"Tony Pua hopes that schools in urban areas where the students, teachers and parents are keen to retain English as the medium for Maths and Science will be given a choice to opt out of the switch back to BM/BC, especially in secondary schools."I've also made the following short comment to another Facebook friend who had asked the same:
"My stand is that PIBG should have a say/choice in the language use, particularly in urban areas where competency in English is already fairly high and in demand. You/we should push for this.The above is my personal and public position which I will highlight in parliament. I've also written on the same in my Chinese column in Oriental Daily a few months back.
Rural areas can't help it, especially with teachers who can't even string a sentence together in English."
DAP's position, for those who are interested, is that urban national primary and secondary schools should be given a choice by the parents on the language to be used. Some have accused the party of staying silent on the issue. I beg to differ. Both Chong Eng, MP for Bukit Mertajam as well as the party Secretary-General, Lim Guan Eng has made the party's stand known for a while now. But if the press doesn't print (or print it often enough), there's little we can do.
Selected comments from my Facebook update:
- Vivian Chiang at 10:13 on 09 July
i totally agreed that ..hopefully - Bee Hui Chuah at 10:21 on 09 July
yes... agree!!! especially secondary school!!! Education, is not Experiment!!! - Justin Wee at 10:22 on 09 July
It's a silly thing to scrap of, the malay lingu 'experiment' was conducted ever since the early 70's, & it's almost 30 years project. For a mere less than 10 years project on english medium being scrap of, it's not a pronounced fair campaign
We cant compare our so called 'looking at other nation', whereby the japanese still maintains their language, and the french themselves. but bare in mind that these nations have 'comparative advantage'.
Japan has their advantages on technology, and the nation is a pioneer export to America, so they eventually 'do not have to worry on language', but anyways, they do learn english, but i bet their learning is WAY better then here itself... Read more - Kong Chia Yew at 10:25 on 09 July
You should put this suggestion up to Parliament if you get a chance. Will be a pain in the ass for administrators of the policy but then the old maxim takes over "it'sfor the best of us" - Steven Fung at 10:29 on 09 July
can they do that? - Lim Yong Keat at 10:31 on 09 July
what is the ministry doing? we are not like Japan or US or Germany. - KhengTeong Goh at 10:32 on 09 July
In a LOCAL university. Some of the lecturers allow us to answer in English although the questions were in BM. In final year, we are strongly encouraged to write our thesis in English. And our exam papers were in 2 languages, English and BM.... - Eoh Teng Kor at 10:32 on 09 July
why not creating english medium school for the option no 4. since we can allow "international school" , i dont see why we cannot have one more option. - Terrassie Lau at 10:40 on 09 July
At the end of the day, for the younger generations, it is again ' head you win, tail I lose" We may soon ended up without english lessons too if the money spent do not generate good english teachers, in accordance to the DPM's silly statement. Just scrap english la. - See Hong at 10:48 on 09 July
Actually good result not related wt language. Japanese, Germany, Italian, France ppl also not study in English, but today they still advanced country. It is the matter of education system. Correct way is study in mother language in Primary, English in Secondary. Since so good why need to wait another 3 yrs ? To prepare for the changes & objection of TDM ~ the idiot who initiate this plan few yrs ago ? - Felix Leong at 10:59 on 09 July
Japan, Germany, Italy and France ARE PART OF G-7! They are the world's economic power house and their domestic markets are huge! What are we ??? - Albert Tan at 11:00 on 09 July
For those in Form 1 now should be allowed to use English in Form 4 and Form 5 in 2012 and 2014 so that continuity is maintained. - Claire Khoo at 11:05 on 09 July
eh hello ... to implement immediately, where to find books? Excuse me, you wanna scold the gohmen also think before you scold can? its like the Dong Zong head who said we should implement this immediately. Buku mana nak cari? Guru mana nak cari? (I think our education system really failed, that's why obviously malaysians don't think before they comment.) - Leroy Ng at 11:13 on 09 July
The decision is political and politically backward mindedness. Unfortunately PKR's Anwar Ibrahim and PAS support this decision. Why DAP kept silence b4 decision made? - Chin-Huat Wong at 11:21 on 09 July
revive English schools as a form of mother tongue education!!! - JooLee Tan at 11:27 on 09 July
- I believe that DAP is also in favour of this reversal. Tony, I think it's futile to even suggest an option that hasn't been discussed. Frankly, the whole exercise has been futile and our children and grandchildren will be paying the price for generations to come.
