[lg policy] Malaysia: Sudden switch to Bahasa Malaysia for science students

Thu Oct 20 14:20:20 UTC 2011

Sudden switch to BM for science students

 | October 17, 2011

Students who had been studying in the English stream from Standard One
to Form Three now have to do their Science and Maths in BM when they
move to Form Four next year.

PETALING JAYA: Students who began their Standard One in 2003 under the
English stream – where Science and Mathematics were taught in English
– are now expected to learn Physics, Chemistry, Biology and
Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia when they go to Form Four next year.

The change in the “teaching process” has got parents in the urban
Klang Valley are all frantic with anxiety. They are trying to get the
Education Ministry to clear up the matter. So far the bewildered
parents have received no statements from their respective school heads
but worried students have told their parents that “all Form Four
subjects will be taught only in Bahasa Malaysia”.

A housewife, who wanted to be known only as Siva, from Subang Jaya
said: “Everyone is confused… I went to inquire from my son’s school
and was told that they were waiting for the ministry’s directive. But
they said they were unofficially told that the teaching will be in
Bahasa Malaysia if you have more than 15 Malay students in Form Four.

“I called the Education Ministry last week to verify this and an
officer told me that the teaching of all science subjects in Form Four
will be in Bahasa Malaysia.

“She also said some schools have a choice of teaching in English or
Bahasa Malaysia depending on how many Malay students they have.”

Let them complete SPM

Another worried parent, who preferred to be called Tan, from Taman
Desa, said the new policy was “not fair to our children”.

“We were told at the onset when this batch started Standard One in
2003 that they will complete their Science and Maths in English until
SPM (Form Five).

“They should just let them finish it. How can they (the ministry)
victimise this batch of students now?

“It’s rubbish to say the exams will be set in dwibahasa (dual
language), but all the teaching in the class will be in Bahasa
Malaysia.

“Why confuse the students? Already, they are under so much pressure.

“What will happen if the students answer the exam questions in
English? Are there enough English proficient teachers and examiners
who can give them a fair reading?

“Can the ministry guarantee that our children who answer their exam
paper in English will not be victimised?” asked Tan.

No ‘dwi’ bahasa textbook

Another concerned parent, Dr Raja, from Damansara, said he had gone
around the bookshops and private stores looking for Form Four
Chemistry and Biology books for his son and was shocked to find only
Bahasa Malaysia textbooks.

He said the government had promised that the Science and Mathematic
books would be ready before it implemented the MBMMBI (Upholding the
Malay Language, Strengthening the English Language) policy in 2012.

But now that parents are wanting to prepare their children for the
hard days ahead, there are no books available.

“How are we supposed to assist and prep our children if we cannot find
dual language textbooks? I assume the teachers are also not readyto
teach the subjects,” said Raja.

“This is crazy. We are not against the Education Ministry’s Bahasa
Malaysia policy.

“But it is absolute stupidity to teach the students in English from
Standrad One until Form Three and then switch to Bahasa Malaysia in
Form Four and Form Five.

“What assurance is there that there are sufficient and capable
examiners who will mark their English answers in SPM fairly?

“As it is, my wife spotted so many errors in the ministry-level
quarterly tests papers the students sat for regularly before PMR,”
said Raja.

BN doesn’t care

Unhappy parents from several schools in Subang Jaya, Damansara and Old
Klang Road are now demanding that the Education Ministry stick to its
earlier promise, made in 2002, to allow this batch of students to
complete their SPM education in English.

But whether the Barisan Nasional-led government will compromise and
rescind its decision is a worrying question as most of the complaining
parents are from the opposition-held urban areas.

Said a grassroots political activist here, who declined to be named:
“In this country, schools, universities and education as a whole are a
political issue.

“Education here is not about building minds… it is about churning out
loyalists which begins with schools and language.

“(Education Minister) Muhyiddin (Yassin) was firm when he announced a
non-reversal of the MBMMBI policy.

“They’ve (BN) done their groundwork and know that those who will
complain are the Chinese and Indians, especially those living in the
urban areas.

“These are political seats they have already lost… regaining these
seats will be a struggle for BN so I don’t expect the BN government to
be too concerned about our children.

“Their general perspective of us is that we are disloyal and avaricious.”

Muhyiddin firm on policy

In October last year, Muhyiddin told Parliament that the government
will not return to the policy of teaching and learning Science and
Mathematics in English (PPSMI).

He said the new MBMMBI policy was in line with the country’s need to
dignify Bahasa Melayu as the national language.

Bernama reported Muhyiddin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, as
saying that the government would not turn back on its decision as it
“could not please every group”.

He said the government had set 2012 for its implementation and that
students in Year Four, Form One and Form Four would be affected.

Muhyiddin had at the time urged parents not be unduly worried about
the reversal of policy.

He said the government was already taking preliminary measures to
implement the new policy in 2012.

“We may even have to recruit English teachers from abroad,” he said,
adding that the implementation of the new policy also meant that
Science and Mathematics textbooks need to be produced in Bahasa
Malaysia as well as a new curriculum for teaching English.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/10/17/sudden-switch-to-bm-for-science-students/

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