[lg policy] Re: lgpolicy-list Digest, Vol 82, Issue 23

Kennedyper at aol.com Kennedyper at aol.com
Tue Feb 16 19:17:22 UTC 2016 

Hi Hal,
How are you doing? I hope you're feeling well today.
I'll be at HUMC tonight for an IHOC board meeting starting around 530.  
Stop in and say hello if you're around.
Tom
 
 
In a message dated 2/16/2016 12:00:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
lgpolicy-list-request at groups.sas.upenn.edu writes:

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Today's Topics:

1.  Malaysia: Do not fail English as well (Harold Schiffman)
2.  South Africa: Department of Higher Education and Training
publishes its Draft Language Policy, Xhosa excluded By  Political
Analysis South Africa Feb 15, 2016 On 12  February 2016, the
Department of Higher Education and  Training (Harold  Schiffman)


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Message:  1
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 09:14:55 -0500
From: Harold Schiffman  <hfsclpp at gmail.com>
Subject: [lg policy] Malaysia: Do not fail  English as well
To: lp  <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Message-ID:
<CAB7VSRDEoxmbBE9s1oR8Mz7yN+a_xjmNj1SjAkFbQ287cZqMJg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type:  text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Do not fail English as  well









SINCE 2008, the Parent Action  Group for Education (PAGE) has been seeking
the non-abolition of the  mandatory policy of teaching and learning of
Science and Mathematics in  English but we were thwarted at every turn. We
persevered and the policy  was resurrected in the form of the Soft Landing
in 2011, which will end in  2020, allowing students who started in English
to finish in  English.

In the meantime, this scientific English policy was replaced  by a language
policy in 2011 called “Memartabatkan Bahasa Melayu,  Memperkasakan Bahasa
Inggeris or MBMMBI (Uphold Bahasa Melayu, Strengthen  the English Language),
which continues to be expanded and  developed.

In 2015, the Prime Minister with the Economic Council sought  a radical
approach towards rectifying the appalling state of the English  language
that has resulted in over 400,000 graduates to date to be  unemployed. The
Education and Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRI) Human  Capital Development
of Pemandu (Performance Management and Delivery Unit),  comprising highly
analytical, dynamic and outstanding professionals in  their respective
fields carefully hand-picked from the private sector, was  tasked to explore
and recommend this radical solution.

Numerous  stakeholders, including the Federation of Manufacturers Malaysia
(FMM),  Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), British Council, advocates  of
English, think-tanks and scholarship foundations, tertiary  education
professors and, most importantly, high-ranking officials from the  Education
Ministry were invited to brainstorm and articulate an effective  approach.

A lengthy and detailed process was undertaken which  culminated in three
main recommendations as an expansion of MBMMBI  programmes in enhancing
English as advocated in Wave 2 (2016-2020) of the  Malaysia Education
Blueprint 2013-2025 (MEB). These were the High Immersion  Programme (HIP)
for all schools, Dual Language Programme (DLP) as a pilot  project involving
300 schools (or a mere 3%), and Dual Language Programme  Plus (DLP+).

The DLP+ which would have been the closest we would ever  get to the return
of English medium schools, excluding the subjects of  Pendidikan Islam/Moral
and History, although endorsed by the Prime  Minister, the Education
Minister and the Economic Council, was withdrawn by  the Education Ministry
from lack of resources.

The philosophy behind  DLP is it is a parents’ option (as stated by the
Education Act 1996 where  “pupils are to be educated according to the 
wishes
of their parents”)  and not teachers nor critics to choose the medium of
instruction; students  cannot achieve operational proficiency through the
15% to 20% English hours  offered in classrooms (as indicated by
international research) and  therefore other subjects had to be explored;
and the majority of Science  and Mathematics teachers had a minor in English
unlike those of other  possible non-core subjects.

Parents would fill in a standard form  providing consent for their children
to be taught in Bahasa Melayu or  English for the four STEM subjects. This
was done at the start of the year  for Primary One and Primary Four, and
Form One. A class would be provided  where there is a minimum of 15 students
in either language. There is no  plan to have all the approximately 10,000
schools nationwide offer DLP next  year or at any point in time as long as
parents do not consent.

DLP  is designed for students to immerse themselves in an environment  where
English can be applied and practised beyond the English classroom.  Students
who are already proficient can assist the teacher and mentor those  who are
not. Parents too have a role to play alongside the teachers,  providing
support, encouragement and a positive attitude. There is no magic  formula.
Children and grandchildren of teachers, past, present and future  will
benefit tremendously too.

Giving up from the start without even  trying would be a great injustice to
the innocent children who have  infinite potential if they were guided by
visionary adults. Critics,  especially politicians who reject the DLP, are
selfish hypocrites who want  only their own children to excel by quietly
enrolling them in international  schools where they get to enjoy an English
education.

