Teaching of Science and Maths in English/ 英文教数理的争议

There has been endless polemic since the government introduced the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English.

In 2002, I remembered clearly how MCA was deeply involved in objecting to this policy change. The party stand was firm.

MCA feels that with Maths and Science in English, then Mandarin, as the medium of instruction in Chinese primary schools will be severely curtailed since it would be used only for Moral studies and Bahasa Mandarin only.

We felt there are better ways to learn English rather than through 2 rather technical subjects.

There is also the argument that children learn faster and are more competent in learning by using their own mother tongue.

The government strikes a compromise by allowing students the alternative of using English or the mother tongue in learning Maths and Science.

It was obviously a political decision. Now that Tun Dr. Mahathir is not around to push this policy, we are hearing more and more dissenting voices.

Some from the “Gerakan Mansuh PPSMI” again said that the move of teaching Maths and Science is English has challenged the status of Bahasa Melayu as the national language as stated in the constitution.

It is surprising they are singing this tune strongly only 6 years after implementation of the policy. Some speculated that some Pakatan politicians have a hand in it including the demonstration on Saturday, 7^th March 2009. Some even suggested that if Dr. Mahathir was still the Prime Minister, then they would have not dare to take the matter to the street.

Some well-known Malay literary figures were involved in the demonstration. They fear the decline of the status and standard of BM in the Malay community with the continuous implementation of PPSMI.

It must be a surprise to a lot of us, that some of the most outstanding Malay literatures were written during the 50, 60 and 70s, when English was the Lingua Franca in the country then.

Since the compulsory implementation of BM as the medium of instruction after May 13^th, there is hardly any outstanding modern Malay Literature.

After BM becomes the Lingua Franca from the 80s, there is a lack of efficiency and command of English to an extend where graduates are unable to string a proper sentence in English – what we call Rojak English.

The education system is highly politicized by both the political divide. We talk of scoring points and winning the emotional support of the rakyat. We forget we are talking about education of our children.

While we continue to argue, the standard of education in this country continues to decline. Any senior HR manager and civil servant will share with you the story about the low standard of communication skills and general knowledge that they have encountered with our graduates.

As a Malaysian, we have to equip ourselves minimal with skills in BM, Mandarin and English.

I pick up my Mandarin and BM after I become a Wakil Rakyat in 1986. I am still on the learning curve. Anyway, we never stop learning if we have an inquisitive mind.

English and Mandarin will become equally important, especially with IT revolution and China becoming a global economic power. Mandarin becomes the most popular and fastest growing foreign language in a lot of developed and developing countries.

A lot of business studies undergraduate from European and American universities have exposure of at least 1 semester in China to understand Chinese culture, Chinese language and the dos and don’ts when dealing with China. This has definitely boosts the importance of Mandarin.

When I was visiting the Suzhou Education Centre, I met quite a number of foreign students and lecturers, mostly business studies undergraduate and MBA students, studying in Suzhou for the “Mandarin and Chinese experience”.

Universities from Malaysia should be looking into this. We should depoliticize the learning of English and Mandarin in this country.

The bigger picture is about education for the rakyat. Language, in order to survive the test of time must have commercial value.

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英文教数理推行以来，各造掀起无休止的争论。我还清楚记得，马华在2002年曾大力反对这项政策。

马华对英文教数理的立场坚定。马华认为，在华小以英文教数理，那作为教学媒介的华语将严重被限制，而只能用于道德教育及华文科的教学。

其实，除了数理教学，我们认为还有更好的方法学习英文。有一种说法指使用母语学习，会加速小孩的学习程度及掌握能力。

政府当初妥协让学生选择以英文获母语学习数理科，这显然是一项政治决定。如今敦马哈迪医生不在位驱策，我们听到越来越多异议。

一些来自废除英文教数理联盟的代表，再次批评此政策如同挑战马来文作为宪法保障的国语地位。

其实，令人惊讶和不解的是，他们在英教数理推行6年以后才激烈反对。有人猜测这些举动包括3月7日的示威和一些民联政治人物有关。更有人认为，如果敦马还是首相，他们绝不斗胆上街示威。

一些显赫的马来文学家也参与了上周六的示威运动。他们主要担心持续推行英教数理会使马来文的水准和地位日渐式微。

事实上出人意料的是，部分杰出的马来文学著作，都是撰写于英文通行和广泛应用的五十、六十和七十年代。513后，我国强制推行马来文为教学语言，自此卓越的马来文学作品便乏善可陈。

在八十年代，马来文成为国内主要媒介语后，英文的水平大幅度滑落，一些大学生甚至无法串起正确的英文字句，只能口操参杂式的英语。

教育制度已遭朝野两派的政客高度政治化。在处理教育课题时，我们似乎只为居功及赢取人民的情绪票，而忘了孩子的教育。

到了今天，我们还继续地争论，我国的教育水平也同时不断地衰退。今天，任何一位人资部经理和公务员都能告诉你，他们都面对大学生沟通技巧和普通常识贫乏的问题。

身为马来西亚人民，我们有必要掌握基本的中、英、巫三语。我个人是在1986年当选州议员后，积极学习中文和马来文，今天我仍然在学习。我认为，只要还抱持好问的态度，我们将不会停止学习。

中、英文将同样重要，尤其在资讯工艺改革时代及中国环球经济势力崛起后。不仅如此，在许多进步和发展中国家，中文已成为最流行和成长最快的外语。

如今，欧美大学有许多商学本科生都会前往中国，利用至少一年的时间去了解和学习中华文化、汉语及与中国经商、来往的规则。这无疑加强了中文的重要地位。

早前我到苏州一家教育中心访察，见到不少来自外国的讲师、商学本科生及工商硕士研究生，远道而来学习中文和体验中国生活。

马来西亚的大学应该向他们看齐，不要把中、英文学习政治化。相反的，必须要以人民的教育为大前提。一种语文能否经历时间的考验，在于它是否存有商业的价值，以续沿用。