Every year, we are constantly reminded of the debate on whether or not we should retain the use of the English language as the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics. Under the current education system, the “Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris” (PPSMI) is the system where English will be the medium of instruction for the two subjects.
It has only been six years since the implementation of the system, and nobody has ever given it a rest. The same reasons are being given over and over again to the point that I have become so entirely fed-up with the debate.
And just as I thought that nobody would pick on my bone, the Student Representative Council of UTP (MPPUTP) has issued an official statement declaring on its stand against the PPSMI. Clearly, their stand is not mine.
Let me quote from the official weblog of MPPUTP:
Sudah tentu pihak kerajaan atau pihak-pihak terbabit ingin melihat generasi muda hari ini yang telah mengikuti dasar PPSMI berjaya dengan cemerlang dalam bidang sains dan matematik, sekaligus mampu menguasai bahasa inggeris bagi melahirkan pelajar-pelajar yang berdaya saing. Dalam keadaan sistem pengajaran dan pembelajaran sekarang, ditambah pula dengan pelaksanaan dasar PPSMI, sepatutnya generasi muda pada hari ini amat mahir dan sangat menguasai bahasa inggeris. Dikatakan amat mahir dan sangat menguasai bahasa inggeris adalah kerana generasi muda hari ini, majoritinya telah terdedah dengan bahasa inggeris sejak dari tadika sehinggalah ke sekolah menengah. Seperti yang disebutkan sebentar tadi, ditambah pula dengan pelaksanaan dasar PPSMI. Tidak ada alasan yang mengatakan pelajar tidak mahir atau pun belum lagi menguasai bahasa inggeris. Sekiranya pelajar masih tergagap-gagap ketika disuruh berpidato dalam bahasa inggeris, atau disuruh untuk mengulas apa yang terkandung dalam subjek sains dalam bahasa inggeris, ini bermakna sistem pengajaran yang sedang diguna pakai sekarang adalah tidak berkesan.
Yes, it is true that the current education system is not as effective as we would like to think of it to be. The current education system does not encourage us to be thinkers, but rather turns us to be rote learners. The standard of English in Malaysia is still far from being high. Our grandfathers and fathers could speak far better English than most of the youth today; it is an utter embarrassment. We need not go too far – some of our cafeteria operators speak unbelievably good and fluent English.
But that is not the point. Not only is it misleading to say that the objective of the PPSMI is to improve the standard of English in Malaysia, it is not mutually exclusive. While it is true that the implementation of PPSMI would indirectly encourage students to brush up on their English, the objective of PPSMI should be viewed such that it makes referencing to other sources easier, and facilitates long-term learning, regardless of where you are and what sources you look at.
From the MPPUTP:
Dari pihak Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (MMPUTP) sendiri, kami tidak bersetuju dengan pelaksanaan PPSMI kerana:
1. Sistem pengajaran bahasa inggeris di sekolah-sekolah perlulah diperkukuhkan terlebih dahulu supaya pelajar dapat menguasai bahasa inggeris sepenuhnya
2. Kerajaan hendaklah memperkasakan budaya “dahagakan ilmu”, bukannya melambakkan program-program atau rancangan-rancangan yang kurang bermanfaat. Dapat kita lihat pada hari ini, semakin banyak masalah sosial yang berlaku dikalangan remaja, akibat dari pengaruh kotor barat, yang datangnya dari media-media tanpa ada sekatan yang khusus lagi menyeluruh mengikut lunas-lunas Islam dan adat ketimuran.
3. Telah terbukti bahawa bahasa Negara maju (dalam hal ini adalah bahasa inggeris) tidak menjadikan sesebuah Negara tersebut semakin maju, sebagai contoh di negara bekas jajahan British di Afrika, malah di dalam keadaan mundur dan miskin walaupun bahasa negara termaju digunakan.
4. Telah ditulis dalam catatan sejarah bahawa bahasa melayu pernah menjadi bahasa pengantar utama atau dikenali sebagai lingua franca.
