A Decision Gone Dreadfully Wrong

PPSMI: 'Declining scores prompted policy reversal'


KAMPAR: The command of Malaysian students in Science and Mathematics subjects have been on a steady decline forcing the Government to revert the teaching of the subjects to Bahasa Malaysia and other vernacular languages.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Trends Report showed Malaysian students’ position in Mathematics dropped to 20 from 10 while Science went down from the 20th place to 21.
"Data showed that when English was not used to teach the two subjects 30 years ago, there was an increase in the number of graduates and professionals."
"And when it was changed in 2003, our students could not cope with the change in language," he said Friday.
Speaking to reporters after opening the Fifth Malaysia Festival of the Mind at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) here, Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said the ministry's records also showed a decline in the students’ ability in learning the subjects.
"If we continue, we will see double jeopardy and I do not want Malaysians to face problems later," he added.
Muhyiddin had on Wednesday announced that the subjects would be taught in Bahasa Malaysia or in the mother tongue in vernacular schools from 2012, while English would be given prominence by beefing up the teaching of the language.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/10/nation/20090710165700&sec=nation

Dear all sincere apologies for not posting anything new recently. Anyway, I know this has been an issue that has surfaced for months and there is no way i can impart any influence on, however due to the post i uploaded last year, I have to restate my statement.

Look at what our deputy prime minister is saying, we are changing for the greater good because results are on the backward trend. How on earth can this man be appointed if he does not even comprehend simple common sense? Results are declining because your standards are rising you imbecile pillock. What does it really mean when your students are scoring 2 dozen distinctions but could not face the challenge the world presents them with.

Look at the past, where our forefathers, or rather our fathers really embraced the Higher Certificate Examinations before the Mahathir era, getting a distinction is like scoring straight for today. However people of this generation usually converse in english with confidence and tend to have a stronger vocab base than you and I. Why? because they were educated the correct way.

And i have yet to come to the english bit yet. With the rest of the world trying to catch up with the global english "outbreak", we are going to allow the rest to move forward because our students are afraid of english. Come on people, when you have a disease you search for a remedy; ironically when you have weakness have a way to curb it. We have to confront the situation where by our students do not have a good command of the global language and instead of easing their pain towards their fear, inflict them with more. Additional hours of teaching english and consulting other country about their teaching method is utterly rubbish, waste of more public funds. I say you shouldnt be able to get your SPM certificate without have at least C6 for english, and for the part of the examination board make sure the paper is of Cambridge 'O' levels standard or higher. I am darn confident with the fear of not graduating strike into the pupils heart, they will have no choice but to take english seriously.

In the decision to revert teaching of science and maths back to Malay and other languages, I have nothing to say other than it is a decision to be regretted in the long run. With declining english standards our students are already suffering, having such help induced into their lives taken away, we are helping them to dig their own grave. Having personally gone through this malay system, studying abroad had made me realised how far i am behind and how much extra effort i have to put in. So remember those who are still having maths and science in english, you are given a previllage that neither the past nor the future can enjoy, so make good use of it