Malaysia Education System

Today's bla : As I saw Angelina's blog on the M'sian Education System regarding the reverse of subjects taught in English into BM, I am tempted to voice my own opinions.

Brace yourself for a journey of words.

Try to imagine if you are a teacher teaching Maths and Science in BM. You were taught to teach them in using BM to your students even if you make lame Maths' joke. However, after a few years, you get a massive shock when the Government decides to implement English in teaching Maths and Science. Since you are good in English, you should have no problem, besides, you have teacher's guidebooks and textbooks to help you. Fair enough. After 5 years, dang again, you recieved another shock when the Government want to reverse the effect and changing the courses of teaching Maths and Science in BM again. Although it's implemented for year 2012, you have to start to change your way of teaching if you don't want to lose your job. Dilemma much.

At first our former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir decided to implement the system of teaching Maths and Science in English because the language is an international language and as a developing country, Malaysia is growing towards modernisation and the Government then decided if our younger generation were taught in English, we would be a country of excellence. This is a huge step as Malaysia has never implement such a big matter because they were talking about 6.8 million of students both primary and secondary students.

Then I don't know what the heck happened back in the Education cabinet and the fellow ministers behind Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that they reversed it and decided that teachers need to teach Maths and Science in BM again.

First of all, in my opinion they shouldn't even change it to English in the first place. Look at Japan, Korea, China, France etc, they have a similar great reputation in having a good education system and strong research and development. The surprise came when they don't even use English to teach Maths and Science ; not even planning to use English to teach for the next few centuries or so. Instead, they use their mother tongue. Japanese, Korean, Chinese-Mandarin, etc. They are proud of their national language and definitely not ashamed of it. Then why can't Malaysia use BM and excel in it and let the fellow citizens strive in it? Why does Malaysia has to swtich it to English and thought it might do good to Malaysia? Yes, learning English is important but it's not like we are forsaking English totally. We still learn English as the 2nd most important language. What I am trying to say is that we should follow those powered countries and strive of what we have. Let's take a closer look at Japan.

Japan has a long history of good education and research development. All their students, teachers, lecturers converse and teaches in Japanese and I don't see them being ignored and denied from the U.S and China. They are high in their class and did not consent to the world's thinking that English is the most important. They are proud of their beady eyes and intelligent technologies. We as Malaysians should follow their footsteps too in striving of what we have best, BM. But sadly, Malaysia's education system is not disciplined and commited enough at all and hence the implementation of English because we can ''go to the world and speak the world's language''. That sounds fair then.

Since we are taught in English, we should stay that way and even enforcing English as a subject not to be failed or taken lightly. We should increase the standard and produce more capable teachers who have a greater command in English ergo the purpose of it's implementation. But then, why Muhyiddin Yassin suddenly want to change it back to BM leh?!

Now Malaysia's education system faces another challenge : Creating new and concised syallabus for Maths and Science in BM. That's tough. But the teachers le? How? Go BM tuition meh?

I should not be a tad pissed like Angelina. (snicker) Making it short and precise, I just want to say that in whatever Malaysia implements on teaching Maths and Science, be it English, BM or even Mandarin, we won't go far. Why? Because our education system is screwed up already. The marking scheme, the double standards, the bureucracy, the red-tape and the politics in education. Paying $10,000 to get 10As + etc.. You knew that don't you? So it doesn't matter which language Malaysia uses to teach Maths and Science. Instead, Malaysia has to first re-invent and renew all policies and systems in the education stream. If done nicely, we could be at the top of the world even if we teach Maths and Science in Tamil.

You know you love me, JOsh