5. Sesuatu ilmu itu lenih mudah difahami dengan menggunakan bahasa pertama berbanding dengan bahasa kedua (rujuk jawapan-jawapan yang diberikan oleh Prof. Emeritus Abu Bakar Abd. Hamid, salah seorang ahli Kumpulan Prihatin, http://mahasiswakini.com/archives/2254 )
6. Kebanyakan generasi muda pada hari ini kurang atau tidak mampu untuk menulis atau membaca tulisan jawi dengan betul akibat daripada penggunaan tulisan jawi yang telah dimansuhkan satu ketika dahulu. Sekiranya PPSMI ini berterusan, maka tidak menjadi sesuatu yang pelik, sekiranya generasi muda pada 50 tahun akan datang, tidak mampu atau merangkak-rangkak dalam membaca di dalam bahasa melayu.
I agree with Point Number 1 that there must be certain measures to bring up the standard of English among Malaysian students. There is a dire need to ensure that students are proficient in the English language, and a proper syllabus must be drawn out to facilitate an effective learning of the English language. I find that while the teaching of Bahasa Melayu is structured even up to Form 5, the teaching of English is not as structured as I would like it to be. When I speak of structure, I mean a syllabus that pays emphasis not only on vocabulary, but on grammar, spelling, etc.
It is not surprising to hear of students scoring 1A for SPM English, only to get a 6C for the GCE-O Levels. Clearly, there is something very wrong with the teaching of the English language, but there is no apparent concerted efforts to improve the situation. Is it just simply because it is a second language? That would be a short-sighted view, would that not?
Point Number 2 is a weak attempt in trying to justify the need to do away with the PPSMI. Not only is the point unrelated to the PPSMI, it is clearly targeted at the whole education system. This indicates that PPSMI is not at fault, and that it should not be linked to the so-called unhealthy elements of the West. While it is true that the people, in general, should always hunger for more knowledge, that does not mean that PPSMI should be done away with. Whether or not PPSMI was started in the first place, people would still be influenced by other cultures, or elements of the West that are often condemned as unhealthy, unlawful, etc. You cannot say that just because PPSMI is abolished then all these unhealthy elements would not grow their roots here. Thus, Point Number 2 is irrelevant with the regards of PPSMI.
I find Point Number 3 inconclusive and biased. Without really understanding the political, geographical and demographical situation of South Africa, the writer tries to connect his claim that a country which uses English as the medium of instruction does not necessarily indicate that it will be a developed country. It is as if that English should be blamed for the lack of development in some African countries. If you say that English is one of the factors for lack of development, then how would you explain the rapid development of Singapore, which uses English as the main language?
Language does not play a part in the development of a country. Many factors must be considered, such as political, economical, demographical, grographical factors, etc. Language is just a medium which we use constantly to communicate with other people. Whether it is English, Mandarin, Bahasa Melayu, Tamil, etc. a country stands a chance to develop rapidly if all the factors favour the country. Therefore, do not simply hit out at the English language if a country is undeveloped.
Point Number 4 gives us some fact that Bahasa Melayu was once in the lingua franca of the region some hundreds of years ago. The writer should understand that it is history and history does not need to be applicable today. I understand the writer’s vision to have Bahasa Melayu to be the lingua franca of the world. However, we must once again think of the majority of the population of the world. Pushing for Bahasa Melayu to be the lingua franca is all fine, but for it to be the sole international language is most likely to be out of the question. Looking back at history, let us just see how extensive the colonisation of British was. It is very likely that the colonisation back in the 16th to the 20th centuries would have influenced heavily on the language used. It is not an effort of a few months or a few years to get the English language be used as an international language, but a few hundred years, and through colonial means.
France is a country whose people are very proud of their French language. They speak French as if they know no other language, and they expect even foreigners like me to speak their language fluently. However, they still learn the English language. Perhaps the writer has the vision of a French. But there is a price to pay. (As a note, most of the French can write and converse in English, but their conversation in English is mostly incomprehensible.)
Something important to note is that being the international language does not mean that it is the mostly spoken language in the world. English is the international language but Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world. That is fact.
Point Number 5 is a plausible justification, however there has really been no evidence to suggest that using the first language is more effective than the second or third language. I am not very sure what the writer meant as “first language” because it could either mean the mother tongue of a student or the national language. If the writer meant that a student’s first language is the mother tongue, then how could you say that my learning using Bahasa Melayu as the medium of instruction was ineffective? However, if the writer claims that a student’s first language is the national language, which is Bahasa Melayu, then how would you explain the fact that students in Chinese vernacular schools, where the medium of instruction is in Mandarin, have been able to fare so well in Science and Mathematics when they were taught in Mandarin?
