Recently, Abdul Ghani, the Chief Minister of Johor urged the government to stop using English to teach Science and Maths. His arguement is that the policy has undermined Bahasa Malaysia as national language.
We also read about Chinese schools’ Parents Teachers Association and Chinese educationists urging the government to stop this policy as it is not an effective way of teaching the subjects.
Many teachers don’t even know where to start: to teach students English or Maths during Maths class? They are facing great dilemma in teaching under this policy.
Below is the Parliament reply that I received on 21st September 2006 about the result of a survey which has been carried out on standard 3 students throughout the country. The passing mark is 40 only, but the result, especially for Maths is shocking. The results show that about 80.3% of the students passed Science while only 53.1% of the students passed Maths.
This low passing rate shows that the use of English as a medium to teach Science and Maths has badly affected the learning of our primary school students, it is indeed a FAILURE!!
Most parents would like their children to master English. However, for a person or a child to learn English, the best way is to go through proper English class to learn grammar and vocabulary, and not learning English at Science and Mathis classes. By doing so, we will only bring down the standard of Maths among the school children.
Soalan No: 20
PEMBERITAHU PERTANYAAN DEWAN RAKYAT
PERTANYAAN : LISANDARIPADA : Y.B PUAN TERESA KOK SUH SIM (SEPUTEH)
TARIKH : 21.9.2006
SOALAN:
Y.B. PUAN TERESA KOK SUH SIM (SEPUTEH) minta Menteri Pelajaran menyatakan apakah pencapaian subjek Matematik dan Sains, murid – murid SJKC di bawah formula 2-4-3. Apakah medium bahasa yang akan digunakan dalam peperiksaan Matematik dan Sains pada tahun 2008.
JAWAPAN
Tuan Yang Di Pertua,
Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia (KPM) telah menjalankan Kajian Status Pencapaian Murid untul melihat pencapaian murd dalam pelaksanaan Program Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik (PPSMI) sejak dilaksanakan pada tahun 2003. Dapatan kajian tersebut menunjukkan bahawa prestasi murid termasuk di SJKC dalam mata pelajaran Sains dan Matematik tidak terjejas. Dalam ujian yang dijalankan di bawah kajian tersebut bagi mata pelajaran Sains Tahun 3 pada tahun 2005, sebanyak 80.3% murd berjaya memperoleh markah 40% ke atas. Manakala bagi mata pelajaran Matematik Tahun 3 pula, sebanyak 53.1% murid memperoleh markah 40% ke atas.
Seperti perubahan yang dibuat ke atas mana –mana system, sudah tentu akan wujud beberapa kekangan di peringkat awal perlaksanaan. Begitu juga dengan PPSMI, kerajaan amat memahami kebimbangan sesetengah pihak terhadap kesan pelaksanaan PPSMI. Walaupun begitu, kerajaan telah mengambil keputusan dasar penggunaan bahasa Inggeris dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik tetap dikekalkan dan diteruskan, seperti yang diumumkan. Dalam hal itu, KPM akan terus memberi bimbingan dan bantuan melalui pelbagai inisiatif, untuk mengatasi kelemahan – kelemahan yang ada. Berdasarkan usaha –usaha yang sedang dilaksanakan, KPM berkeyakinan bahawa pelaksanaan PPSMI akan berjaya dan mampu melahirkan pelajar –pelajar yang cemerlang.
Untuk makluman Ahli Yang Berhormat, berdasarkan keputusan dasar PPSMI dalam Mesyuarat Khas Jemaah Menteri pada Julai 2002, peperiksaan Awam peringkat UPSR, PMR SPM dan STPM pada 2008 akan dilaksanakan sepenuhnya dalam bahasa Inggeris. Walau bagaimanapun, medium bahasa yang akan digunakan dalam peperiksaan Matematik dan Sains pada tahun 2008 bagi SJKC masih dikaji oleh KPM.
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Join our Discussion Board
Greetings YB,
I agree primary school science and mathematics should be taught in the mother tongue so that kids can understand their teachers. A parent who was interviewed on this topic on NTV7 replied that she preferred bilingual. That is good as well. For example, the instructions in mother tongue but the science and mathematical terminologies in bilingual.
