The magic of ignorance - English a false prophet

[Anthea Fraser Gupta]

Stan said,  "I wonder how much of this push for English comes from "an ignorant,
self-serving elite". Maybe the the intelligent, outward-looking masses are
pushing for English as well."

Absolutely.  It's important to say  that probably everyone in Malaysia agrees that all schoolchildren should be taught English and Malay (the controversy is in the how). And a large proportion of the population of Malaysia already speaks very good English (and most of the rest speak a useful amount of English).  We are NOT looking at a place where English is known only by a tiny 'elite', but one where English is already known by the majority.

Schools have to teach all sorts of stuff, some of which some of the learners will never use again (I personally have not done a differential equation since the age of 16). Education is about offering children opportunities and choices, not about limiting those opportunities. I say, keep on teaching differential equations and English and history and all sorts of other stuff too. However, in Malaysia, lots of people need English for all sorts of work and social reasons, because English is a Malaysia language, not a foreign one.

Anthea