Recently, I enrolled my seven-year-old son in a national school in the vicinity of Desa Tasik in Sungai Besi. On the first day of school, I found out that there were only five non-bumi students in his Standard One class.

This situation bothered me a lot as it did not bode well for the nation's future. As time went by (it has been a month since the 2005 session started) I begin to realise something.

It would seem that nowadays, national schools have become more of religious schools than anything else. At the morning assembly, the only greeting uttered by the teachers to greet the students is 'Assalamualaikum'.

Teachers are also found to deliver religious speeches at the assembly. Everything uttered is in connection to religious matters. To top it all, religious songs are played aloud in the morning via the loud speakers.

Teaching religion to students is indeed a noble move. For this, the Education Ministry has set aside a certain number of periods each week expressly for this purpose. Why then use the morning assembly?

Assemblies should be a platform for all students - irrespective of their race or religion - to gain advice from their teachers. National schools, in the larger context, should be a platform to create Malaysians.

Now I know why non-bumiputera parents are shying away from sending their children to national schools. As for me, I might be forced to transfer my son to a vernacular school soon.