Point Number 6 is another weak attempt in trying to discredit the English language for the lack of use of the Jawi script. Why discredit the English language for the abolishing of the use of the Jawi script? The PPSMI was only implemented for six years, and when the writer mentioned “satu ketika dahulu” did he mean ten years ago? If so, then how could you accuse the PPSMI for the lack of use of the Jawi script?
The Jawi script has frequently been associated with the Bahasa Melayu language, and as far as I know, it was taught during Islamic studies lessons back in school. Well, I may be mistaken, but I do recall a friend having an exercise book which was marked as “Jawi”. The English language, or PPSMI for that matter, has nothing to do with the Jawi script, nor does it condemn the use of the Jawi script. Therefore, why blame the PPSMI?
While it is true that the English language uses the Roman alphabet system, so does Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Indonesia, German (modified), French (modified), etc. I do not see any clash between the Roman alphabet system and the Jawi script. Both writings can survive in their own unique ways respectively.
Point Number 6 also seems to claim that if PPSMI was left to continue, then the next generations will not be able to write or converse well in the national language, Bahasa Melayu. Has the objective of the PPSMI been to use the English language as the medium of instruction for all subjects, except for language subjects? Has the objective of the PPSMI been to improve the standard of English in Malaysia? As far as I am concerned, the PPSMI is just here to teach Science and Mathematics in English. How is this going to sideline the integrity of Bahasa Melayu as the national language? Many parties have frequently asked this question, but nobody has yet stepped out to produce a satisfactory explanation. They just claim that the PPSMI would destroy the integrity of Bahasa Melayu as the national language, and that is where they end. Where is the justification?
Now, let me give you some reasons or why we should not revert to Bahasa Melayu as the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics and why we should just keep the status quo as it is:
- Educationists, publishers and students were already victims when the PPSMI was introduced. Syllabuses had to be revamped, and much money was spent to get the PPSMI going. It was a very expensive effort to train teachers and to have the textbooks re-written in English. Now as all parties are feeling comfortable about the system, you are asking them to revert! More money will be dumped into the reversion and all parties are going to be affected again! In the end, the students become victims, the teachers become victims and publishers become victims – again!
- In (most) institutions of higher learning, the medium of instruction is in English. Getting yourselves familiarised with the teaching in the English language during primary and secondary school years will facilitate your learning in tertiary levels. There will be no unnecessary shock to find that you are not able to comprehend subjects that are taught in universities. Let us face it – if you cannot understand the teaching in English, do not blame the language, but rather yourself, because chances are that you have not grasped the fundamentals of the language (illustrated by scoring 1A for SPM English, but 6C for GCE-O Levels).
- Only Science and Mathematics are taught in English. The other subjects still use Bahasa Melayu as the medium of instruction. Just because about five or six subjects out of the hundred odd subjects use the English language as the medium of instruction does not imply in any way that the integrity of Bahasa Melayu, which is still the medium of instruction in all other subjects, will deteriorate.
- Using the English language as the medium of instruction has been just as effective. The Singaporean education which uses English as the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics still manages to educate students effectively in the English language.
- Reverting back to Bahasa Melayu is not going to change anything in our education system. It will still continue to promote rote learning. Get rid of rote learning first before you think about reverting back to Bahasa Melayu. How could you guarantee that reverting to Bahasa Melayu will not promote rote learning? It is the entire education system that must be revamped, not the medium of instruction that is used.
- Is reverting back to Bahasa Melayu more for the sake of education or for certain political or social mileage? That is something that all of us must consider carefully before answering this question.
- It has been recognised that the PPSMI is in no way challenging the status of Bahasa Melayu as the national language. The Constitution provides that Bahasa Melayu is the national language of Malaysia, so there should not be any fear that the integrity of Bahasa Melayu will deteriorate as a result of the implementation of the PPSMI. All these fears are unfounded.
In the end, it is very much up to you to see things for yourselves. We must always keep in mind that we should not be so short-sighted when seeing things from certain perspectives, and open ourselves up continuously towards more and more challenges ahead. Cutting corners will not help us at all.
Henry Yew
thx 4 ur point of view.
i googled PPSMI and found your blog.
ur post is definately hit on the right time because i have presentation on this topic next week, which is about the teaching and learning issues, and this PPSMI is one of the issues.
thx again.
hv a nice day.
