Chinese option to continue

PETALING JAYA: Chinese primary schools will continue to teach Mathematics and Science in Chinese.
This is despite them being given an option under the Education Ministry’s new approach to maintain the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) policy for students who have started learning the subjects in the language.
United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) deputy chairman Chow Siew Hon said Chinese schools would not give up on their mother tongue education.
“Chinese schools are not greatly affected by the new approach because we have always taught and will continue to teach the two subjects in Chinese,” he said.
He said even when PPSMI was first implemented in 2003, Chinese schools continued to offer the two subjects in Chinese.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said schools would have the option to teach Science and Mathematics fully in English, Bahasa Malaysia or bilingually.
A Tamil school headmaster in the Klang Valley said his school would consider offering the two subjects in English because his pupils had benefited from PPSMI.
“Before PPSMI was introduced in schools, my pupils hardly conversed in English. Now, they are a lot more confident using the language,” he said.
Pahang Tamil School Headmasters Council chairman R.P. Velayutham said he would consult the stakeholders for the school’s direction on the medium of instruction.
“I plan to listen to the needs of parents and students before making any decision,” he said.
“I also want to seek expertise on how to improve English and Tamil proficiency, and ways to boost the grades for Mathematics and Science,” he added.
SRK (T) Telok Panglima Garang PTA chairman S. Muthamil Selvan also welcomed the announcement, saying that he was relieved with the Government’s latest directive.
“We believe the teaching of Science and Mathematics should be done in English as it is a way forward, especially for students in rural areas. It gives them a competitive edge,” he added.
He said being able to communicate well in English was a tool for Tamil school students from underprivileged background to move forward in life.
The PPSMI policy was initiated by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and implemented in phases, beginning with Year One, Form One and Lower Six students in 2003.
It was then announced in 2009 that the Government would reverse the policy and revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools, and Chinese and Tamil in vernacular schools, while more emphasis would be placed on English.