Using school holidays to educate Tamil pupils via the NST

KUALA LUMPUR, Fri - The New Straits Times' Newspaper-in-Education workshop will reach out to Standard Six pupils in 60 Tamil schools in Selangor during the school holidays under a novel approach to widen their horizon.

They will use the newspaper to expand their knowledge base in preparation for Form One MIC vice-president Datuk S.Veerasingam opened the first phase of the workshop involving 109 Standard Six pupils from five schools in the city yesterday.

Held at the MIC headquarters, it was organised with the help of Yayasan Strategik Sosial, the party's social wing. Veerasingam, who is also the Parliamentary Secretary to the National Unity and Community Development Ministry, said the workshop would help Tamil school pupils cross over the minimum problems to Form One.

"They usually face cultural shock and require help to settle down at their new schools." YSS executive director Dr Denison Jayasooria said NST-NIE was chosen as it promoted fun learning which was important to maintain the interest of pupils. He said the programme would help erase negative thinking among many that closig down Tamil schools was the solution to eradicate social ills among the community.

He said the social ills involved mostly children from lower-income families from squatter areas, low-cost flats and long-houses in urban areas.

(Submitted on 30th October 2002)