Parents who  are level-headed and thinking adults will not want their
children to add to  the 400,000 unemployed graduates. Or do  you?

http://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2016/02/16/do-not-fail-english-as-
well/


--  
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Message:  2
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2016 09:17:24 -0500
From: Harold Schiffman  <hfsclpp at gmail.com>
Subject: [lg policy] South Africa: Department of  Higher Education and
Training publishes its Draft Language  Policy, Xhosa excluded By
Political Analysis South Africa Feb  15, 2016 On 12 February 2016, the
Department of Higher  Education and Training
To: lp  <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Message-ID:
<CAB7VSRDa2p5GvcgyNFFjqJgX1uWqa5VgS1jF0VKKSHRq2oyrZg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type:  text/plain; charset="utf-8"

DHET publishes its Draft Language Policy,  Xhosa excluded
By Political Analysis South  Africa
<http://www.politicalanalysis.co.za/author/political-analysis-south-africa/>
Feb  15, 2016

On 12 February 2016, the Department of Higher Education and  Training
published its Draft Language Policy (Gazette No.39679). Comments  can be
submitted within 30 days after the publication of the notice in the  
Gazette.

The Use of Official Languages Act (2012) requires (amongst  other things)

- the regulation and monitoring of the use  of official languages by
National Government;
- the adoption of a language policy;
- the establishment of a  national language unit by the Department.

The Regulations to the Act  came into effect on 5 February 2014 and the
Department of Higher Education  and Training (DHET) developed this Language
Policy in order to fulfil the  requirements of the Act and the Constitution.
Section 29 of the  Constitution guarantees equal access to education
including the rights to  receive education in the official language or
languages of choice and to  establish and maintain independent educational
institutions. The rights to  equal access to information are guaranteed in
sections 9 and 32  respectively of the Constitution.

The purpose of the Language Policy is  to outline how the DHET will use
official languages to meet its  communication needs and deliver information
to citizens as well as  articulate articulate policy and  services.

Objectives

1. to adopt, implement a  language policy and monitor its application by
its entities in  the use of official languages for government purposes
2. to  promote equal respect and treatment of official languages
3.  to facilitate equitable access to services and information of  DHET;
and

Principles

The principles of this  policy derive from the Constitution and the Act;  
and
involve:

1. the recognition and promotion of the  use of all eleven official
languages to ensure language  equity.
2. the elevation of the status and use of indigenous  languages
3. equal respect and treatment of official  languages
4. good language management by the DHET to ensure  efficient public
service administration that meets public  needs and equitable access to
services and information of the  DHET;
5. preventing the use of languages for domination and  discrimination
6. supporting special redress programmes for  previously marginalized
official indigenous  languages
7. the learning and teaching of all the official  languages.

*Factors taken into account*

This policy takes into  account the language needs at national and provicial
level.The following  factors have been taken into consideration when
choosing the official  languages that the DHET will use in  each
context/situation:

- Usage;
-  Practicability;
- Expense;
- Regional  circumstances; and
- The balance of the needs and preferences  of the public it serves

The national DHET will use for official  government business, the following
languages:

-  *English*
- *Sepedi *
- *isiZulu  *

Provinces can adopt at least three or more official languages and  will
adopt an additional, reserve or alternative language:

Gauteng:  English, Setswana and isiZulu

Mpumalanga: English, Sepedi, Xitsonga,  isiNdebele and siSwati

Free State: English, Sesotho and  Afrikaans

Northern Cape: English, Sesotho and Afrikaans

Eastern  Cape: English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans

Western Cape: English, Afrikaans  and isiXhosa

North West: English, Setswana and  Afrikaans

Limpopo: English, Sepedi, Xitsonga,  Tshivenda

KwaZulu-Natal: English and isiZulu

- In  addition to the above languages, the DHET will also use other
official languages as and when required.
- The chosen  languages may not apply to electronic communication
platforms  such as the DHET website content

*Diversity Priority*

As the  second most spoken language in South Africa  (spoken by 16% of  
South
Africans) the DHET should have included isiXhosa in the list of  languages
used for national official government business, considering that  Sepedi
(Sesotho sa Leboa or Northern Sotho) is only the fourth most  common
language in South Africa.

*Vanessa  Freerks*

*v.freerks at politicalanalysis.co.za  <v.freerks at politicalanalysis.co.za>*


*http://www.politicalanalysis.co.za/2016/02/15/dhet-publishes-draft-language
-policy-xhosa-excluded/
<http://www.politicalanalysis.co.za/2016/02/15/dhet-publishes-draft-language
-policy-xhosa-excluded/>*


--  
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the  lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its
members
and implies  neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or
sponsor of the  list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with  a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write
directly to the  original sender of any offensive message.  A copy of this
may be  forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman, Moderator)

For  more information about the lgpolicy-list, go  to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
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