The alternative implementation for the language switch which was accepted by the Barisan Nasional supreme council yesterday is the best example of a "political solution" to education issues in the country, an influential education group said today.

"It is obvious, the decision was made from a political angle rather than based on education concerns. For us (educationists), the solution is highly illogical," Dong Zong deputy president Dr Yap Sin Tian said when contacted.

He said it is preposterous for primary school pupils to devote more time on the two technical subjects than the language itself in the initial stage of learning.

One-third of timetable

Chinese primary schools currently have seven periods for Mathematics per week in Standard One, and none for English and Science.

With the new proposal next year, this will increase to a total of 16 periods for Maths and Science, and two for English.

Six periods of Mathematics will be taught in Chinese and another four in English. Three periods of Science will be taught in each language.

This is an additional six periods for the teaching of the two technical subjects in Chinese schools compared with national schools.

"Science and Mathematics will occupy one-third of the school timetable. No school in any country will implement such a policy for pupils who are at the initial learning stage," he said.

Yap said a meeting will be held soon with Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association) to discuss how Chinese primary schools should react to this.

Dong Zong president Quek Suan Hiang when contacted declined to elaborate on the BN solution beyond confirming the meeting with Jiao Zong.

Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association Malaysia) and Jiao Zong are more well known collectively as Dong Jiao Zong, though Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday called them "Dong Dong Dong".

Waste of time

Another controversial result of the 'compromise' announced by Mahathir was that Chinese primary school pupils would need to sit for Science and Mathematics examination papers in both languages.

This contradicted the Education Ministry's earlier assurance that bilingual examination papers will be provided and testing in English will only be made compulsory in 2008.

A parent when contacted said this requirement only goes to show that the new proposal would bring in more complications and burden the children.

"Are they able to implement it? Are teachers willing to take this burden?" asked Khoo Kim Seng, a board member of SJKC Kung Ming.

The father of two children criticised the new policy as a "waste of time" since pupils would be going through the syllabi for the two technical subjects twice, in two languages.

"If they decide to have additional classes to enable the language switch, why did they never think of using these extra classes for the teaching of English itself? This is how we can genuinely 'upgrade English proficiency'," he stressed.

Game politicians play

Another educationist said the BN Chinese component parties obviously did not consider the pupils' welfare when drumming up the proposal.

"I pity the Standard One pupils. What sort of game (are the politicians playing)?" he asked.

Several teachers when contacted said that they would wait for further directive from the ministry on the implementation of language switch.

The idea of using English to teach Science and Mathematics was first proposed by Mahathir in May to arrest the declining command of the language among pupils. His initial suggestion of re-establishing English-medium schools did not go down well with his own party, Umno.

However, the language switch proposal was also objected to, by various quarters, especially vernacular education groups.