LETTER | Simple but necessary steps to improving English in schools

LETTER | Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement on Nov 23 - the anniversary of his administration - about improving the standard of English in schools is commendable and much needed.

However, he does not need to be reminded that between aspiration and realisation is a vast gap, with many traps and obstacles, subtle as well as brazen.

The rot in Malaysian education has been going on for decades. One does need outside confirmation as this is revealed in the recently released Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2022 figures. As atrocious as those figures are, they are worse for Malays, if only someone cares to analyse the data.

Before hiring expensive consultants and setting up fancy “high-level” committees, let me suggest five simple but necessary preliminary steps.

First, set up English-medium teachers training colleges. This may seem obvious but thus far this escapes those government experts. Enrol trainees directly after their Form Five (based on their SPM projections) and start the programme in January.

Like teachers’ colleges of yore, these students would be paid, thus attracting bright school leavers. Further, with their subsequent enhanced English proficiency and teaching diplomas, they could secure entry as advanced students into good universities in the vast English-speaking world.

In addition to producing future teachers of English, these colleges should also teach STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) so they could produce future teachers in those subjects.

Teach STEM in English. Although the language content in STEM subjects is low (as compared to history or geography), nonetheless, there would be double benefits – enhanced STEM competency together with English proficiency. Both command a premium in the marketplace outside of teaching.

Consider such supposedly “Malay” words as kotiliden and naterium. Why not stick with the original English or scientific terms? Less confusing when reading scientific literature.

Second, increase the hours devoted to English. As there are only so many hours in a school day, those devoted to subjects taught in Bahasa must correspondingly be reduced. Anticipate resistance. As Islamic Studies consume a major portion of the national curriculum, why not teach that subject in English as they do in the United States?

Extra allowances

A superior model would be the Aljunid Religious School in Singapore. An even better example would be church schools in the US. Although religion is a minor part of the curriculum, its values are incorporated into the school’s culture. Those schools produce more than their share of the nation’s scientists, engineers, lawyers, and writers. Only a few ended up being in the clergy class.

Incentivise English-language teachers by giving them extra allowances, especially for those teaching in rural schools. Five years hence when those English-language teachers colleges are in full swing, wean off those incentives.

Third, have an English-only week or month where the school assembly and other communications with the students would be in English, emulating earlier National Language week and month of the 1960s.

Fourth, prioritise. Start with the two extremes, residential schools at one end, and kampung schools at the other. The former because that is where the brightest Malay children are; the latter because of the low level of English at home and in the community.

Last is more symbolic but no less important. As the problem of lack of English proficiency is most acute among Malays, publicly recognise those who can speak and write in English well. I am surprised that accomplished Malay writers in English like Hanna Alkaf (The Weight of Our Sky, Queen of the Tiles, etc.) are not more well known in our community.

As can be seen, the problem of enhancing English proficiency among Malays is straightforward. The challenge is to find the will to execute it. That would require significant efforts at removing entrenched mental as well as cultural blocks. That in turn calls for steely leadership from the prime minister down to the local headmaster and teachers.

M BAKRI MUSA is a Malaysian-born and Canadian-trained surgeon in private practice in Silicon Valley, California. He writes at bakrimusa.blogspot.com

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.