THX mr Henry
Ketika khatib menyampaikan khutbah Jumaat, Khutbah itu hendaklah dalam bahasa melayu, bukan bahasa arab walaupun ianya bahasa syurga…kenapa begini???…kenapa tidak wajib guna bahasa arab???….sebab khutbah itu perlu disampaikan dalam yang difahami…itu satu contoh dalam agama Islam yang suci…jangan fikir ia tiada kaitan dengan PPSMI..anak2 kita mesti faham ilmu sains ketika kelas sains..bukan perlu faham sains+B.I ketika kelas sains..itu zalim namanya sebab meletakkan sesuatu bukan pada tempatnya…inilah akibat apabila kita pilih pemimpin mengabaikan Islam…contoh paling mudah seperti khutbah jumaat tadi tu pun tak dapat ikut sebagai panduan…saya bukan benci B.I, tapi tak boleh zalim..wajib ikut agama..maybe in this few years we don’t see the effect of PPSMI on B.M..but wait for few decades..fate of B.M would be the same with ‘tulisan jawi’…pakai otak la bro…
[benar]
Therefore, you are claiming that our students cannot understand English? That is utterly not true, because we do have formal English education. Is that a language that we cannot comprehend?
I understand that during Friday prayers, it is necessary that the khutbah be delivered in Bahasa Melayu and not the Arabic language. That is because not everybody knows the Arabic language.
In our case, however, everybody should know English because it is part of our formal education system. There is utterly no reason to say that we cannot comprehend whatever that is taught for Science and Mathematics simply because we cannot understand the language. If that is the case, then I am afraid our students have not been doing their homework at all! So, how could you put the blame on the English language? That is very unfair. The blame should be put on the education system, the teachers or the students then, because the learning has failed to occur.
I am asking you, in return, to think a bit now. There are over eighty to a hundred subjects that can be examined for the SPM examinations. Out of that number, only about six to seven are taught in English. How is that small, rather insignificant amount of subjects, going to affect the whole integrity of Bahasa Melayu?
If you are thinking so much about protecting the sovereignty of Bahasa Melayu, what about the Mandarin language? In secondary vernacular schools, the PPSMI also applies to them, but in no way has the PPSMI started to degrade the Mandarin language to an extent that English is becoming the medium of communication. And yet for a mainly Mandarin-speaking school, students have no problems understanding their Science and Mathematics subjects in English. There should not be a problem, in fact, because English is part of our education system.
I am a student who went through Science and Mathematics, as well as Information Technology, in Bahasa Melayu. When I studied in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, I had to switch to English. I admit I did face some difficulties trying to adapt, but today this system has become part of my tertiary education and I am able to make references myself without having to think hard about what the authors are trying to say.
What we need is not the abolishing of the PPSMI. If students are finding it difficult to cope with the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English, then it is an obvious sign that they have not gained the mastery of English. Abolishing the PPSMI is not going to help them become more proficient in English; in fact, you are just running away from your problems. To solve those problems, teachers must be more committed to teach the English language properly in the same manner as Bahasa Melayu is being taught. Students must not shun away from using the English language as one of their media of communication.
To think of English as the “conqueror’s language” is not only a short-sighted view, but a view which can cost you a difference between a bleak and a bright future.
It is important that we do not close all the doors to future opportunities just because there is a history of hatred behind those doors.
Ada pepatah yang menyatakan, “Nak seribu daya, tak nak seribu dalih.” Renungkanlah.
Bravo, Henry!
Truth in every word.
The sad truth is that BM is a redundant language in the from the global perspective; be it in trade, science or business.
When examples like “Japan/China/Korea do not use English in a widespread manner yet these countries have gone on to achieve great things” are used, only one things come to mind: Global standing. These nations have far higher standards of living, larger populations, powerful economies and a plethora of excellent educational institutions locally. In other words, they are self-sustaining and hence do not require the mastery of English to thrive.
I digress. Malaysia, on the other hand, shall always be known as the country between Thailand and Singapore. From the global perspective, we are hardly a legitimate force at all. Sad but true. Hence, to survive, Malaysia needs each and every one of its 27 million citizens to be at least decently well-versed in English; less we await economical and scientific isolation from the international community.
Mastery of English is no longer an advantage. It is a necessity.
Oh yes, if it is any relevant, I wrote a letter of opinion to Malaysiakini on a similar matter and it was published. Feel free to have a look.
Link:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/94571
Why not a lingua franca for the whole world!
