YOURSAY | Is teaching science and maths in English really a failure?

YOURSAY | ‘If so, why Mara colleges use English as medium of instruction?’

DBP: Teaching of science and mathematics in English was a failure

Mat Md: Is teaching science and mathematics in English truly a failure? Or it is due to some unexplained reason that was not revealed to the public?

It is perceived that the failure was entirely due to poor preparation and the lack of firm commitment on the part of the government.

It is believed that there were not enough teachers who were sufficiently proficient in English to teach the subjects. For not being able to speak English adequately, they were not able to deliver their lessons effectively, leaving the students in the lurch.

It is also known that science and mathematics teachers who normally delivered the subjects in Bahasa, were asked to use English to teach the subjects.

These are the pertinent reasons which probably lead to the failure of the teaching of science and mathematics in English.

As such, it is justifiable that the teaching of science and mathematics in English should be reinstated, with firm government commitment and adequate preparation. To supplement the lack of competent English teachers, the government has to recruit foreign teachers, either from Singapore, Britain or US, on a temporary basis.

To raise Malaysia to a better level of technological progress, it has to place greater emphasis on the teaching of science and mathematics in schools. After all, South Korea and Taiwan, which are well advanced technologically, were at one stage at the same level of development as Malaysia.

OceanMaster: It is not really the language that is to be blamed. There is maybe some truth in the sudden switch to English for science and maths subjects, especially for rural areas where even teachers may not have the right command of language to teach effectively.

The urgent question that needs to be answered is the need for switching the language to English.

Fifty years ago when the BN government switched from English to Bahasa, students were still performing well and standards were still commendable for at least two decades, well into the early 1990s.

But the real challenge for Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects is the rapid changes in new technology, especially IT, which caused an explosion in usage of English as the common global language, beyond the traditionally English-speaking countries including the British Commonwealth nations.

With that, the importance of English has shot up over the grid and has become a must-have language. Therefore, the reversing policy to bring back English to the forefront is the right move and a key human capital investment that must not be avoided in the nation’s development.

The group of stakeholders who seem to oppose this tend to be overly nationalistic and political without giving due consideration to the potential magnificent value for Malaysians in the future.

When we say Malaysians, it of course includes the Malays and bumiputeras. In all fairness, the non-Malay parents tend to take English with a more pragmatic approach, as a means to underwrite their children's future. The rich and the urban Malays do the same for their own children.

The ones who are caught up with the naysayers are the same ones who end up voting for PAS and Umno. The short-term gratification, alarmist and flame-throwing narratives by politicians is leading a large segment of Malays into a corner and at the losing end eventually.

Pelanduk: It is not that it cannot be done. Those who are given the job to do it are not serious and are more interested in politics.

China’s population, which could hardly speak English not long ago when our standard of English was excellent, could now produce students speaking and writing good English. Put the right people, regardless of race, in charge, we can do it.

It’s too late now. There is no way bringing English back to our schools. Our present teachers themselves could not converse or write proper English, so how on earth can they teach the subjects in English?

The old-timers who could are all retired and are mostly in their 70s. Even if offered to teach the subjects as contract teachers, I doubt they would want to do it.

Shanmugam VK Subrayan: Why was there no such problems in the late 70s when teaching in English in all secondary schools was changed to teaching in Bahasa Malaysia?

All (or most) of the teachers came from English-medium schools, graduated from a university with medium of instruction in English and were happily teaching in English all the subjects (except Malay Language) up to Form Six. Asking them to teach in Bahasa Malaysia was not a failure then.

Vijay47: According to this scholar of immense linguistic wisdom, the learning of English has been a massive failure and thus must never see the light of day again.

Never mind that the teaching of English never received firm commitment with even the teachers themselves sorely in need of urgent help in the subject.

Thus, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka’s Board of Directors chairperson Awang Sariyan urges that English be discontinued throughout the realm. Perhaps he could explain how this deviation would affect Mara colleges where English is the medium of instruction.

It is high irony, Awang, that the name of the pillar to ensure Malay permanence, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, is itself made up of three Sanskrit/Urdu words.

Wg321: Indeed, the medium of instruction in Mara Junior Science Colleges is also in English. Why the double standard?

Odysseus: "Their performances in international exams in regard to science and mathematics significantly dropped after the implementation of PPSMI," said Awang.

May I ask which exam is Awang referring to? International examinations are in English. If our performance dropped, why blame it on the teaching of science and maths in English (PPSMI).

Awang should blame it on the quality of teachers, students and their mastery of the language. The results would have been bad or worse if the students were taught in Bahasa only.

Man Lee: Learning science and maths in English is at best half-pregnant method, given that the medium of instruction is Bahasa. Mother-tongue education has been proven many times to be the most important criterion.

And for Malay children, Bahasa is the most important subject for them to master. If Malay children are not proficient in science and maths, it is not due to the language of instruction per se.

If they have a good mind and aptitude for science and maths, they would quickly pick up the English that they require when they look at research materials and so on.

(And if English is that important, you would not have so many Japanese, Germans or Koreans who are excellent without having learnt science and maths in English. They have shown that they can be good at learning science and maths in their own languages).

SHGC: The programme failed not because the programme is not good. Everywhere else in the world, particularly in developed countries, Stem subjects are taught in English because the terminologies are all in English. Just look at Singapore.

The programme in Malaysia failed because of the teachers' attitude. Don't blame it on the programme, blame in on the teachers.

And don't just blame language for polarisation in our society, please. There are much bigger reasons for it and polarisation has been deliberately played up by Umno and PAS politicians.

FairMalaysian: I have come to a stage that I don't even bother what they do and what they want to do. Just take care of your own children based on what you need to do. These politicians will go on playing politics.

Hang Babeuf: Teaching in general is a lost cause. Learning even moreso...

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