[lg policy] Malaysia: Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) disputes govt's claim on language policy

[Harold Schiffman]

PAGE disputes govt's claim on language policy
Posted on 3 January 2012 - 05:29am

Karen Arukesamy
newsdesk at thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA (Jan 3, 2012): The Parent Action Group for Education
(PAGE) is disputing the Education Ministry’s recent findings that
appear to support the implementation of its policy of Upholding Bahasa
Malaysia and Strengthening English (MBMMBI).Its chairman Datin Noor
Azimah Abdul Rahim said this is because, based on Education Minister
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement on Friday, only 34% of students
chose to learn Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Melayu.

“The fact is that (under the policy) the minister had wanted all Form
One students to choose Bahasa Melayu but only 34% chose to follow his
policy. “This in fact proves that the decision to implement MBMMBI is
incorrect,” she said in a statement yesterday. Noor Azimah said the
statistics showed that 11% of students are comfortable with learning
science and maths in English, but a staggering 55% had chosen not to
neglect English even though they may not be comfortable with it.

“They realise the importance of learning Science and Mathematics in
English and will make an attempt to learn it via the dual-language
system as they may not be able to fully comprehend the subjects in the
full English stream.” Commending the students’ determination, she said
these very encouraging numbers are in spite of a late announcement of
the English option.

“Many school principals especially in the city were also allegedly
threatened by some district officers that they would be blacklisted if
they choose the English option. “Furthermore, in most schools, the
decision was made not by parents but by teachers who were being
discouraged from choosing the English or dual-language option as the
textbooks delivered to them were in Bahasa Melayu,” she said.

Thus PAGE urged Muhyiddin to not impose “his will” on the parents of
Year One and Two pupils but allow the English and dual-language option
on all primary schools as well. On Friday, Muhyiddin, who is the
Deputy Prime Minister announced that only 11.18 percent of science
classes and 11.22 per cent (of) mathematics classes in schools have
opted to teach the respective subjects in English. "Meanwhile, the
percentage of classes that will use both languages is 55.55 per cent
and 56.20 per cent for science and mathematics, respectively," he was
quoted as saying.

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/254766

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