I notice that Barack Obama wants everyone to learn another language, but which one should it be? The British learn French, the Australians study Japanese, and the Americans prefer Spanish. Yet this leaves both Mandarin Chinese and Arabic out of the equation.
Why not decide on a neutral non-national language, taught worldwide, in all nations?
I would personally prefer Esperanto
An interesting video can be seen at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8837438938991452670. A glimpse of this language can be seen at http://www.lernu.net
I couldn’t agree more with you on this topic!!
Teaching of Science and Maths in English definitely has more plus points than teaching the subjects in Bahasa Melayu.
I wrote a response post to yours. Feel free to have a look and comment on it…
http://ryanne90.blogspot.com/2009/03/ppsmi-still-debating.html
Henry,
There are many flaws in your arguments.
Teaching math and science in a native language is a human right. When you say there is no evidence that learning is affected when taught in a second language, you are contradicting the views of the majority of educationists.
Quoting a UNICEF report:
“School can be an alien and daunting place for the many . young children who begin classwork in a language different from their own. Compelled to adopt a second language when they are as young as four, five or six, these children must give up an entire universe of meaning for an unfamiliar one. They may also come to believe that the language they have known from birth is inferior to the language of school. In learning complex subjects such as mathematics and reading, they must undergo one of the greatest challenges they will ever face, yet the linguistic skills on which much of their cognitive faculties rest have suddenly been deemed irrelevant to the task at hand.
As these building blocks of knowledge crumble, so can the children’s self-esteem and sense of identity. It is no wonder that so many of them struggle to stay in school and succeed …
Experts increasingly recognize how important it is for children to use their mother tongue when they begin school. Use of this tongue validates their experiences. It helps them learn about the nature of language itself and how to use language to make sense of the world, including all aspects of the school curriculum.
The mother tongue is an essential foundation for learning.”
Quoting a teacher I know,
“The class was lively, many students asked questions, the students showed interest as they can relate what is being taught with their experience and they had fun. That was when Science was taught in Malay. It’s very different now. The Science class is a one-way delivery of information. All the students kept quiet. “. Henry, please note that this is a typical malay schools, even in the urban areas. Maybe not your typical school.
These students, disinterested in schools and education, would become the mat rempits in the future.
Dear Yasir,
I have never claimed that my views must conform with those of educationists. Why should I not differ views, knowing that our education system is flawed, whether or not English is the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics?
Our issue here does not revolve around children aged four, five or six. We speak of proper school-going children who should be able to pick up their knowledge quickly and easily. We speak of the current education system which pays emphasis on Bahasa Melayu and English.
UNICEF may have its own views on the teaching of subjects in the second language. That does not mean that we must agree with what it says. I have gone through primary, secondary and now tertiary education. I have tasted the fruits of education both in Bahasa Melayu and English. Am I not entitled to give my views then?
UNICEF is quite pessimistic in its report, if what you quote is reliable. Rather than putting the blame on the language, why not the system? Why not the lack of effort?
Despite what UNICEF says, the following question still remains: Will reverting to Bahasa Melayu change the education system that promotes rote learning in Malaysia?
I quote:
“The class was lively, many students asked questions, the students showed interest as they can relate what is being taught with their experience and they had fun. That was when Science was taught in Malay. It’s very different now. The Science class is a one-way delivery of information. All the students kept quiet. “. Henry, please note that this is a typical malay schools, even in the urban areas. Maybe not your typical school.
Unquote.
The answer to that is simple: students do not have the mastery in the English language, although they should have. It is a blatant indication that our education system is flawed, not the selection of the medium of instruction. If our students pay more attention to the English language, they should be more participative in nature. Reverting to Bahasa Melayu is just a good way of escaping from your troubles.
And lastly, teaching in the native language is never a right. Otherwise, Malaysia will be in utter chaos. Be thankful for that.
The educationists have done their research based on studies of a large group to come up with their conclusions. They are the experts. You can come up with a different view based on your own experience and others’ close to you. It is normal to have a view contrary to the experts. If you are clever enough, you can also pick an expert’s opinion which can support your view.
Getting education in the native language is a human right. Please refer to the Convention against Discrimination in Education adopted by UNESCO.
Malay is the native language of most Malay students. Learning math and scientific concepts at primary levels does not require mastery in English. There are plenty of books in Malay at these level, and also at secondary level before the switch in 2003. It is not a problem to switch the language as you enter IHLs as I have experienced and many others. Most scientists and engineers in the world go through this process. This is in line with the educationists (the experts in learning). Refer to Virginia State US DOE Report 2004 on experiences with Spanish-speaking Hispanics switching language while learning math.
