The teaching of Mathematics and Science in English

I was asked to pen my personal opinion regarding the issue to revert the teaching of mathematics and science from English to Malay. For the record, I was first educated in the Malay medium (standard one to four), then transferred to the English medium schools.

I was taught "kira-kira" (ilmu hisab) in the Malay language while at the Sekolah Melayu Kelawai - standard one to four (1956-1959), and in English when transferred to Westland's Primary School (Special Malay Class One, and Two and Standard Six - 1960-1962) and Saint Xavier's Institution (1963-1967), in George Town, Penang.

(Due to lack of pupils arising from the forced migration of the Malay population in and around what is today Persiaran Gurney, Jalan Edgecumbe and Bagan Jermal, the Sekolah Melayu Kelawai was forced to close its doors in the early 1970s. The school was later demolished to make way for a 15-storey apartment/flat - the Menara Yayasan, Jalan Kelawai, George Town, Penang)

The education system then was perfectly in place and it was up to parents whether to register their children in the Malay, English, Mandarin or Tamil medium schools.

The English medium schools were multi-racial and popular among urban and semi-urban population while the Malay medium schools mostly located near or in the Malay populated areas.

The Mandarin schools were in the urban areas or Chinese New Villages while Tamil schools were mostly in rubber estates.

As for the Malay pupils in Malay medium schools, they were required to sit for a special examination, when in standard four, to be selected to continue their education in the English medium schools. The Special Malay classes were created to enable them to study in the English language particularly when in secondary schools.

The system was working well and benefitted the rakyat until politicians decided to change it to the present system. Most of the politicians' children, however, were educated overseas - either in England, Scotland, Australia or the United States.

Personally speaking, I am in favour of teaching mathematics and science in the English language, in fact, I would like to see the return of the 'old education system'.

One of the reasons why Singapore is way ahead of us is their education system. Singapore leaders were bold and forward looking when they abolished Malay, Mandarin and Tamil medium schools in favour of a single medium school in the English language. Malay, Chinese and Indian Singaporeans were given a choice to study a second language as a subject. They are free to pick either their mother tongue or one of the three languages - Malay, Mandarin or Tamil.

Indonesia, a nation proud of it's "Bangsa and Bahasa Indonesia" and whose people are more nationalistic than us, realised the importance of the Enlish language and so did China and Japan.

One of my readers submitted the following observation on the subject of teaching mathematics and science in English, and I am in full agreement with him.

He wrote and I reprint in full :

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,

From my point of view, there's nothing wrong of BM be our National Language but we must realise something... WITHOUT GOOD COMMAND in ENGLISH, we cannot go far, we cannot compete internationally. I believe most of you will agree with me on this.

Lately we hear lot of people making noise and want Maths and Science to be taught in BM. Do all these people still remember why previously there was an issue where more than 60,000 graduates were unemployed??? The answer was very straight forward..... They either couldn't communicate or poor in English. Due to that many company find very difficult to employ them as ther key person or executive staff.

So, for all the parents out there... let me ask you this question... Do you all want this to happen to your kids??? Think again... Without good command in English, our kids only can be the "Jagoh Kampung". They CANNOT compete internationally not only that, they also couldn't further up their studies abroad and definitely can forget about working in foreign countries.

Instead of protesting the teahing of Maths and Science in English, we should encourage the government to find more ways to teach our kids and improve their command in English.

If you're financilly poor, don't forget this... The only choice that you have to give a good and quality education for your kids is through the normal schooling system that they're going through now. So like it or not, they have to gain the maximum education and knowledge in these 11 or 12 years of their schooling time. And of course these 11 or 12 years is the time for them to master their skill in ENGLISH.

Unless, if you're a wealthy person then I have co comment. You can send your kids to overseas like how those rich UMNOPUTRAS (e.g.D.S. Hishamudin, D.S. Najib, D.S. Nazri and other) and their cronies are doing OR at least they can send their kids to MCKK (Malay College Kuala Kangsar) to gain the local quality education.

For those who always try to compare with certain (developed) countries whenever this problem arises. These people always want to compare with Japan, Korea, Germany and France. For this people I would remind them one thing... All the mentioned countries have their own TECHNOLOGY, so they can survive with their own language BUT Malaysia DON'T HAVE the own Technology so we cannot survive internationally with our language. For that we need our kids to be educated in English...

Well, the future of your kids is in your hand... if you still want to stick to your own decision which is to fully educate your kids in BM, then in next 10 or 15 years time don't blame anybody else if your kids are educated but no firm want to accept them as their executive staff.

Please DON'T FORGET THIS... this language issue arise because of politicians.. Last time when the education was in English, the politician used this issue for his personal gain, so to achieve that he provoked ordinary people and he gained the popularity. Now the politicians still using the same language isue to provoke us and this time to revert back the teaching of Maths and Science in English to BM. well, for your info, both of this situations is created by the politicians for their personal gain. So please don't be the instrument for them.

Take care and make a good and wise decision."

That was his sincere observation and I thank him for that. On the other hand, a former university professor provided a more enlightened observation.

The professor wrote in response to the article "Can language bring up or down the HUMANS in any racial group OR will the mastery of Science and Technology raise the humans in that race to global standards? Which is more useful?

He wrote:

"I believe the government media have been successful in misleading the public on the issues at hand. The UMNO leaders, incidentally not supported by some of the other BN components such as MCA and Gerakan, have been accusing those who oppose the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English as anti English Language, anti Bilingulism and anti Science and Mathematics.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

Please take note that a number of those opposing the scheme are professors in the field of science and Mathematics.

To cite an example, would you say Professor Shahril Mohd. Zain who retired as Professor of Mathematics as one who doesn't think that Mathematics is important for human well being and progress?

Would you term Professor Muhammad Haji Salleh who was a Resident Writer in Harvard, who writes poetry in English and Malay and recently translated Hikayat Hang Tuah into English as one who is anti English Language.

Has it been proven pedagogically any where in the world that learning Science and Mathematics would enhance one's command of the language used?

It is common sense that one would find it easier to grasp any new subjects in the language that he or she is already conversant with. This project of teaching Science and Mathematics is, at best, experimental. And who are the guinea pigs? Our young kids.

What the ministry should do is to develop the most effective methods of teaching English to our kids, not by making them learn Science and Mathematics in the language.

Our Ministry of Education has adopted this particular project without prior studies or pilot projects. It was a political decision. And now since the oppositions have supported the opposition to the project, they have no choice but to defend it, right or wrong."