Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
Children stand next to a PAGE poster, during the group’s launch event in Petaling Jaya, March 7, 2010. — File pic
Barisan Nasional (BN) risks losing votes in upcoming polls if it continues barring students from learning science and maths using English in schools, a parents lobby group said today.
The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) wants the 10-year-old policy of teaching science and maths in English at national schools (PPSMI) to be made an option for students in primary and secondary schools.
“If it is political (decision on PPSMI) give us the PPSMI option in national primary and secondary schools, and we will give you the two-thirds majority, which you are making increasingly difficult for us to do.
“Do not make us give the opposition our vote,” said PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said in a statement to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today.
“We would not like the Najib administration to be remembered for abolishing PPSMI, for not regaining the two-thirds majority and for making our children yet another lost generation,” she said bluntly.
Noor Azimah stressed that the government’s past decision in introducing PPSMI in schools was not “flawed”, adding it would empower students with the skills and knowledge needed to compete with other countries should the policy be retained.
She criticised Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for saying yesterday that the education system will turn chaotic if parents were allowed to freely choose the medium of instruction for their children.
Calling it “unacceptable”, Noor Azimah charged that all science and mathematics teachers should be able to teach in either Bahasa Malaysia or English as the PPSMI policy had previously been in place for nine years.
“If the number of schools that choose English are small, then it would be even easier to provide the teachers. The reasons should be addressed head-on and not swept under the carpet after spending RM3 billion of the rakyat’s hard earned income. We want an explanation,” she said.
Noor Azimah said that the current education system only divided children according to race-based schools, a split that was slowly incorporating class differences as seen in the growing popularity of private and international schools.
She stressed that PPSMI was not about learning English through science and mathematics, but to provide the context to put the language into practise.
Opposition parties like the DAP have thrown their weight behind PAGE’s cause, demanding the Education Ministry be more flexible and give students the option which will enable the country to retain its best talents.
The growing row over the education policy has split the country along racial, political lines ahead of national polls likely to be called early next year.
Vocal fundamental groups are using the issue to champion their version of nationalism.
Several non-partisan civil societies have recently banded together to counter this tide but the powerful Malay-dominant political parties appear to be reluctant to commit to this hot potato issue ahead of the 13th general election.
Noor Azimah said that PAGE will be sending a letter of appeal to Najib on the matter tomorrow morning in Putrajaya.
Malaysia struggles with the fundamentals like education and transportation While the rest of our neighbours continue to progress and leave us behind in all measurable aspects. Such constant bickering over such basic needs will continue, just as the unabated looting and wasting of taxpayer funds described in horrific detail in the Auditor-General’s Report.
All the signs are there. The country is terminal and is heading for Greek tragedy.
Parents with young children are to be pitied as they struggle to fight the odds stacked against them.
Comment by Triple K — October 31, 2011 @ 12:32 PM |
Scientific terms in Malay are almost the same as in English. “Alkenes” becomes “Alkena”, “Base” becomes “bes”, “anaphase” becomes “anaphasa”, “hydrochloric acid” becomes “asid hidroklorik”. Mind if I ask what’s so difficult with teaching Maths and Science using the original language they are derived from? It’s not a totally new language. It’s not even difficult to learn them in English. Learning Maths and Science in your mother tongue is easier? No, it is not. Even Chinese and Indians would not want Maths and Science to be taught in Mandarin or Tamil.
Most of the children of the BN MPs/Ministers are either studying in International Schools or abroad, and in English too? Is this a way to colonized the Malays in Malaysia?
The question here is about what is good for the country and its citizens. A responsible government never plays politics with the educational system.It must act decisively to repair the damage the country had undergone the last 40 years. Everyone knows fully well that education is one of the many pillars that forge a great nation. Yet, after 40 odd years we are still undecided as to the kind of educational model that is best suited for the country.
Please retain PPSMI. Malaysia needs to progress faster than it is progressing now.
Comment by Helmi — October 31, 2011 @ 11:27 AM |