COMMENT In the raging controversy over the continuance of the PPSMI (Teaching of Science and Maths in English) option, there seems to be at least two main arguments put forward for not allowing it, namely, (i) it is too troublesome to have two options in the same school; and (ii) English is not the mother tongue of Malaysians.

I believe that choice and flexibility must be a fundamental principle in education policy and that we should take a historical perspective of the development of our present situation...