[lg policy] Malaysia: Students prefer teaching of Maths, Science in English

[Harold Schiffman]

Students prefer teaching of Maths, Science in English

by Lee Ya Yun. Posted on October 24, 2011, Monday

KUCHING: Three Form 5 students here are of the opinion that the
government should continue the Teaching of Maths and Science in
English (PPSMI) policy. They believed that continuing the good policy
would further enhance Malaysian students’ competitiveness in the
challenging era.

Bendy Tay Chuan Wei, 18, yesterday said the policy would benefit
students in the long run. The student from SMK Padungan reasoned that
as English was a widely used international language, there was no
reason that the policy, which was started in 2003, be not maintained.
“Ya, it should be continued because it would definitely become an
advantage for students in future,” he said when met at a SPM workshop
at a hotel here.

The Federal Cabinet decided in 2009 that the medium of instruction for
Maths and Science will revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools
and mother-tongue languages in national-type schools from next year
onwards. The reason given was that PPSMI, which was introduced by
former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, had widened the gap
between rural and urban students.

Beginning next year, students in Year One and Year Four in primary
schools, and Form One and Form Four in secondary schools, will learn
Maths and Science in Bahasa Malaysia. Melissa Sally, 17, said PPSMI
would make it easy for secondary students to face the language
challenge at the higher level. “This is because the main language used
in universities and higher learning institutions is English. If we
have built a strong fundamental, it would make our life later much
easier,” said the student of SM St Teresa here.

Janet Kuek Keng Hua agreed with Tay and Melissa that PPSMI could help
students master the English language. The 17-year-old from SMK Bandar
Kuching No 1 stressed that as English was the language of Science and
Technology it would be wise for the authorities to carry on with the
policy.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/10/24/students-prefer-teaching-of-maths-science-in-english/#ixzz1biFFWq7D


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