[lg policy] Malaysia: Challenging year for national policy on Bahasa Melayu and English

[Harold Schiffman]

Challenging year for national policy on Bahasa Melayu and English

KUCHING: The state Education Department expects this year to be a more
challenging one for the national Uplifting Bahasa Melayu and
Strengthening English Language Policy (MBMMBI).

It said in a statement yesterday that this was because Science and
Mathematics would be taught either in Bahasa Melayu completely or
English completely or in bilingual, which means that it could be a mix
of Bahasa Melayu and English or Chinese and English or Indian and
English.  “Most schools will use the bilingual medium,” said the
statement.

The department said that this was the MBMMBI’s third year and 2,632
teachers had been trained. At the same time, it said more courses
would be organised by the department and the Teachers Training
Institutes with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
“Those teachers who have the Bahasa Melayu and the English option
should be ready to attend the courses.”

Meanwhile, some RM25.4mil will be spent to upgrade 30 schools
throughout the state this year. These projects involve school fields,
hall, teachers office and toilets. Last year, four primary education
projects, five secondary education projects, 11 teachers housing
programmes, 19 hostels and an education office costing a total of
RM454.1mil were implemented. Two primary education projects, one
secondary education project, three teachers’ housing programmes and
two hostels have been completed and will be utilised this year.

As for the other projects, which involved furnishing, landscaping and
the supply of water and electricity, the department expects them to be
completed by May this year. The Government is also spending RM13.5mil
this year on text book loan schemes for government and
government-aided schools, RM256mil on boarding school assistance and
had stepped up its disciplinary measures for students with the
issuance of a “Standard Operating Procedure”.

The department also said some 46,392 pupils would sit for the Ujian
Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) this year.
Also this year, there will be 40,552 Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR)
candidates, 36,250 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates and 6,599
Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) candidates.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/4/sarawak/10199274&sec=sarawak

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