Back to Square One

The Star Online published news about reverting the teaching of Maths and Science to BM. It was mentioned that the small number of teachers sufficiently proficient in English was one of the causes of the decision. The paper also stated that the MOE will re-introduce Literature in English. Hmn. Include a subject on grammar. Hmn. Add a subject on composition. Hmn.

My first reaction. What?? Add more subjects?? Doesn't MOE know that secondary school students are taking far too many subjects now?? Many have to attend "luar sidang". That means classes have to be held after official school hours. In my school, these are the subjects that students learn.

Current subjects in Forms 1 - 3 : BM, English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Living Skills, Arts, PE, Moral/Religious Education, Civics Education, ICTL
Current subjects in Form 4 - 5 Science Stream : BM, English, EST, History, Moral/Religious Education, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths, Add Maths, PE, Civics Education. Some students are taking additional subjects like Arts, Literature in English, and Bible Knowledge.
Are we Malaysians trying to produce a generation of super human beings? Dr. Low Guat Tin said that in Singapore, students are only encouraged to take 6 - 8 subjects.

Being an English teacher, I have been directly involved in PPSMI since 2003. I see laptops being supplied to PPSMI teachers, and courseware after courseware arriving from MOE for teachers to use. Maths and Science teachers attended ETEMs. The Buddy Support System, EMS, SisBT and SAL were implemented in schools. BISP was paid to PPSMI teachers. All these efforts were to help PPSMI teachers speak in English, to teach their subjects in English. Even a MUET-like test (PTP) was carried out to test teachers' proficiency in 2008.

The effect after 6 years? Well, I can only speak for the teachers in my school.

Those who were confident to speak the language and to teach in the language were those who were already proficient in the first place. Those who spoke the language awkwardly tried to teach in the language stipulated, but often resorted to BM, and those were the teachers who despite going through all the programmes listed in the above paragraph, failed to improve their English language proficiency.

Now, I don't blame them. Many many many Malaysian students out there, after having gone through 11 years of education in school, still suck in the language. I know. I mark the public exam answer scripts. About 80% of the scripts suck. How do we then expect these teachers, who are non-speakers of the language, to improve overnight?

I'm a bit sore. With this change, it meant that I was harrassed into carrying out the Buddy Support System, EMS, SisBT, and PTP for nothing. Sigh. What a waste of time and effort and energy. I really do feel like I'm caught in a circus.

How about the students? In 2012, Form One students are to learn Maths and Science in BM. These poor children are currently in Primary 4 or 5, and are learning Maths and Science in English. Won't it confuse them when they switch languages in 2012? Sigh.

Sometimes, I wish the MOE has a better sense of direction of where it is steering the country's education system to. Stop leading us in circles.