Some people who support the policy of using English to teach Science and Maths think that this can help elevate the English standard of our children, but they have forgotten that Maths and Science are subjects that deal with concepts. The best way for pupils to understand these subjects is via their mother tongues, especially for pupils in rural areas who are totally ignorant of English.
A Mathematician once told me, Maths is like a language, the best way for a child to learn Maths is through mother tongue. Using English to teach Science and Maths is like using a foreign language to teach another foreign language, this will only confuse the students and it will not help them to improve the standard of either Maths or English.
The survey done by education ministry has proven that this policy has failed. The education ministry should change the policy immediately and should not wait till 2008 as announced by Hishamuddin two days ago. By prolonging this failed policy, we will only sacrifice the maths standard of more students regardless of race.
Teresa Kok
But Ms Kok, have you heard how the locals speak at international level? Just listen to how the Malays from UiTM speak in English. Or the Sekolah Menengah Cina speak English. Or the Tamil school leavers speak English.
While I support the need to establish the Bahasa Melayu, and at the same time acknowledge the existence and survival of mother tounge languages, one must always realise how we do at an international level. Malaysia does not exist on its own planet, and because we strive to do well internationally, we cannot expect the other countries to learn our national language, can we? (I must say here that I would like to see the BM being used more internationally but realistically speaking, I don’t foresee it happening anytime soon)
Therefore, before we feel comfortable learning in a language we already know, think of how the knowledge wealth out there is not being beneficial to us locals just because we are not familiar with the (english) language the exist in. Siapa rugi?
i definitely disagree that they change their policy yet again. why can’t we just stick to it? Why do we have to keep changing? This policy will force everyone to learn in english(including teachers). In the long term, the standard of english should improve assuming its usage has increased in schools among students and the teachers.
Ms Kok,
First of all, sudden switch to English is not the way to improve the language. To be able to master English, one needs to have strong foundation in the language itself. And this means the firm basic shall be build from very young, say, pre-school. Somehow, with the way it is in the country’s education system and the mindset of the society, saying is much easier than doing it.
I was the guinea pig in the sudden-English-switch back in 2003 when I was in Form Six. I found out that regardless the language used in Maths or Science, the English used in both subjects are not the English English at all. They are just Maths English with most of the maths terms being used. Same goes to Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Common conversation in English doesn’t contain words like axis, rotational, gradient, mutually exclusive, proton beam, electromagnetic, etc.
But I am pretty annoyed with the way English is spoken, or rather, read during class presentations in universities. It is sad to listen to the beautiful language being abused in such a way that a lot of people will be turning in their graves!
I agree that the program is a failure but the answer is not to switch back. Rather its to deal with the issue of why it failed. The truth is the switch was not well thought out – something Dr. M pulled out of the hat in last term of office. All that was figured out was the logistic of how to put the material and lesson together. Something so major and nothing in terms of impact study, preparation (teachers training in particular…) What is remarkable is that the students still managed to survive the idiocy of our government/ministry of education.
Yes the program is flawed in the first place and still need much work. To switch to teaching English in Math and Science when the English program is so poor already is just trying to fix something using the wrong tool. You don’t go and try and avoid fixing the problem, you look for the right tool. In fact you need new tools that no one has thought of because frankly more damage was done using the wrong tool in the first place. But avoiding the problem to give the appearance that its fixed is too political convenient and stereotypically old Malaysian.
Let me tell you people this.
I got a job now in Hong Kong (nothing to shout about, since malaysia economy development seems to match the national football team’s fortune.
The Hong Kongers’ English are atrocious and many of them have difficulty communicating with English speaking expats. The locals in my company do speak english competently but I cannot help but feel they could contribute even more if their english skills are sufficient to cmmunicate all their thoughts and ideas mor eloquently.
For many more locals, english is something incomprehensible.
Hence English speaking Malaysians (plus able to take their non-halal food and understand the local lingo) have a spot here.
Do we want a situation in Malaysia that MNCs have to take in Indian accountants, IT specialists, engineers to work with the expats in Shah Alam, Penang and other industrial areas?
