Teaching English – there is hope yet

(Malaysian Mirror) Finally, after months of intense and divisive debate in the media, Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has announced that the teaching of math and science in the English language will be scrapped by 2012, thus ending a controversial policy initiated by the former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2003.

It is a long-standing tradition in Malaysia that once such a major policy has been announced, it is unlikely to be changed again any time soon.

Be that as it may, the announcement of the government decision on the issue has not stopped the volatile debate on the wisdom of such a move among parents, educators, commentators and politicians. If nothing else, discussions on the subject will be raised a few notches on the mainstream and alternative media in the days ahead.

Many observers have noted that the government’s decision to revert the teaching of math and science to Bahasa Malaysia and the vernacular tongues has been a concession to the very vocal linguistic nationalists from the various ethnic communities. Indeed, education has always been one of the most contentious political issues in our country fro the last half century.

There remains the burning lingering educational question of how to improve the proficiency of the English language among our school children, to give them that competitive edge on the job and business market when they graduate from the public education system.

The current system of teaching English as a subject is no longer viable, as enlightened parents, teachers, and educators have realised. A major reform is urgently needed for the professional teaching of English as a second language.

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