2011

Yeah! I mean 2011. Please don't thought that I wanted to mean '2012' the movie and that I've mis-typed my title. But why 2011???

Flip the papers today (or for some, you don't even need to flip coz it's on the first page), you will see something like this: Science and Maths in BM from 2011 onwards. In July this year, the Education Ministry said this plan will be from 2012 onwards. Now it's carried forward for a year. Quite a significant amount of people disagreed about this plan at first place. Carried forward a year? Oh well...

I decided to interview a person who is one of the many people who disagreed with this plan in order to get an in-depth view of this issue. And the person is......

ME!

Oh... Not again!!! (For those who don't know what I mean by 'not again', please check back my final post in September)





Q: You disagree with teaching Science and Maths in BM?
A: Erm... There's always good and bad in everything... And I think...

Q: One word, yes or no?
A: Please allow me to finish my sentence lar...

Q: I said, in one word, yes or no?
A: Okay... Yes. I disagree.

Q: That's 4 words.
A: Oh whatever...

Q: Why disagree?
A: First of all, English is an international language. Learning Science and Maths in English will benefit students in the long run. Especially for those ambitious ones, if they work overseas, of course must speak English lar! Imagine in a overseas conference, a Malaysian scientist goes on stage and says 'Tabung Uji'. Oh my god, how do you expect everyone to understand that? Of course must say 'Test Tube'. Right? Science and Maths in English was introduced with the point of improving the standard of English. And now they say they will revert back to Science and Maths in BM and will continue to improve the standard of English? Ain't that like slapping own face?

Q: But results in the past few years has shown that the standard of English has not improved, and in fact students' performance in Science and Maths has dropped.
A: That, I think, has got something to do with the teachers. Teachers need time to adjust to teaching these 2 subjects in English. And it takes time. They started teaching these 2 subjects in English in 2003, and so happened that I went into form 1 in 2003, so I'm in the first batch of students under this plan. Honestly, I can see that some teachers are still not up to the standard of teaching these 2 subjects in English yet. Just when teachers might be starting to get used to this plan, the Education Ministry has decided to revert back to the old formula again.

Q: It is also known that the cost of teaching Science and Maths in English over the years doesn't produce equivalent results in students' performances. That's also a reason why the plan is reverted.
A: But now that the plan is reverted. Ain't that requires a high cost as well? Textbooks has to be re-written, teachers need to be retrained. And try to think from a teacher's perspective. Aren't they gonna feel that its a waste for them for training to teach in English? For some who just started teacher training in the past few years, they might have to throw away what they have learnt in English and start all over again in BM. And let's not forget the time and cost of re-training.

Q: Bahasa Malaysia is our official language. Are you forgetting that?
A: I didn't say it should be neglected. We have Sejarah and Geografi in BM. That is reasonable as in those 2 subjects, basically we learn about our own country. But for Science and Maths, it's an international knowledge.

Q: At the start of the interview, you said something about there's good and bad in everything... Does that mean you actually feel that this new plan has it's good point as well? Can you explain that?
A: Hah! Now you want me to explain!

Q: Well then just do so! Okay... My bad...
A: The thing I find good about this plan is that Science and Maths in primary schools will be fully taught in mother language. Primary students will now need not learn these 2 subjects in 2 languages. This is something I would agree.

Q: So can you tell me, in your mind, what is the perfect plan for teaching these 2 subjects?
A: Ever since the first day, my opinion is that Science and Maths being teached in the mother language in primary schools, and English in secondary schools. This would enable students to have a basic about these subjects in their familiar language, and then build on from there with an international language.

Q: In other words, are you saying that you have been studying in your so called 'perfect formula'?
A: Absolutely, I studied these 2 subjects in my mother tongue for primary school, and then in English in secondary school. And I'm proud of it, as I will now go into the history books of Malaysia for being 1 of only 10 batches of students to ever being in this 'perfect formula'! Haha! ^^

Q: ......





(The opinions in this post are solely the writer's.)