ACCORDING to the Cambrdige Dictionary, ‘fish out of water’ is an idiom that means a person who feels awkward, uncomfortable or out of place because they are in an unfamiliar situation or environment.
This was the scenario that a disheartened Malay parent Aina Mardia (@_ainamardia) was alluding to when her Year One son was apparently told he was not suited to study in a Chinese school by his Chinese language teacher.
“Because Luqmaan doesn’t understand Chinese” was the reason behind the blunt assessment that has left this parent feeling down, dispirited and depressed.
View on Threads
What seems to puzzle this parent was that her son had done reasonably well in a Chinese-medium kindergarten between the ages five and six. “Among the top pupils” was her description of her boy thus this assessment has come as quite a shock.
Seeking encouragement from fellow parents, the post on Threads generated plenty of comments with many quite rightly stating that this is just the opinion of one teacher.
One educator added that though painful to hear, this assessment was not final and was probably due to the transition from kindergarten to school environment where the instruction is fast and there was a need to learn new vocabulary.
Helpful links for illiterate parents to help their kids with their studies was also provided and gratefully received.
Sharing first-hand experience of tutoring her own child through primary SJKC for five years by using pictorial dictionary, among other things, this parent is grateful that her techniques has shown results as her child is able to speak and recognise certain characters in Chinese.
Other useful tips include hiring Chinese neighbours to tutor the kid at least once a week or sign him up for an online Mandarin class.
However, there were more than a few cautionary voices that advised this concerned mother to decide objectively if vernacular education was suitable for her son. Exams and indeed the child’s revision style would indicate his ability to thrive in a SJKC environment.
This was when even Chinese commenters chipped in to say some of them found the SJKC system way too stressful! “Too much homework!”
This pragmatic parent counselled that the teacher’s advice was not to be ignored. What’s the point of sending the child to school if he or she simply cannot understand what is being taught?
Chinese kindergarten experience alone will not suffice as additional tuition will most likely be required. But the parent needs to decide what is best for the child based on their learning capabilities.
“Honesty is the best policy.” This was the message being put across by this fair-minded observer who opined that the teacher who made the judgement call wasn’t being mean but merely trying to be realisitic about the child’s chances of success in a SJKC.
“Year One was the foundation of everything else they do,” it was explained. Make sure your child has had a solid six years acclimatising to Chinese education before enrolling. Being able to read Mandarin is essential.
Underlining that Chinese schools isn’t for everyone, one Malay parent shared that her two boys had very differing experiences.
One was thriving academically and enjoying the extra-curricular activities available to pupils at vernacular schools such as taking part in choir competitions.
The sibling though has struggled and on the advice of teachers, was eventually transferred to a national primary school a.k.a. SK (abbreviation for Sekolah Kebangsaan) to avoid getting left behind academically. “Not easy to thrive in a SJKC” was the pertinent observation here.
“Mandarin is a difficult language.” The need for constant tuition classes was emphasised by this commenter who noted it will get harder for the child when he has to construct sentences in Mandarin come Year Four.
The reality of SJKC education was brought home by this mentally unburdened netizen who noted that Chinese education came with a high psychological price.
She is grateful that her mother chose her (and presumably her siblings’) mental well-being over the need to adapt to a Chinese education.
The comments make it clear. Life in SJKC is not for everyone. It is a tough environment and is especially hard for pupils from non-Chinese speaking backgrounds.
But that doesn’t mean they cannot thrive. As highlighted, there are many who have enjoyed and benefitted from going through a Chinese education system without prior knowledge of Mandarin.
However, both parents and pupils need to put in the necessary effort. “Wake up and smell the coffee” was the strong words here. It may be bitter but the reward may be quite sweet. – Sept 22, 2026
Main image credit: SJKC KONG AIK/Facebook
