The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) applauds the Prime Minister of Malaysia for an excellent presentation of the New Economic Model (NEM). Of particular interest, as far as the education system is concerned, is the courage shown by the Prime Minister to acknowledge and address critical shortcomings of the education system, and his strong desire that much needs to be done through perseverance and commitment to ‘weather the storm’.
For a shift in approach from rote learning to creative and critical thinking, the most immediate step to take would be to lessen the number of examinations within the year in schools. Presently, examinations are so frequent that little teaching can be done and subjects are skimmed through in order that the syllabus is ‘covered’.
Questions posed to students on a daily basis and during assessments, should be re-designed to be more open-ended, encouraging the student to think in a rational way, to solve problems given in a logical manner and to provide an environment where the opinion of the student is never wrong, further empowering the student to be challenged and to be confident with himself and among his friends.
Closer to our hearts, whilst we all agree that English language proficiency needs to be enhanced, for incomes to move upwards, the people need the ‘right’ knowledge in the ‘correct’ language of their chosen fields of expertise, namely, ICT, science and commerce, which will surely be the prime mover of the economy.
To overcome this weakness, the introduction of MBMMBI, which we believe has flaws by lowering exposure to the English language from 41% to a mere 21% of subject hours, only addresses language and not ‘critical’ knowledge nor ‘specialised’ language.
The change of medium of instruction from English to the mother tongue, namely Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin and Tamil, to be made effective 2011, in the teaching and learning of science and math, will further erode not just the English language, but also stifle knowledge to be gained in these very specialized areas of ICT, science and commerce, where English is, without any doubt, the lingua franca.
Having said that, unless and until the government stops subordinating the education system to political agendas, the NEM will just remain another ‘figment of its imagination’.
Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim
Chairperson PAGE
FOR OUR CHILDREN
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
A Matter of Fact - Revealed
Home » letters
Let the parents decide
NST 2010/03/29
I REFER to the government's contention that all parties were consulted and enough time was given before the decision to abolish the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) was made.
When the debate on PPSMI began in November 2007, the self-appointed National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) was the main adviser to the Ministry of Education, representing the national schools. The national PTA, which does not represent any parent groups, PTA or any school, chose to favour the abolition of PPSMI.
The exco of the National Union of the Teaching Profession, which did not consult its members, comprising 40 per cent of teachers, also chose to favour the scrapping of PPSMI. Hence, the affected Science and Mathematics teachers were never consulted.
The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) had suggested to the ministry then to seek a stand from the PTAs of each and every school. This did not materialise. This would have settled the matter at hand.
Only a handful of PTAs were invited to speak on behalf of their schools at the roundtables convened by the Ministry of Education.
The educationists, scientists, bankers, the private sector and PTAs that were in attendance were unanimously in favour of the PPSMI policy being maintained.
A roundtable discussion in October 2008 of Barisan Nasional political representatives from Sabah and Sarawak, except for the Chinese parties, were in favour of PPSMI being maintained. Even Umno Youth and Puteri Umno were in favour of PPSMI being maintained.
The desire for PPSMI to be maintained was intensely evident from the findings of the roundtables.
Soon enough, after failing in a civilised forum, the ultra-nationalists, linguists, political opportunists and so-called patriots and saviours of the nation took to the streets, severely damaging the image of the country internationally and holding the government to ransom.
The new education minister made the effort to meet Chinese associations together with Malay ultras, yet parents, the true and real stakeholders at national schools, were ignored.
Findings at the roundtables were blatantly ignored and a political decision to abolish PPSMI was made at the expense of the future of the children of Malaysia.
Subsequent to that decision, all surveys and polls conducted by private entities, as well as government agencies, showed that the majority of the people were not happy with the abolition of PPSMI.
We appeal to the minister of education to uphold the spirit of the prime minister's vision of 1Malaysia -- People First -- by giving back the decision-making to the parents. Only parents, who are without hidden political agendas, can decide and know what is best for the future of their children. Allow a win-win situation where PTAs can decide to choose or reject the PPSMI.
DATIN NOOR AZIMAH ABDUL RAHIM
Chairperson
Parent Action Group for Education (Page)
FOR OUR CHILDREN
Let the parents decide
NST 2010/03/29
I REFER to the government's contention that all parties were consulted and enough time was given before the decision to abolish the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) was made.
When the debate on PPSMI began in November 2007, the self-appointed National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) was the main adviser to the Ministry of Education, representing the national schools. The national PTA, which does not represent any parent groups, PTA or any school, chose to favour the abolition of PPSMI.
