Dong Zhong Vs The Headmasters

While my attetion was grabbed by tensions build-up between Taiwan and China the past few days, tensions are also building up between factions of the Chinese community in my own country! Chineses are good fighters - amongst themselves,that is. The National Federation of Chinese School Headmasters is at war with Dong Zhong (United Chinese School Committees association). Traditionally all headmasters of Chinese primary schools are appointed by Dong Zhong's affiliate members, that is the school committees of individual Chinese schools. But this power of Dong Zhong has gradually but surely being eroded by the government, and the Chinese school headmasters consider themselves more as government servants than employees of the Dong Zhong nowadays. So there is not much respect left for the Dong Zhong as far as the headmasters are concern. This is not surprising to see the current dispute between the two to grow into this scale oblivious to the concerns of the Chinese community in Malaysia. And there is no sign that either side will be eager to bring this to an early stop. Apparently this dispute was started by a committee member of a School's Parents-Teachers Association in Petaling Jaya by accusing that some headmasters in Chinese primary schools are receiving hefty kickbacks from suppliers of text-books, excersie books, stationeries and computers. As a result these suppliers enjoy monopoly over the supply of these items, and parents are not allowed to source from else where. This were echoed by several parents in the press. One businessman (reported to be a member of a school committee) put up a RM50,000.00 reward for information related to any corrupted headmaster in Chinese school. To make matter worse,there are actually 40+ responses to it. The response from the furious headmasters was dramatic. The placed advertisements in the newspaper threatening to disband The National Federation of Chinese School Headmasters and also will stop conducting all tuitions (extra classes) for Bahasa Malaysia,English Language and computers beginning second half of 2006. And they will only supply text-books recommended by the Education Department, and parents will have to look for reference books for their children on their own. Wow this is quite a bomb for the parents! I don't know about other parents, I personally welcome the NFCS announcement, I would feel much relieved. I have two schooling kids, the amount they have to pay is ridiculous. And they keep changing the texk books every year, the younger child can not just reuse the books handed down from the elder one. I think something is fishy there, is there a need to change it every year? Good news is Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussien announced that less emphasis will be placed on examinations in the new education system. Text-books, reference books and tuition classes will not play such an important role then. As an after thought why can't the two sides sit down and talk, is there a third party preventing this to take place? In the case of Taiwan and China, USA is the obvious culprit; but in our case, who?