Teach Maths and Science in English
I REFER to the letter “What’s the criteria to assess an education policy?” (The Star, Oct 12) and I agree with the writer that six years is too short to determine that PPSMI is not suitable and call for its abolition.
As we are approaching 2012, the year that the Government will revert the teaching of Science and Mathematics to the Bahasa Malaysia medium, parents and students who wish to continue these two subjects in English are hoping for a miracle – that the Government will make a U-turn before it is too late.
Many parents have started looking for alternatives. Those who can afford to pay RM30,000 per year in school fees, are opting for international schools, others opt for private schools or studying in our neighbouring country. Some also choose home schooling which follows the overseas syllabus.
This leaves only those who can’t afford expensive school fees to turn to our local schools. If the school is the cradle to cultivate the 1Malaysia spirit, I can’t see how this can be done through so many different types of school and syllabuses.
Students have limited time to cope with so many subjects. They can’t afford to waste time doing translation. We must be clear that most of the books and materials related to these two subjects are available in English.
Our education system needs a change to provide the young generation a platform to compete with others in this globalised world, or we will see our children becoming “workers” for our neighbouring nations.
I believe the way to reach our Wawasan 2020 objective as a developed country lies in education. We were on the right track when PPSMI was implemented, so why are we killing the future of our nation?
PARENT,
George Town.
Hopefully the policy will stay because in the long run, it will be better for the students to be fluent in both subjects in English because of many reasons.
This policy had been implemented during the tenure of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad and he is not at fault if the policy failed because the implementation of the policy is made by the policy makers who should have thought things through to implement it better instead of trying to sabotage it.
