Abstract

The difficulties of using the National Language (NL) curriculum in Tamil primary schools in Malaysia are discussed in this paper. Although Tamil primary school pupils struggle with NL competence, hurting their secondary school preparation, the Malaysian educational system requires mastery of Bahasa Melayu, the National Language. The research uses 2019 UPSR data to examine the NL success levels in comprehension and writing among Tamil school children. Focusing on a sample of Tamil pupils, the approach used a quantitative study of test results from national-type schools. Data were gathered using UPSR Comprehension and Writing papers. The results showed a notable difference in NL proficiency as only 40.11% of pupils attained an acceptable level in both examinations. Important debates focused on the absence of NL exposure in everyday life and the effect of mother tongue interference as main contributing elements. According to the report, standardising the NL curriculum and enhancing it across the institutions would assist to reduce these disparities. This study highlights the necessity of strategic changes to promote Tamil primary school pupils' language competency, therefore guaranteeing better preparation for secondary education.