The FCMSM delegation with the Deputy Minister of Education and ministry officials
By Herald Malaysia
Oct 3 2023
PUTRAJAYA – Mission Schools have a renowned history of over 100 years, and its contribution to nation-building in Malaysia is immeasurable.
While Mission schools were established by Christian Missionary educators more than a century ago, the Federation of Christian Mission Schools Malaysia (FCMSM), which represents all the Mission Authorities of Christian Mission Schools in Malaysia, is the official body that speaks on behalf of all the Mission schools in the country. Its membership comprises all 25 Mission Authorities who own the land and buildings on which the Mission schools are located.
What makes Mission schools special is very much embedded in their ethos, special character and traditions. As of September 2023, there are 419 Mission schools still serving the nation, with 192 Mission schools in Peninsular Malaysia, 100 in Sabah and 127 in Sarawak.
With the rapidly decreasing number of Christian teachers in the country, there are not enough Christian teachers for all the Mission schools to have a Christian principal. School heads and teachers at Mission Schools play a key role in the continuance of this tradition.
According to a survey done in 2018, out of 428 Mission schools in Malaysia, only 229 or 53.5 per cent have Christian heads. By now, the percentage will be much lower. In that same year, there were 10,187 schools in Malaysia. That makes it 2.25 per cent of schools in the country having Christian heads. With more and more Christian teachers applying for early retirement each year, the pool from which we can draw potential candidates for headship is depleting drastically. There is an urgent need for more Christians to take up teaching as their vocation and serve the nation in the capacity of teacher. This will grant opportunities for future headship in Mission schools to ensure the legacy of the schools is continued, thus preserving, and sustaining the schools’ traditions and ethos.
An official meeting between the Ministry of Education (MOE) and FCMSM was held recently, to find ways to address this pressing issue and the incessant struggle to preserve what remains of the identity, character, academic standards, and nation-building role of Mission schools. It is encouraging to note the positive outcome of this meeting, with the MOE agreeing to look into the future appointments of school heads and collaborating with FCMSM in identifying and considering the candidates for school heads identified by the Mission Authorities.
Let us then, encourage all young people we know to pursue teaching as a vocation and answer God’s calling for them in the education mission field, as exhorted in the recent World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon 2023 which promotes the value of working in education “as a vocation”. – Herald Malaysia