- Eoh Teng Kor at 11:31 on 09 July
Agreed with See Hong, it is about system. We just allow BM/BC/BT/English medium in Science and Math. Let parents have a choice/option. Let parents decide which is suitable for their kids... - Lillian Danielle Khoo at 11:36 on 09 July
I am surprised the DAP was in favour of the reversal. Meanwhile UAE has just announced that they plan to teach Math & Science in English. http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090702/NATIONAL/707019852/1019
It just seems like Malaysia is taking 1 step forward and 3 steps back in our education system. They made a good decision to make it compulsory in passing English - I couldn't believe that it was optional to pass in the first place. Then they decide to revert Math & Science back to BM. During my studies, I had the opportunity to share classes with ... - Cheryl Witha at 11:52 on 09 July
what's new with the education system? Student have always been lab rats, they constantly change the system to suit whoever is currently in tht position(at their whim and fancy). It has always been absurd and still is. They never think things through, ever. What is to happen to our education system, I feel very sad as an educator.. - Fok Kuk Fai at 12:00 on 09 July
I agree with using mother tongue as teaching medium at the primary school level. But I strongly advocate to shift it to English medium in secondary school level and above. This is not only for enhancing English proficiency, but also for the future generations to easily access to the science and technology as well as social science knowledge pool ... - Juliana Yoong at 12:00 on 09 July
What a shame! I totally agreed... - Cheryl Witha at 12:07 on 09 July
I teach at college level and every batch that comes in..well most of them can't even speak English let alone write a simple application letter. What is to become of them in the future? - Chong Hou Yin at 12:22 on 09 July
learn from singapore please, stupid najib - Joseph Ng Swee Wan at 12:28 on 09 July
malaysia will be back to those 1970's day ...... we are going backward and not forward. let's see in the next 6 years, where are we heading? oh, maybe by then DPM wil be out of job and poor PR has to take over this baby and to answer to everyone for such absurd policy. - Ho Kok Kuan at 12:28 on 09 July
All for PPSMI to be retained. Dual languge in primary, follow by full English in secondary school. Person will be fully equipped when leaving for uni/college. - Marsha Maung at 13:21 on 09 July
YES PLEASE!! I am so sad with the switch to BM/Chinese! - Walinong Sari at 13:28 on 09 July
No. Follow the MOE directive. - Alwin Lim at 13:38 on 09 July
Havent we done enough damage to our brilliant childrens ? - Steven K C Poh at 13:58 on 09 July
I'm bewildered by this news. We have a flip-flopping government that's playing Russian roulette with our children's future. What now? How can we stop this madness? - Lee Wei Jie at 14:02 on 09 July
secondary schools should retain English as medium for Maths and Science so that pupils can have a bright future to study overseas and be linked to the world trend...it is good to switch back mother tongue for primary school level as it is a good way to build up the basis of children, let them hv a effective learning process and happy childhood... - Ooi Beng Sun at 14:21 on 09 July
agreed with Lee Wei Jie. secondary students should be given the choice to choose the medium of instructions. we should not deprive our gifted students who are proficient in English acquire more knowledge to pursue their career. reverting to malay is like chaining our children with big stone, stop their progress, making them going backwards to the dinosaur age!!! - Daniel Hong Aan Lee at 14:22 on 09 July
YB, I believe that Science&Maths for primary education should be taught in mother tongue (esp for SJK(C)/SJK(T)), however secondary schools should teach their science&maths in english, so that the Malaysian english teaching system will not deteriorate.
No comments:
Post a Comment