Teaching Science, Maths in English wont improve language proficiency: Chinese groups

comments     YS Tong     Published     Updated

Two influential Chinese education movements submitted a memorandum to the Education Ministry this week to oppose the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English beginning next year.

"We have told them in the memorandum why the use of English in Mathematics and Science will not necessarily help to improve the language proficiency.

"The weak command of English is in fact related to how the subject is taught," said Bock Tai Hee, chief executive officer of the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia, or Dong Zong.

The three-page memorandum sent to Education Minister Musa Mohamad on Monday was signed by Dong Zong chairperson Quek Suan Hiang and his counterpart from the United School Teachers Association of Malaysia (Jiao Zong), Ong Kow Ee.

The two organisations, collectively known as Dong Jiao Zong, represent some 1,300 Chinese schools in the country.

Leaders of Chinese-based political parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional — MCA's Dr Ling Liong Sik, Gerakan's Dr Lim Keng Yaik and Sarawak United People's Party (Supp)'s Dr George Chan Hong Nam — also received copies of the memorandum.

Political interest

When met yesterday, Bock told malaysiakini that Dong Jiao Zong fully supported the government's effort to promote the use of English among students.

However, he argued that to make it the teaching medium of two subjects at all levels is not the appropriate solution.

"The government should review the present teaching and learning method of English to identify any shortcomings and rectify them," he said.

This includes updating the syllabuses, improving infrastructures such as language labs and teaching aid, providing proper training for English teachers, and motivating students to learn the language, he added.

Bock, a retired teacher, said it was wrong to assume that if students learn a subject in English, their command of the language will improve.

"To learn the language well, students should read more English magazines, newspapers and story books, not Mathematics or Science textbooks written in English," he said.

He also expressed concern that a majority of students would find it difficult to cope with the change of teaching medium for the two subjects and as such face problems in their studies.

"Not only will their English remain poor, but their performance in Mathematics and Science may become poorer compared to before," he said.

When asked, he said the major problem with using English to teach Mathematics and Science was that the suggestion itself derived from "political and not educational interests".

"The prime minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad), after pushing through those protective policies for bumiputras for two decades, now has a lot of regrets and is desperate to persuade the Malays to change their mindset before he leaves.

"He obviously thought that by changing the teaching medium of two subjects to English, Malays will definitely become more competitive. Education workers should have been consulted on this matter, not politicians," said Bock.

No-confidence vote

The government's suggestion also evoked criticism from within Umno itself. Before its annual general assembly last month, the party's Senai division in Johor passed a no-confidence vote against the education minister.

Meanwhile, Deputy Education Minister Abdul Aziz Samsudin had said the government examinations for Mathematics and Science would be conducted in English though it is unclear if it is compulsory for the students to answer in English.

It is also unclear whether national type primary schools — those that use either Mandarin or Tamil as teaching mediums — will be instructed to switch to English for Mathematics and Science.

Currently, a working committee under the ministry is studying the details about teaching the two subjects in English and will meet on July 16 to compile a report regarding this.

The cabinet is expected to receive the report and finalise the details on implementation of the proposal the following day.



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