By Michael William

Education is crucial to the development for our children. One of the privileges of being Malaysian is the access to schools for all. One of the legacies of good education is the part the churches played in setting up schools all over Malaysia. Though most of these schools now belong to the government, its presence alone can witness to its importance to our society and nation.

"..The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Deuteronomy 6:4-7) 

Our role in the education field comes from the very foundation of scripture. The call to love God is extended to not only the adults but also to our children. We are called as adults to teach our young to love God in all circumstances. And since many children do not come from Christian homes, the schools play a very important role in teaching and nurturing them in the love of God.

I am a product of a mission school in my home town. Our motto was and always is "for the glory of God". In my school, the church played a prominent role in the education process. We had chapel and a Christian fellowship weekly. I remember vividly one of my friends asking me why I prayed after seeing me doing so in my classroom during a CF meeting. And it was a pleasure sharing with him that day on God and his presence in my life. All this happen simply because we had many opportunities to hold Christian meetings in school.

Do mission schools have a place in the Malaysian society today? In this Pelita issue we would be highlighting the heritage and current development of mission schools in Malaysia.

Furthermore, our mission does not just end with the secondary education, it extends to our tertiary education as well through the Methodist college in Kuala Lumpur. We hope that the legacy of our Mission schools will always be a key factor in the development of education in Malaysia.