Math and Science back to Bahasa, mother tongues

KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet has decided that the medium of instruction for Maths and Science will revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and mother-tongue languages in national-type schools from 2012 onwards.
The reversal of the Teaching of Math and Science in English (PPSMI) policy will be done in stages, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said on Wednesday.
He however added that there will be greater emphasis on learning the English language.
English literature will be re-introduced, as will subjects on grammar and composition.
Beginning 2012, students in Year One and Year Four in primary schools, and Form One and Form Four in secondary schools, will learn Math and Science in Bahasa Malaysia.
The change will not affect those in Form Six and Matriculation.
The two subjects will be taught in two languages until 2014 for other students, he said.
“The gap between rural and urban students has widened since PPSMI started.
“Only 19.2% of secondary teachers and 9.96% of primary teachers were sufficiently proficient in English,” he said, explaining the Government’s decision to revert to the old system.
On efforts to emphasise the learning of English, the number of English teachers would be increased by 13,933 -- retirees would be hired, as well as foreigners if need be.
Primary schools will also increase English classes by 90 minutes a week.
There have been calls from various groups for the policy to revert to before 2003, when the subjects were taught in Bahasa Malaysia in national schools, and either in Chinese or Tamil in national-type schools.
The issue has seen a rare alliance between Malay and Chinese educationists, who are against the switch, although there are also calls by many parents and entrepreneurs for English to be maintained.

Reversal Of Policy Will Affect Future Of Children, Says Dr M

PUTRAJAYA, July 8 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad expressed disappointment over the government's decision Wednesday to revert to the teaching of science and mathematics in the Malay language, saying it would adversely affect the future of children.
He said the decision would make it difficult for the children to keep up-to-date with the developments in the world of science.
"I am saddened because our children will become the victims of this policy," he told a news conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here.
Dr Mahathir was asked to comment on the government's decision to revert to the teaching of science and mathematics in the Malay language and the mother tongues in vernacular schools beginning 2012, as announced by Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin after the Cabinet meeting today.
He said the efforts to empower the Malay language would not touch on the teaching of science and mathematics in the English language as the science and mathematics subjects were not associated with the learning of languages.
"They say they want to empower the national language, but in Chinese schools they use Mandarin and in Tamil schools they use Tamil. Furthermore, we cannot learn languages through science and mathematics. Languages have their own subjects," he said.
Dr Mahathir also said that he had not agreed to the reversal of the policy, adding that the government made the decision and that he was only briefed on it.
"I suggested that if it could not be implemented at primary level, at least (it could be implemented) at secondary level. But it was rejected. So, it was not a consultation, only a briefing," he said.
Earlier, when announcing the reversal of the policy, Muhyiddin had said that in general Dr Mahathir accepted the reality that the policy had to be changed.

tunku : at last they scrapped it. this is the biggest stupidity by najib's administration decision till date. it's purely politically motivated decision made by them.the reason was given that there is not enough teachers to teach but suddenly they are hiring 8000 teachers for english subject9wonder what type of quality).we hope the government will think it over again though muhyiddin said that there will be no appeal in this decision.again, parents view have not been asked.in develop countries, parents are consulted but in malaysia, it's the authority, doing whatever they like.i am so frustrated.read tun mahathir's comment here. ask any parents with children related to PPSMI, they all supports PPSMI. we are moving backwards.thanks to the so called "pejuang bangsa".