Chinese school or Kebangsaan school?

Last week, My 5yr old daughter's kindergarten teacher called to talk about my daughter.
Her concern was that my daughter was too slow when it came to writing in school. (she's talking about her chinese writing and BM and English as well).

My girl will be going to Standard One in 2011 and I've registered her into a Chinese school near my house. Mandarin is not my mother tongue and I basically speak only English at home.

But ever since May last year I've enrolled my girl into a Chinese kindergarten and sent her to a Chinese lady to babysit her after school as I'm at work till 6pm.

My daughter's babysitter is a very very nice lady (my daughter calls her Choong Auntie), who helps my girl in her homework and talks to her in Mandarin throughout the day.

My daughter did not know or understand any Mandarin at all until she started going to Choong Auntie's house and this kindergarten and today she can understand all that the teachers and her babysitter says. Nowadays my child even converses in Mandarin to her fellow Chinese friends. but her conversation is laced with lots of English words.

However, after what the teacher said to me, I was worried, was I making the right decision or am I going to ruin her education life?

After her (the teacher's) comments, (i really don't blame her) I know she's just concern about my child catching up in School because she really is very slow in her writing. And you know what they say about Chinese Schools, they are famous for giving loads of homework and they will cane the kids if they don't do it. She also told me some teachers will ignore the very slow ones especially if they have too many kids to attend too. She said some Chinese schools will focus only on the Chinese subjects and neglect BM and English.

Worse is the school I registered my daughter at has very high expectations of the students and they have about 42 to 45 kids per classroom! I was advised to either send her to tuition full time (meaning from 1pm to 5pm) instead of this current babysitter or if i didn't want my child to suffer better to just put her into the Kebangsaan school as she may not catch up in a Chinese School and will be left to be the last in class all the time. Thus my quandary, Do I listen to the teacher or put her into Kebangsaan school?

I want my daughter to be able to read and write in Mandarin. Moreover I feel being in the Chinese school would give her an added advantage over being in the normal Kebangsaan School.
I know there is nothing wrong with the Kebangsaan School yet I believe the Chinese school education system is better. I know many of you may argue that the Kebangsaan school is just as good if not better yet I prefer if she can go to the Chinese school. Besides my late mom was Chinese but she didn't speak Chinese so I want to make sure my daughter knows something of her heritage.

My daughter's babysitter said there is no need to send her to tuition as what she will get at the tuition will be the same as what she is currently getting now. Besides she said the tuition will cost more (and I have a budget to follow). Choong Auntie told me to leave her as she is and later she will catch up it's just she's still very young now and is playful like all children her age is.

I know a few people who are not Chinese but have successfully sent their kids to Chinese School and they have no regrets.
My sister and my brother- in-law have sent their son to a Chinese school initially they have lots of issues with him yet it looks like it's working out well. My sister gave me some good advise too (By the way, Thanks dear!) She said we have to stick to it and it'll work out. My sister's former neighbour a Malay Family has 5 kids all in Chinese School the parents do not speak a word of Mandarin yet the kids are doing well. Another good friend of mine said someone they know (Indians) sent both their daughters to Chinese school and she heard the two daughters arguing in Mandarin!
One other very good family friend (Indian) who has successfully sent both sons to Chinese school told me this, she had the same issues as me when she 1st made her decision for her kids she said she had more faith in her kids then the teacher had. So her advise is to go for it.

And with all these helpful advise I have decided to trust in my daughter and stick to my decision as well.

That's my story for today.