When Malay students are forced to learn Science and Math in English, they are deprived of their rights to education in their own language. When the students are disinterested, it is easy to distract them from learning useful knowledge with the advent of internet, DVD movies and computer games. You might want to blame their parents, their teachers or their native language for being not the lingua franca in the scientific world. But I have seen the students. I have talked to their teachers. These students have to be sacrificed because the PPSMI system will improve in the long term after all the teachers have been retrained and the glitches in PPSMI implementation has been ironed out in XX years. You expect the students mastered English by age 7, or gain mastery in English while learning elementary math concepts.
Will the change back to Malay will improve things? Yes, for most Malay students. Are you aware that the syllabus has been reduced by 30% to enable students cope with PPSMI? That is the finding of one researcher recently. I prefer the system which gives freedom to parents to choose any medium of instruction for schools as practiced before 1970. For the future of my kids, I would prefer them to learn math and science in malay (as I have done), while learning English in a much better way than how they teach it now in schools.
You might have tour opinions, but please respect opinions of those who have talked to the teachers and met the students who have been ’sacrificed’. Give them their rights. The government has ‘failed’ them.
Today, another educationist against ppsmi. Do they have a secret agenda? Are they racists? Are they pessimists? Are they really experts?
March 23, 2009 17:56 PM
PPSMI Does Not Guarantee Students Would Be Proficient In English
KOTA BAHARU, March 23 (Bernama) — The Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (ETeMS or better known by its Malay acronym, PPSMI) does not guarantee effective proficiency in that language, said Prof Dr Sidek Baba, professor in education at the Education Institute of the International Islamic University Malaysia.
Rather, he said, it needed to be done in a better way and the government could not do just do so through mathematics and science but through proficiency in language taught specially to children taking into consideration local conditions.
“If we look at developed countries like Germany, South Korea, Russia, France and Japan they use their own language and are successful,” Sidek said when met after delivering the keynote address at the Seminar on Human Capital Development here today.
“The approach of the West (was) in using their own language to take over a foreign country, this was a long term policy done subtly to take over a country,” he said.
“After six years of the PPSMI approach the use of English and its grasp is still far away,” he said.
“When Malay students are forced to learn Science and Math in English, they are deprived of their rights to education in their own language. When the students are disinterested, it is easy to distract them from learning useful knowledge with the advent of internet, DVD movies and computer games. You might want to blame their parents, their teachers or their native language for being not the lingua franca in the scientific world. But I have seen the students. I have talked to their teachers. These students have to be sacrificed because the PPSMI system will improve in the long term after all the teachers have been retrained and the glitches in PPSMI implementation has been ironed out in XX years. You expect the students mastered English by age 7, or gain mastery in English while learning elementary math concepts.”
Deprived of their rights to education in their own language, so you say? I was deprived of my right for education in my own language then, does that make me an unsuccessful person?
As to the expectation of a student mastering English by the age of seven, well, they should have the standard of English that would reflect the standard of a seven-year-old school-going child. As such, yes, I expect them to understand the simplest things as “One plus one is two” and “Three minus two is one”. We do not expect them to think of “the dichotomy of this….” or “to gauge a student’s cognitive ability through…”
Science is taught much later. If they begin the teaching of Science in Standard One that would be inappropriate, in my opinion. But by Standard Four, the proficiency of English should be such that the simplest terms like “petals”, “stem”, etc. should be understood and well demonstrated to students.
Quote:
“After six years of the PPSMI approach the use of English and its grasp is still far away,” he said.
Unquote.
Well, I never claimed in the first place that PPSMI should be used to improve the mastery of English in every student. In fact, it should not be so. PPSMI is just a system where Science and Mathematics are taught in English. Despite having PPSMI, it should be such that students comprehend the principles of Science and Mathematics, most importantly. Just because they use English in Science and Mathematics does not mean that their grasp in the English language is very firm. Likewise, if you were to revert to Bahasa Melayu, it is not to say that students can have a firm grasp in Bahasa Melayu, too.
Quote:
“If we look at developed countries like Germany, South Korea, Russia, France and Japan they use their own language and are successful,” Sidek said when met after delivering the keynote address at the Seminar on Human Capital Development here today.
Unquote.
