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.

Extra two hours

Apart from that, Year One pupils in Chinese primary schools will also learn English as a subject for the first time, as proposed by the government early this year and already agreed to by Chinese primary schools. Two periods have been allocated for this.

"(The total number of periods for Year One) will also be increased from 46 to 50 (per week) next year," said Mahathir.

The timetable will be extended accordingly by two hours per week.

Mahathir said in future examinations, Year One pupils in Chinese schools would have to sit for Maths and Science papers in two languages.

Asked if the Malay community might demand for a similar bilingual system, he said "it is up to the Malay leadership".

"It depends on whether the parents want to burden their children. If we add more things to what we already have, it may be too much for us to shoulder. That will cause losses to us," he said.

Mahathir said the decision this afternoon was made in the spirit of BN and no conditions were set by the Chinese-based parties MCA, Gerakan, Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) at the meeting.

However, he was confident that the opposition and influential Chinese education movement Dong Jiao Zong or in his words "Dong Dong Dong" which have opposed the language switch, will try to gain political mileage out of the issue.

Opposition

Last Tuesday, the BN supreme council had decided that it will proceed with the language switch for Year One, Form One and Lower Six in all schools.

The Chinese-based parties however remained hesitant to support the language switch in Year One as they argued that Maths and Science are best taught in mother tongue during the formative years.

Various Chinese clans and associations have also opposed the switch for fear that it may alter the characteristics of vernacular primary schools.

The parties were subsequently given a week to propose slight modifications to the language switch in Chinese primary schools.

The subjects currently taught in Year One are Chinese language (15 periods), Bahasa Melayu (9), Mathematics (7), Moral Education (5), Physical Education (3), Music (2), and Art (2).

Another period is allocated for weekly assembly with one more for an optional subject decided by the head of school. Most schools use this extra period for computer classes.

To accommodate the teaching of Maths and Science in English from next year onwards, the teaching of Chinese as a subject will be reduced from 15 periods to 12, Moral Education from five to four, Physical Education from three to two, while the optional subject will also be used for the purpose.

'Everybody's happy'

Meanwhile, MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik said he will face any possible opposition to the latest and final development that has been approved by the BN supreme council.

"If there is opposition, we will face it. We have done this in the interest of the nation, in the interest of our children. There's nothing to worry about. Everybody is happy," he said.

Asked if the switch would now burden pupils, Ling replied, "No, no, this is a proposal that we talk about and discuss very intensively with educationists, headmasters, curriculum development people, publishers and all people knowledgeable in education. It is a comprehensive proposal."