Whatever happened to the "Vision schools"?

On 27 April, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi came out with a plan to overhaul the education system to raise educational standards and enhance racial integration. The mainstream media dutifully reported on the plan but did not mention anything about the “Vision Schools” that were introduced a few years ago to promote racial integration. (To its credit, Malaysiakini pointed out Abdullah’s omission.)

As if that omission was not puzzling enough, the mainstream media like the New Straits Times, The Star and theSun continue to ignore Vision Schools altogether. The NST on April 29 interviewed several people - politicians such as Samy Vellu and Hishamuddin Hussein and educationists like Awang Had Salleh ­ about Abdullah’s plan but none brought up the subject of Vision Schools.

NST reporters were not the only ones ignoring Vision Schools. The editorial in NST on 29 April is also loudly silent on Vision Schools while it promotes Abdullah’s plan.

What is happening here? What has become of Vision Schools and their aim of racial integration? Why is everyone ignoring them?

By acting as though Vision Schools never existed, the mainstream media like NST are failing miserably in their responsibility to inform the public. There is simply no excuse for it.