Malaysia - No English option in Malaysia's schools

KUALA LUMPUR - The government yesterday put a lid on calls to allow some schools to teach Science and Mathematics in English, with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin saying that "the policy has been decided and should be respected".

The deputy prime minister, who is also education minister, pointed out that having a dual-language system would be "chaotic".

Muhyiddin said it would also make it difficult for the ministry in terms of planning and getting enough quality teachers.

"If we give the option to parents, this will cause kucar-kacir (chaos) in the education system.

"It is hard for the Education Ministry to plan - how to do it? One school wants it in English, another in Malay. Then there is a question of teachers, how do we provide? "Some of our English teachers are not so efficient, so if some schools opt to teach the two subjects in English but do not have enough English teachers, then the aspirations of parents will not be realised," he said after opening the Language and Malay Literature Congress at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka here.

Muhyiddin was responding to calls from some parents, students and pressure groups such as Parents Action Group for Education (Page)for schools to be given the freedom to choose the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics following the ministry's earlier decision to reverse the PPSMI (teaching Science and Mathematics in English)policy.

The reversal was made following studies, which concluded that English proficiency did not improve with the introduction of PPSMI.

Studies also pointed out that pupils were still struggling to communicate in English six years after the policy's introduction.

PPSMI, mooted by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was implemented in 2003.

With the abolishment of PPSMI, Year One pupils at national schools, from this year onwards, studied Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia.

Muhyiddin said as a father, he understood the concerns of parents over the matter, but stressed that the ministry had considered all options before making its decision.

He said the ministry had adopted a "soft landing" approach to ease pupils back to learning Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia.

He further dispelled worries that the abolishment of PPSMI would result in the English language being sidelined, pointing out that the ministry had come up with the Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening the Command of English (MBMMBI) policy.

The ministry has also introduced a few initiatives to strengthen the use of English. This includes changing the English language curriculum by increasing the number of periods for English classes from 240 minutes to 300 minutes a week.

From next year, the ministry will bring in Fulbright scholars from the United States to help improve English proficiency among schoolchildren in urban and rural areas.

It will also bring in native Englishspeaking teachers as master teachers who would be placed at schools nationwide.

Additionally, the ministry will train some 10,000 teachers at teachers' training institutes to help with the teaching of English.

"I believe the steps we have taken this year will bear fruit in the next few years. We can't expect immediate results, we can only see the effect in the next few years. I hope parents can accept this," said Muhyiddin.

On another matter, Muhyiddin said he would leave it to Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar to explain the findings of the auditor-general's report on the National Feedlot Centre project.

"I don't think there is anything extraordinary or anything that violates the findings, the audit found weaknesses which will be explained." On a proposal to have an Apostasy Act, Muhyiddin suggested that state religious councils meet to discuss the best way to draw up the act.

"There must be a consensus to ensure there are no differences between the states.

"When I was the Johor menteri besar, the state government passed an enactment prohibiting proselytising of Muslims, but whether this is enough or not, it is up to the state governments." Earlier, Muhyiddin suggested that the Teachers Education Institute's Malay campus, Universiti Malaya's Malay Studies Academy, and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka collaborate to offer training and courses in Bahasa Malaysia to ensure it becomes an international language.

"Digital technology can be harnessed to offer these courses online in an effort to ensure wider and easier access as well as to make them cost-effective." He said the government would also send Bahasa Malaysia teachers a broadand train overseas Malaysians to be language ambassadors in Bahasa Malaysia starting next year.

Later, while opening the Malaysia International Commodity Conference and Showcase 2011, Muhyiddin said agriculture and commodity industries operators should not be complacent with the fact that the nation was one of the major commodities producers in the world.

Instead, the sector had to strengthen its research activities and develop innovative ways to improve and value add its products.

"Although the country is among the main producers of commodities, we should not be complacent about this, we should aim to be the biggest producer of commodity products in the world."

Arman Ahmad | New Straits Times

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