Down the Drain – Our Money!!
Masterwordsmith
According to The Malaysian Insider HERE, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that mastering the English language will not make one less patriotic as English is currently the language of knowledge. He opined that we have to face the reality that if we want to understand Science and Mathematics for the betterment of our lives, and to build the nation towards becoming a developed nation, we have to understand foreign languages.
Until 1976, the medium of instruction in schools and universities was English. From 1977, the education policy was changed so Bahasa Malaysia became the medium of instruction.
However, in June 2002, a dramatic shift in the Malaysian Educational Policy was announced whereby from January 2003, Science and Mathematics will be taught in English in standard One, Form One and Lower Six in all fully aided government schools.
The rationale for this decision was that most Science based courses in the universities were highly dependent on reference materials published in the English language. This move was to facilitate the learning process in educational institutions.
Tragically, the government announced last year that it would revert to the teaching of the two subjects in the Malay language in national schools and the students’ mother tongue (Mandarin or Tamil) in national-type Chinese and Tamil schools from 2011 following the abolishment of the policy of teaching and learning Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI). Following that, our government announced the strategy of upholding the Malay language and strengthening the command of English in schools.
Those who are in Standard 6, Form 1 and Form 2 (who are currently learning Science and Maths in English) will be hit when they reach Form 4 and Form 5 whereby they will study Science and Maths in BM and after that learn those subjects in English again when they move on to Form 6. So for two years, it will be a drastic change for them and by the time they have adapted, they have to learn in English as well. There are serious implications not just for students but for teachers as well. What is the rationale for this shift?
I do not want to repeat the arguments that others have put forward against the abolishment of the PPSMI. You can read more about that HERE and HERE.
This evening, I came across this paper by Hannah Pillay called “WINDS OF CHANGE: TEACHING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IN ENGLISH – A PERSPECTIVE FROM THE SCHOOL”.
I just one to highlight one aspect of this hot topic. Consider this excerpt from the above-mentioned paper:
