FROM THE STAR - November 11, 2007.
Mukhriz wants teaching methods changed
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English should be continued but the teaching methods need to be changed to make sure weak students are not left out.
He said a different approach was needed for students in rural areas, who are relatively weaker in English than urban students.
“We need specific remedies to address isolated problems,” he added, clarifying that he disagreed with the proposal by Umno Youth deputy head Khairy Jamaluddin to defer by two years the switch to English the Science and Mathematics examinations.
Mukhriz said Khairy’s proposal, made at the just concluded Umno general assembly, should be viewed as a call for a change in methodology rather than a call for policy change.
What isolated cases? The overall performance of the Malay student in Maths and Science is deteriorating! Should we just wait and see? For how many more years?
Look, stop making these school kids testing pigs! We got a serious problem here Mukhriz!! Proud and self esteem should be put aside...
Your Dad has done a lot! and we thank him for that. There are some good thing as well as bad thing about Tun M. KLIA, KLCC and other Mega projects that some of us thought was a waste... but now some of us realise that we actually need it. So we realise that now.
BUT, changing the language for teaching science and maths... thats not in.
2 comments:
Waitaminute....correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm led to believe that you're against Science & math in English?
If you are, let me highlight a fact of our current life. English is the lingua franca of the world. They have been expanding the language since the first voyage out of Europe, and the first English occupation of the other country.
I've had trouble re-learning science and math before, since we're using different terminologies during the school years. Textbooks, reference and thesis are written in English (except local ones), thus making a dictionary a must, even just to know what is Potassium (Kalium in Malay).
I don't deny that studying science and math in English may just be as bad, since they may not even be learning anything. This issue, lies on the back of the science and math teachers.
If the teachers themselves can't string a proper sentence, how can they actually teach?
Maybe our students are being treated as guinea pigs ("testing pigs"?), but that fact does remains, science and math in English is the way to go forward.
2 issues in the implementation here, 1, is the aforementioned incapability of the teachers, and 2, the easily sway-able nature of our leaders. some times, things need time to change, yet, we quickly change our minds in the very first mention of defeat.
train the teachers 1st. train them in their 5 years in their Pendidikan course. only then, do let them teach in English. what say you?oh, let's not forget the lecturers for the Pendidikan courses too!
p/s: if I mis understood your stand in this matter, well, comment moderation is in your power, isn't it?:)
Yup, your understanding is correct. I am against teaching of maths and science in English!
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