These are countries whose social demography and politics are such that they are self-sustaining countries. Even China uses Mandarin in its education system, I know. But to these countries, learning the English language is not a necessity, but rather an advantage. For us, however, learning the English language is a necessity.
Quote:
“Will the change back to Malay will improve things? Yes, for most Malay students. Are you aware that the syllabus has been reduced by 30% to enable students cope with PPSMI?”
Unquote.
That is indeed a very selfish view, and a view that tells me that we just merely want to escape from our troubles and problems, rather than resolving them constructively. You denounce the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English simply because you want to make things easier for students, despite knowing that it is the whole education system which is at fault, not the language. The teaching of English has never been fully effective, but the language is taking the brunt of the blame. Why not step up on the teaching of the English language then?
Quote:
You might have tour opinions, but please respect opinions of those who have talked to the teachers and met the students who have been ’sacrificed’. Give them their rights. The government has ‘failed’ them.
Unquote.
All teachers and students have been sacrificed in their own manner, including myself. But to see things in such a short-term time frame is a very short-sighted and narrow-minded view. Why put off something after just a short period of the implementation of a new system?
Our education system was once in the English medium. That is not to say that our fathers or grandfathers did not do well in their studies. Many of them are doctors, lawyers and other sort of professionals, too. If they were still successful using that system so many, many years ago, why not now?
When they first switched from the English medium to the Bahasa Melayu medium, who is to say that they did not go through what the students today are going through?
True enough, just because the elder generation experienced some tough times does not mean that we should do the same to the generation today. But if we allowed the teaching of Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Melayu for such a long time already, why can’t we do the same for PPSMI? Just because it is English?
The government has already failed us before. They will fail us again if they do not retain the PPSMI, simply because our teachers and students will be victims once again.
P/S: Please do not ask me to “Google this” or “find out for yourself about this”. I do not have the time to do that now, as I am occupied with other events. Since you want to bring out the evidence for me, you’ll have to dig it up or supply the link for me, please. Thanks.
http://blog.izz.my/poster-sokong-ppsmi-sebarkan/ spread the words .. hehee.. if u dun mind spreading it
First of all, nice effort Henry. It surely is tough trying to convince a bunch of short-sighted humans of something of long-term benefits.
Perhaps they just love sitting comfortably on their backsides waiting for Robin Hood and his bunch of merry morons to come with their pile of cash. It’s not surprising that after 50 years being in their comfort zone that they’re unwilling to walk out of it.
More importantly, a mistake made about 50 years ago resulted in this catastrophe seen only in recent years, and yet after just 6 years trying to amend things, can we expect miracles?
My friend ‘benar’ above used nice, free-flowing Bahasa Malaysia throughout his comment, and at the end of it he messes up with a word which I believe is English. Ironic.
I don’t know if it’s some popular trend for centuries, but Malaysians really love to put the blame on Westerners. We’ve seen it on television programmes, read about it on newspapers and history textbooks, it’s just blatant copy and paste.
Bahasa Melayu was lingua franca during the grand days of the Sultanate of Malacca, well partly because the locals happen to know only that language, and Malacca was such a strategic port before the invention of cargo ships and aeroplanes, that anyone with a business mind would not be stupid enough to blow a big chance of earning some cash by not learning the language. Coming back to the 21st century, there is a more advanced place to our south called Singapore who, like us were once colonized by Westerners, and guess what, they are the main hub in South East Asia, not us.
I wrote what ever that came into my mind, and I shall not proceed further as I’m running out of time. A word of advice for you, Henry. Sometimes you can’t knock sense into the heads of idiots, and idiots will always be idiots, just like a homo treated for anal fissure only to return the next day after another intercourse.
Well,a great thought of article and comments about this PPSMI issue.
i told myself i was a few lucky who didn’t take BSc(Science with EDUCATION) ,just because if i were in that course, i will be made myself compulsary for posting to secondary schools to teach science and maths subjects in malay language which i think it is of not much use to most of the students in future.
maybe from what i think,i am very passionate about the educational issues which i always tell my students of which i taught a few of them years ago that if u want to do well in science and maths, the best way is to get the concept well.To get the concept well,u have to understand it very well,the language behind the learning of the subjects should be of top priority to the students, of whether they find whichever languages that they are comfortable and able to understand it.
Well, students should be given the options to choose either they like it to be in english,malay when comes to learning technical subjects like science and maths.