— by Hussaini Abdul Karim
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 04, 2011
OCT 4 — Our New Education Policy, introduced in the early 70s and revised two or three times over the last few years, allows for national-type Chinese and Tamil schools where the mediums of instruction are Chinese and Tamil, respectively, up to secondary school level besides the national primary and secondary schools where the medium of instruction is Bahasa Malaysia.
All students are required to sit for the SPM examination in Form Five and Bahasa Malaysia is offered in all schools at all levels and it is a must-pass subject in order for students to qualify for the UPSR, PMR and the SPM. Looking at it, our New Education Policy is almost perfect. What is lacking, to make it perfect, is that the government does not allow national-type English schools to be set up. Otherwise, our New Education Policy and the whole school system would be the envy of almost every country in the world including some developed countries.
It is difficult to fathom why Chinese and Tamil are allowed as mediums of instruction in national-type vernacular schools, but the government does not allow the re-introduction of English-medium schools. Even the popular PPSMI syllabus where English was used to teach mathematics and science subjects will be abolished and come next year, all students in national primary and secondary schools will start with the all-new MBMMBI syllabus where the medium of instruction is Bahasa Malaysia.
Many concerned citizens, professionals, semi-professionals, the people in-between, and laymen, men and women, boys and girls, from all walks of life, the young, the not-so-young, the not-so-old and the old folks, including me and some foreigners, have written arguing in favour of English medium schools to be re-introduced but the government is adamant and has refused to allow the re-introduction English medium schools.
It is also difficult to fathom why the government disregards the demands of the majority to have English medium schools re-introduced where there are many advantages including helping to expedite the country’s general and economic transformation programmes.
Please allow the re-introduction of English medium schools for the sake of the people and the country’s future.
#1 by waterfrontcoolie on Tuesday, 4 October 2011 - 10:49 pm
Basically, we must have a more liberal approach in education; certainly not the current policy of fulfilling political objectives with no particular purpsoe except to getting them to go through the motion of staying in schools and then applying the smae approach even at the U-level. Upon graduation, nothing much has been achieved! All languages will benefit anyone who can master them. At the primary level three or even four languages can be taught couple with arithematic; other subjects on moral/religion may be offered. Here we created so many subjects and finally ended in noughts or knots! Even in the 60s and early 70s, maths teachers in the national schools were found inadequate; many resorted to telling their classes that the text books had got wrong answers! i.e. when they could nit out the correct answers! Well they loved to be Maths teacher notwithstanding the fact that their inadequate knowledge indeed “frightened” the students of that subject; since the teacher himself found it so difficult!!!! Some time a go, I met a very senior academician who expressed horror when local universities were considering that engineering courses could do away with even basic mathematics!!! We actually create the products we have in mind. No matter that the long term interests of the nation will kaput! Who do we blame after the last 30 plus years under a Gomen which cared for nothing except easy money? Can we afford another 5 more years? Malaysians You decide!
#2 by tak tahan on Wednesday, 5 October 2011 - 12:28 am
This old fart leaders still too busy playing race and religion card to stay on the top.I see..must make majority race happy and senyum selalu,no worry,pandai tak pandai takpa janji angkat Umno tinggi-tinggi.Why should worry about the people can or cannot speaking orang putih when they alike can’t even understand cakap orang putih leh.No speaking better lah because ketuanan must always stay on top of everthing.Ketuanan didahulukan,yang lain-lain,sila tunggu dan sabar.
#3 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 5 October 2011 - 12:55 am
UmnoB say: No sweat, want 2 study in English, get in2 MARA Junior Science College (Maktab Rendah Sains MARA) lor, or better still, in2 international schools lor
#4 by dagen on Wednesday, 5 October 2011 - 8:31 am
/// Many concerned citizens, professionals, semi-professionals, the people in-between, and laymen, men and women, boys and girls, from all walks of life, the young, the not-so-young, the not-so-old and the old folks, including me and some foreigners, have written arguing in favour of English medium schools to be re-introduced but the government is adamant and has refused to allow the re-introduction English medium schools. ///
Oh yea? Hv you forgotten one crucial fact. 1 umnoputra = 1 million you, me; 1 million of everybody. If there are 1,000 umnoputras in the country, their number would effectively swell to 1billion. Of course their voices are louder. Way way way louder. So dont expect umno to hear us. They are so very powerful that they can tell umno to pass laws and make policies to govern us and at the same time to exempt themselves. See. Our children must all go to sekolah kebangsaan. Those who opted for vernacular schools (although still SK for primary schools) were condemned as anti-umno, anti-islam jenis umno, anti-agung, unpatriotic, communist, terrorist, ungrateful etc etc. But hey, those horse-riding kids of ferrari owning fathers and ferragamo clutching mothers in jimmy choos all go to international schools or residential schools in uk. Sadly a lot of umno supporters rather obliviously received their education under rambutan trees, metaphorically speaking.
#5 by k1980 on Wednesday, 5 October 2011 - 9:21 am
//Allow the re-introduction of English medium schools//
Hussaini Abdul Karim, if English medium schools are re-introduced, in 10 years’ time there will exist 2 groups of job-seekers:- the first group well-versed in English and the 2nd group who can’t answer when asked “What is your name? Where do you live? ect.
The 2nd group will then become suicide bombers to overthrow the govt because they can’t get any jobs due to their lack of proficiency in English.
#6 by bush on Thursday, 6 October 2011 - 2:37 pm
Well, the intention is clear to make all Malaysia stupid except those Umno/minister kids who learn English in oversea.
For Bumiputra, is good to let them learn on BM only and they are not competitive to work in private sector thus need Govt help/support them to get a job. This group of people will relay on Govt handouts and the G able to control them and win in election.
For non-bumi, this will make them less competitive if they are good in BM only. Most Chinese not able to get help from the G and at the end will not be able succeed in their career advancement. Beside this, it useless to learn BM if you are not in Govt sector.
This is why a lot of Chinese prefer to send their children to English medium school even needed to pay RM 1500 per month.
This Umno Govt tries to stop the talented people from progressing except their own kids.
I wonder why those billionaire Chinese men did not set up partly subsidies private English medium school for the non bumi to enhance their English language?
Non -bumi will remain stupid if follow the UMNOputra.
#7 by bush on Thursday, 6 October 2011 - 3:23 pm
Statement from AK 47 blog:
UMNO can stay in power by :
(1) keeping Malays continuously stupid
(2) allowing them to live a life of self-deceit and self-censoring and
(3) accept the big lie that any questioning and challenges to the opaque economic agendas by UMNO are a direct assault and threat to the Malay race. Why don’t we for once shake off that yoke of mental servitude and see whether without UMNO, Malays can survive or not.