The exco of the National Union of the Teaching Profession, which did not consult its members, comprising 40 per cent of teachers, also chose to favour the scrapping of PPSMI. Hence, the affected Science and Mathematics teachers were never consulted.
The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) had suggested to the ministry then to seek a stand from the PTAs of each and every school. This did not materialise. This would have settled the matter at hand.
Only a handful of PTAs were invited to speak on behalf of their schools at the roundtables convened by the Ministry of Education.
The educationists, scientists, bankers, the private sector and PTAs that were in attendance were unanimously in favour of the PPSMI policy being maintained.
A roundtable discussion in October 2008 of Barisan Nasional political representatives from Sabah and Sarawak, except for the Chinese parties, were in favour of PPSMI being maintained. Even Umno Youth and Puteri Umno were in favour of PPSMI being maintained.
The desire for PPSMI to be maintained was intensely evident from the findings of the roundtables.
Soon enough, after failing in a civilised forum, the ultra-nationalists, linguists, political opportunists and so-called patriots and saviours of the nation took to the streets, severely damaging the image of the country internationally and holding the government to ransom.
The new education minister made the effort to meet Chinese associations together with Malay ultras, yet parents, the true and real stakeholders at national schools, were ignored.
Findings at the roundtables were blatantly ignored and a political decision to abolish PPSMI was made at the expense of the future of the children of Malaysia.
Subsequent to that decision, all surveys and polls conducted by private entities, as well as government agencies, showed that the majority of the people were not happy with the abolition of PPSMI.
We appeal to the minister of education to uphold the spirit of the prime minister's vision of 1Malaysia -- People First -- by giving back the decision-making to the parents. Only parents, who are without hidden political agendas, can decide and know what is best for the future of their children. Allow a win-win situation where PTAs can decide to choose or reject the PPSMI.
DATIN NOOR AZIMAH ABDUL RAHIM
Chairperson
Parent Action Group for Education (Page)
FOR OUR CHILDREN
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Parents wait for Education Minister’s decision to appreciate 1Malaysia, People First
We applaud the Deputy Minister of Education 1 for allowing parent-teacher associations (PTA) to discuss matters concerning the ministry’s policies.
It was never the intention of parents to oppose the decision to abolish the teaching and learning of science and math in English (PPSMI) as we believe that some schools may not have benefited from the policy as much as most schools have.
However, many students, teachers and schools have gained tremendously from PPSMI, the result of the strong determination and commitment of the respective science, math as well as English teachers along with the uncompromising and unfailing support of their school principals, who sincerely and truly believed that PPSMI is a good education policy.
Let us not deny this.
Parents are merely seeking the option of retaining the use of the English language in these two subjects where English is inarguably the lingua franca of science, commerce and ICT.
We sincerely thank our Prime Minister for respecting the spirit of the Education Act 1996 which calls for children to be educated according to the wishes of their parents.
We hope our Minister of Education is able to emulate our honourable Prime Minister in respecting and honouring the wishes of parents by giving our national schools the option to choose the new policy MBMMBI (Memartabatkan Bahasa Melayu, Memperkukuhkan Bahasa Inggeris) or maintain the present policy of PPSMI.
PAGE appeals to our Minister of Education to give national schools that option and let parents make known their wishes at the AGM of their PTAs. Then we, the “rakyat”, will truly appreciate our Prime Minister’s call for 1Malaysia, People First.
It was never the intention of parents to oppose the decision to abolish the teaching and learning of science and math in English (PPSMI) as we believe that some schools may not have benefited from the policy as much as most schools have.
However, many students, teachers and schools have gained tremendously from PPSMI, the result of the strong determination and commitment of the respective science, math as well as English teachers along with the uncompromising and unfailing support of their school principals, who sincerely and truly believed that PPSMI is a good education policy.
Let us not deny this.
Parents are merely seeking the option of retaining the use of the English language in these two subjects where English is inarguably the lingua franca of science, commerce and ICT.
We sincerely thank our Prime Minister for respecting the spirit of the Education Act 1996 which calls for children to be educated according to the wishes of their parents.
We hope our Minister of Education is able to emulate our honourable Prime Minister in respecting and honouring the wishes of parents by giving our national schools the option to choose the new policy MBMMBI (Memartabatkan Bahasa Melayu, Memperkukuhkan Bahasa Inggeris) or maintain the present policy of PPSMI.
PAGE appeals to our Minister of Education to give national schools that option and let parents make known their wishes at the AGM of their PTAs. Then we, the “rakyat”, will truly appreciate our Prime Minister’s call for 1Malaysia, People First.
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