Many Hong kongers have to enroll in expensive english courses to improve their whitel coller career prospects and we Malaysians can get it almost free yet still want to complain.
Hey, when you find something difficult, you should ty harder to overcome and not run away. That’s how I learn swimming and riding a bicycle.
I suppose the politician is trying to get attention before the UMNO AGM. Prefectly normal, shouting some malay centric issue with a pro-malay stance is a good tactic to gain attention and support but good medicine are bitter. I would think a statement like,” Malays need to overcome all hindrance to learn english to enhance themselves as human capital while preserving their own culture and languague heritage.” Now this sounds better, right? Gee, I can be his spin doctor for a small fee.
Mayb Abdul Ghani should promise he will make a proposal to get malay to be recognised as international business language and then we can just forget learning about english since we will trade with US, Japan, China, Arabs, Europeans and Africans in Bahasa Malaysia. Then semuanya ok.
For chinese school students. Many only use english in school hence they never really learn. Like it or not, having maths and science taught in english will force them to put more attention in picking up the skill.
Whatever the root problem is, no pain no gain and it is time to restore the high standard of english amoungst young malaysians by 1) investing in teachers’ training and remuneration 2) reducing the cost of reading materials of all languages.
Theresa,
I think you got it wrong. The reason why Science and Maths should be taught in English is not to improve the level of English. I hardly think that this will improve the level of English. The reason is because nearly ALL post-secondary books in Science and Maths are in English. The scientific world overwhelmingly uses English and if you don’t teach Science and Maths in English, students will have to re-learn all their terminology in English at the college/university level.
-andrew
Greetings YB,
Here’s an article you might want to read. Written in BM about why it was difficult to learn Math and Science from teachers who’re so fluent in English but have to teach in BM. The rest of the article is available in the blog; can’t upload all here.
Kenapa pakcik tak boleh jadi angkasawan
http://knightadventure.blogspot.com/2008/06/english-vs-haji-julaihi.html
Oleh Haji Julaihi Haji Suut
Pakcik ada satu cerita. Molek kalau pakcik gunakan Bahasa Malaysia Baku dalam penulisan ini demi menjaga maruah dan ego negara. Sekurang-kurangnya mereka boleh berbangga tak hilang bahasa ibunda di dunia.
KOLEJ TANJUNG LOBANG
Dulu semasa pakcik bersekolah di Kolej Tanjung Lobang, dari Tingkatan 1 hingga Tingkatan 5 (bermula tahun 1984), ada sedikit kepincangan berlangsung dalam proses belajar dan mengajar dalam kelas. Suasana dalam kelas asing sungguh. Pakcik dapat perhatikan cikgu-cikgu semacam terbeban sangat mengajar. Kerapkali kata-kata mereka tersekat, dan dia tercari-cari apa lagi hendak dikatakan.
Kasihan pakcik melihat gelagat mereka. Seorang cikgu, mengajar matapelajaran Sains, sampai tercungap-cungap cuba membuat sebutan Bahasa Malaysia sebaik mungkin. Kita rakan-rakan sekelas menunggu dengan sabar sehingga ayat itu lengkap. Mana-mana tempat kita boleh bantu kita segera menyampuk. Bukan dia seorang sahaja cikgu yang bergelut dalam belukar bahasa. Perkara sama berlaku dalam kelas matapelajaran Matematik. Pendek-kata anak murid pula yang mengajar tok guru.
Ada juga ketikanya situasi itu memang tidak boleh diselamatkan:
“Segi tiga sudut menentang segi lurus darjah tak sama.”
“Bilah inertia habis dalam angin menjatuhkan jasad kepada bawah.”
“Graviti membawakan jatuh epal dari bumi.”
Maka kita pelajar sekalian pun tercengang-cengang.
Sebutan, susunan ayat, dan lebih-lebih lagi nahu dalam pertuturan Bahasa Malaysia mereka perlukan banyak pembetulan. Dalam masa yang sama kelancaran mereka mengajar jadi tidak lancar.
