[lg policy] Malaysia: Not ready to uphold Bahsa Malaysia, strengthen English

[Harold Schiffman]

Not ready to uphold BM, strengthen English

October 19, 2011

Schools still in the dark over directive to uphold BM and strengthen English.

KUALA LUMPUR: Schools are not fully ready to implement the MBMMBI
(Upholding the Malay Language, Strengthening the English Language )
policy next year.

An education ministry official, who declined to be named, said “not
all schools are ready”.

“We are short of books and teachers. We have also not resolved the
dwi-bahasa (bilingual) system entirely. There are still diverse views
within the system,” the official said.

“The educators and policy-makers are not seeing eye-to-eye although
the (education) minister has announced that the MBMMBI policy will be
implemented,” he added.

In October last year, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also
Deputy Prime Minister, said the government had set 2012 for the
implementation of the MBMMBI policy.

This was to ensure the government had enough time for a smooth
transition as it did not want to see a recurrence of the PPSMI
(teaching and learning Science and Mathematics in English) problem.

The PPSMI took six months to implement.

At that time, Muhyiddin said the ministry would need 13,000 additional
teachers to help improve students’ English proficiency.

He had reportedly also said that the ministry would need many teachers
proficient in the language, including the 1,000 teachers who would be
recruited this year.

However, while the teachers have been identified, the recruitment
process has faltered.

“We are recruiting teachers but it is a slow process,” the official said.

Confusion in schools

Meanwhile, a random check with secondary school teachers in the Klang
Valley also showed up confusion.

Said a teacher in Gombak: “We’re waiting for an official directive. I
know our school will be teaching the Form Four subjects in Bahasa
Malaysia.

“Yes, some of our students are worried… Even if they are given the
option to answer their SPM questions in English, they will write in
Bahasa.

“They worry about losing marks if they answer in English. But I think
Science and Maths should taught in English as it will produce better
students,” she said.

Another teacher in Petaling Jaya said she was aware that some schools
would be teaching in English but did not know who made the decision.

“I don’t know if the school or ministry decides on the medium of
instruction. Friends have said that it’s up to the school. Most of us
are not sure.

“We are already preparing to start teaching Chemistry in Bahasa
Malaysia. But I think many of the Science teachers will be doing their
explanation in English” she said.

She said many parents had approached the school over the MBMMBI policy
because it also affected students who were currently in Form One and
Two.

“These students also started their Standard One in the English stream
in 2005 and 2006. For them too it will be a sudden change after their
PMR,” she said.

Worried parents

FMT has highlighted the concerns of several parents in Subang Jaya,
Damansara and Old Klang Road areas who were demanding that the
ministry clarify the “teaching process” for students entering Form
Four in 2012.

According to the parents, it was unfair that their children who had
been in the English stream since 2003 – when the PPSMI was introduced
– are suddenly forced to learn Science and Mathematics in Bahasa
Malaysia.

By 2008m PPSMI had been fully implemented in all primary and secondary
schools nationwide.

But in 2009, Muhyiddin decided to reverse the policy and return to the
Bahasa Malaysia stream.

He explained that the new MBMMBI would be implemented in 2012 and was
non-reversable.

The decision, however, was met with strong objections from various
NGOs, including the Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE).

PAGE has said that many worried students have been approaching the NGO
to express their fears of performing poorly in the SPM examinations
due to the abrupt language switch.

“Children should be enjoying their studies and not worrying about
policies, which is the job and responsibility of adults,” said PAGE
chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/10/19/not-ready-to-uphold-bm-strengthen-english/

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