— by Hussaini Abdul Karim
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 04, 2011
OCT 4 — Our New Education Policy, introduced in the early 70s and revised two or three times over the last few years, allows for national-type Chinese and Tamil schools where the mediums of instruction are Chinese and Tamil, respectively, up to secondary school level besides the national primary and secondary schools where the medium of instruction is Bahasa Malaysia.
All students are required to sit for the SPM examination in Form Five and Bahasa Malaysia is offered in all schools at all levels and it is a must-pass subject in order for students to qualify for the UPSR, PMR and the SPM. Looking at it, our New Education Policy is almost perfect. What is lacking, to make it perfect, is that the government does not allow national-type English schools to be set up. Otherwise, our New Education Policy and the whole school system would be the envy of almost every country in the world including some developed countries.
It is difficult to fathom why Chinese and Tamil are allowed as mediums of instruction in national-type vernacular schools, but the government does not allow the re-introduction of English-medium schools. Even the popular PPSMI syllabus where English was used to teach mathematics and science subjects will be abolished and come next year, all students in national primary and secondary schools will start with the all-new MBMMBI syllabus where the medium of instruction is Bahasa Malaysia.
Many concerned citizens, professionals, semi-professionals, the people in-between, and laymen, men and women, boys and girls, from all walks of life, the young, the not-so-young, the not-so-old and the old folks, including me and some foreigners, have written arguing in favour of English medium schools to be re-introduced but the government is adamant and has refused to allow the re-introduction English medium schools.
It is also difficult to fathom why the government disregards the demands of the majority to have English medium schools re-introduced where there are many advantages including helping to expedite the country’s general and economic transformation programmes.
Please allow the re-introduction of English medium schools for the sake of the people and the country’s future.