Barangkali tidak keterlaluan kalau pakcik katakan pelajar-pelajar Kolej Tanjung Lobang zaman pakcik lebih bergantung kepada buku-buku teks untuk menimba ilmu. Tidak semua kita perolehi dalam kelas. Tersekat oleh bahasa perantaraan ilmu jadi taruhan. Apa yang seorang guru boleh berikan sepenuhnya dalam 40 minit kuliah pelajar cuma perolehi 10 minit ilmu.
Salah guru mengajar salah murid bertukang. Tetapi dalam kes Kolej Tanjung Lobang 1984-1988 bukan guru atau murid yang salah tukang. Mungkin acuan untuk melebur ilmu itu yang tidak cukup sukat.
Bilah inertia habis dalam angin menjatuhkan jasad kepada bawah. Inertia Bahasa Malaysia Baku sudah habis. Kita sambung jisim-jisim hujah berikutnya dalam Bahasa Malaya.
Tapi kan satu kita kena ingat. Kolej Tanjung Lobang zaman pakcik bukan sekolah buat ala kadar. Dia setaraf kolej tau. Sekolah berasrama penuh yang menghimpun pelajar-pelajar cemerlang dari sekolah-sekolah seluruh Sarawak. Lebih kurang 50 pelajar untuk tahun pertama program elit itu dilancarkan. Pakcik antara perintis muda. Kita semua ‘seleced students’ kalau nak tahu. Kalau nak tahu lagi kita semua budak-budak otak geliga yang menyandang harapan negara mudah-mudahan suatu hari nanti boleh jadi jurutera, doktor, saintis atau, lagi baik, angkasawan.
Kena ingat juga cikgu-cikgu yang diamanahkan mengajar dalam kelas-kelas budak genius masa tu bukan calang-calang orang. Mereka semua guru-guru terlatih yang mempunyai rekod mengajar yang cemerlang, kelulusan universiti luar negara, dan boleh mengajar hingga ke tingkatan enam pun. Pendek-kata mereka cikgu-cikgu genius.
Dipendekkan cerita, kita budak-budak genius tidaklah genius mana. Ada lah beberapa rakan yang jadi jurutera dan doktor selepas zaman persekolahan. Mereka semua tak handsome. Yang handsome-handsome seperti pakcik setakat dapat SPM Grade 2 dan sehingga sekarang masih belum boleh buat roket sendiri. Ramai-ramai jadi surirumah atau kontraktor. Seorang dua jadi kerani bank atau opis boy.
Jadi dimana silapnya program budak-budak genius kelas 1984? Kenapa pakcik tak boleh jadi angkasawan?
Hendak kata guru tak pandai mengajar, keterlaluan sangat lah pulak. Hendak kata anak murid terlalu pandai untuk diajar, lagi lah tak kena. Jadi apa yang kena?
Bahasa perantaraan itu yang sangat mengena kot. Bila tindakbalas kimia yang diajar dalam kelas tak sama ejaan dengan chemical reaction dalam buku panduan dan buku perpustakaan kita pelajar mestilah jadi dungu sekejap. Tu nak rujuk kamus dwi-bahasa Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka tak kah buang masa dan tenaga. Bila dah kerap sangat rujuk, merujuk dan terujuk minat pun boleh jadi merajuk tau.
Tu nasib baik kita rujuk dalam kamus moden. Kalau kena kamus yang memuatkan perkataan-perkataan seperti chermin, perchaya dan bahawasanya?
Sebelum kita beralih ke isu negara seterusnya baik hendaknya pakcik rakamkan penghargaan buat cikgu-cikgu genius Kolej Tanjung Lobang. Mdm Yeoh Bang Keng, Mary Chiam, dan May Ho Leng. Saudari sekalian sudah mencuba sebaik mungkin. Kita sedar itu. Terima kasih banyak-banyak. Anuar, Shukri, Hasimah dan yang lain-lain lagi. Terima kasih banyak-banyak juga. Kita semua dah mencuba.
“Graviti membawakan jatuh epal dari bumi.”
…bersambung di blog http://knightadventure.blogspot.com/2008/06/english-vs-haji-julaihi.html