Policy on English short-sighted, say veteran educationists

comments     Claudia Theophilus     Published     Updated

The hasty implementation of the policy to teach science and mathematics in English may turn out to be not only a costly affair for the government but also a generation of Malaysian students, say veteran educationists.

These former teachers, based on the wealth of experience gained since the British colonial era, strongly rebut official claims that mastery of the language can be attained through the teaching of the two subjects in English.

A Rajaguru, who had been a teacher for 35 years, said both science and mathematics are subjects which do not allow much interaction between pupils and teachers, thus defeating the objective of improving English.

"The teaching method [for both subjects] will be rather technical, in keeping with the straightforwardness of the subjects," the former National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general told malaysiakini recently.

"History or geography would provide more scope for improvement as the teaching of these subjects involve conversation, questioning, quizzes and discussion between teachers and pupils."

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