updated version

The proposal put forward by Barisan Nasional's Chinese-based parties to teach Science and Mathematics in English for Year One in Chinese primary schools without usurping the role of their mother tongue, has been accepted by the ruling coalition's supreme council today.

Prime Minister and BN chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad said at the end of a two-hour meeting that the proposal suggested by the Chinese-based parties led by MCA was "the best compromise we could come up with".

He said under the proposal, the number of periods allocated for several subjects will be reduced to make way for the teaching of the two subjects in English inside school hours, in addition to classes now conducted in Chinese.

This entails 10 periods of Maths (six in Chinese and four in English) and six periods of Science (three each in Chinese and English), whereas Tamil and Malay schools will have only seven periods of Maths and three periods of Science, all in English.