Sandakan Mission School allowed to retain ethos

KOTA KINABALU, Jun 26 – The Sandakan mission school that was pressured by its Muslim-majority Parents and Teachers Association to remove a cross on the façade of a new building has rebuffed attempts for it to move the religious icon to another location.

The SK St Mary Labuk school board chairman Alice Tan said they were not seeking to offend anyone and all mission schools in the country have the right according to the Education Ministry’s policies to stand by their ethos.

It was reported earlier this week that the Muslim parents and teachers of the school were unhappy with the placement of the cross on a new classroom building, facing the main entrance in the all boys primary school in Sandakan and wanted it removed.

On Wednesday, Deputy Education Minister I Datuk Mary Yap said that Christian mission schools in Malaysia are allowed to retain their ethos and characteristics according to a circular issued by the Education Ministry in January 2013.

Following the report, the Sandakan District Education Office met with school authorities to explain the circular to the teachers and parents concerned, but the latter group then requested for the cross to be placed somewhere less conspicuous.

Tan said another meeting was convened yesterday, this time with the Sandakan Catholic diocese’s Reverend Bishop Julius Gitom, the principal and the school board, during which it was confirmed that no changes will be made. – malaymailonline