given below need to be offered to more applicants who intend to become trained teachers in Tamil schools.

Recruiting teachers from Malaysian Teachers Diploma Course also can increase number of trained Tamil language teachers.

Issue.
Teacher Education Section of Malaysian Education Ministry provides opportunities to teachers in service to enhance their professionalism through various courses. But not many Tamil schoolteachers are provided such opportunities.

Suggestion.
Many Tamil school teachers should be given opportunity to undergo special program to become a graduate teacher (Program Khas Pengsiswazahan Guru - PKPG> In order to upgrade the quality of teaching and learning in Tamil schools, PKPG program should be offered to Tamil schoolteachers every year.

Issue.
Malaysian Education Ministry provides opportunity to long serving and vast experienced headmasters in primary schools to undergo Graduate Teacher Course. Those headmasters who undergo this course need not leave their posts and they can hold the headmaster's post during and after the program. In this case, not many Tamil school headmasters are given opportunities to undergo this course.

Suggestion.
Many Tamil school headmasters should be given opportunities to undergo this course. The Malaysia Education Ministry should ensure that Tamil school headmasters are given more opportunities in all programs for the enhancement of professionalism that are organised by the ministry.

Issue.
Recently all District Education Offices have been restructured by increasing new posts. In this regard, education officers from Tamil schools were not appointed to hold any post in District Education Office.

Suggestion.
In order to reflect the actual racial composition in this county, a Tamil speaking officer must be appointed in each District Education Office. There must be a Tamil speaking officer in the District Education Office if there are 10 or more Tamil schools. A Tamil speaking officer must be appointed to supervise Tamil schools in two or three districts if there are less than 10 Tamil schools.

Issue.
Malaysia Education Ministry is expanding the implementation of pre schools all over the country. Pre schools will be built in 1,500 primary schools in 2004. In this connection, Only 10(1.9%) Tamil schools out of 526 Tamil schools are chosen to run the pre school classes.

Suggestion.
Malaysian Education Ministry should run pre school classes in many more Tamil schools so that all Tamil schools will have pre school classes within 10 years, before the end of Education Development Plan 2001-2010. Furthermore, majority of Tamil school students are from low-income families. They are unable to afford studying in private pre schools.

Issue.
Malaysian Education Ministry is constructing computer labs in every school in this country. But the construction of computer labs in Tamil school is very limited.

Suggestion.
Malaysian Education Ministry should build more computer labs in Tamil schools in order to bridge the digital divide between students in the rural and urban areas. Complete teaching and learning equipments for computer also need to be provided for Tamil schools.

Issue.
Tamil school achievement in Malay and English was lower than other types of schools. The pass rate in the Malay paper (comprehension) in 2003 was 60% while in Malay paper (writing) was 57.6%. The pass rate in English was 61.2%. The majority of teachers who teach the two languages are not Tamil speaking. This affects the effective teaching and learning communication between the students and the teachers.

Suggestion.
The teachers who teach Malay and English in Tamil school must be Tamil speaking teachers. It will facilitate the teachers to teach the students effectively through bilingual method using the students' mother tongue.