The End Of PPSMI? - Part V... Alternatives, Salvation And Hope?

I intend for this to be the final chapter of this series... or at least until the tabling of the amendment to the PPSMI on Wednesday.

We begin by sharing what I discussed with my wife last week on PPSMI. She shared the following with me, which I was compelled to agree:

1. The introduction of English in teaching Maths and Science would be disruptive AT ANY LEVEL. If we are dead keen on doing so, for whatever reasons, we must choose the stage which will cause minimum impact. Her point of example were some of our colleagues from the JPA British Top University program who were struggling with the transition when doing A-Levels in the UK... and these were among the top students of the year!


2. Due to the above, she believes that to minimise the pain, if we choose to go with PPSMI, we should go all the way, and not even consider my alternative of having PPSMI begin at Secondary school only. The problem is that the transition, though perhaps less painful, would still be disruptive at the point of moving from Standard 6 to Form 1. By the same token, if the decision is to remove it, PPSMI should be dismantled entirely.


3. The wife's biggest grouse over PPSMI, specifically for our children who are ~bi-lingual from home, was that the infrastruture, including the teaching staff, appears unable to cope with it as it stands. We have found repeatedly a conflict in priority on whether the English or the Maths and Science is important when teachers grade exam papers. And the teaching is clearly hampered, one of my kids find the Maths being taught incomprehensible!

This leads me to amend my views as the above opened my eyes to the disruptive nature of such a transition in teaching and learning. For whilst I still view the retaining of PPSMI at Secondary level for whatever reasons a choice, I now see it as a poorer one and smacking of a need to compromise between the different sides of the PPSMI divide. In fact, I am happy to showcase 2 analogies to illustrate the level of disruption from abolishing PPSMI at Primary School only:

1. Vernacular Primary School students have to go through transition classes or "Kelas Peralihan" in order to cope with the move to a Malay teaching medium. Significant time is given for this transition as it is disruptive to the learning process. This implies that having Maths and Science taught in Malay at Primary and retaining PPSMI at Secondary level would also require transition classes across the entire Malaysian student body in public schools!


2. Those agree with the Parent Action Group for Education, a pro-PPSMI lobby, that learning Maths and Science in Malay is crippling students due to lack of a robust nomenclature, can imagine how parents who practice English as their first language appreciate this 'disruption' argument as it is probably what they fear for their kids. I.e., imagine the horror of a child who does not understand when the teacher says 'Berdiri!' at the first day at school!

But then, how can we salvage the PPSMI or enhance the uptake of English in the rural areas? Ironically, if we take the all or nothing approach on PPSMI, i.e. that it should applied from Primary School or not at all, the solution to both questions would be the same, especially as it is precisely the concern over the impact of PPSMI on the learning of Maths and Science in the rural and urban poor areas that has many intellectuals and educationist opposing PPSMI.

You simply have to start teaching English earlier! Many urban families have the advantage of sending their kids to day-care or kindergartens that do expose kids to English, at least conversational English, early. In the rural areas, what should be done is the Kemas or Kebajikan Masyarakat kindergartens and the like need to be upgraded from being a day-care with teaching only basics to kids in their own mother-tongues, typically Malay, to also introducing conversational English.

Interestingly, such a revamp of the 'Tadika Kemas' would also rejuvenate the program which has been in a bit of a rut in recent years. I even dare argue that in the midst of the current economic downturn, the economic activity related to this effort would have a positive multiplier effect, not just from the need to re-train Kemas officers and teachers to enable to impart conversational English, which is not too hard, but also from having our rural kids catch up on their English!

In writing the above, I realise that perhaps I am only addressing the concerns of the Malay Maths and Science inclined educationists and intellectuals, but analogous solutions exist for the other communities as well. Why not introduce English at temple? Why not have the Chinese kindergartens go bi- or tri-lingual?

In the end, what I also wish to impart here is that, wherever you sit on the PPSMI debate and whatever the decision by the government, there are always options... and there should always be hope...

The End Of PPSMI? Part IV... Ramblings On Race And Leaders

This series is getting rather rich and burgeoning as one is able to see the various interplaying forces that make the formation of a national education policy a socio-political nightmare. I have great sympathy for the views of Professor Khoo Kay Kim such as here, himself variously renounced for being both idealist and traitor to his race for his integrationist ideas.

This is not the only forum where I share my views of PPSMI, which has broadened to an expression of a need for a single school system. At the same time, my blog has not been a one topic forum either. Nevertheless, it is astounding how socio-politics affects the debate and 'conclusion' of issues in Malaysia, as opposed to economics or faith, and rather pathetic how socio is defined by racial interest whilst politics defined by who's taking which side on an issue.

Professor Khoo is not the first to lament over how across our entire history, our various communities have resisted integration. It is easy for political parties to point fingers at each other. Indeed, one of Pakatan Pembangkang's successes in the run-up of PRU-12 was to brand BN as being too UMNO dominated, whilst at the same time accusing it of encouraging 'race-based' politics. Ironic then when Pakatan governments also drive policies along ethnic lines...

The truth is, political parties do what they do to curry favour from the electorate. If there is a race-based slant to our country's politics then, it could hardly be the fault of our political leaders alone. It is our communities, and its leaders, who must answer the accusations over why this nation is not as integrated as it should be. It is the penghulus, Chinese educationists, Indian temple guardians, these are the people who also have to answer for our continued polarisation.

So when we talk about the racial aspects of a policy, is it really the politicians pushing their agenda, or are they proxies for the leaders of our communities?

Malay elders tend to be visible, even as they take a back seat with little driving beyond 'teguran', with Tun Dr M likely being an exception on the amount of influence wielded. But for the other communities, the Chinese especially, can we get some clear accountability on who's leading? At least with the Indians we are now seeing greater visibility of their 'social' leaders through Hindraf (with all its failings) as well as other more open and liberal Indian led NGOs.

What we really need is honesty, the kind of honesty that Hindraf may have started trying to express , even if we are to accept race as the driving socio element in much of our policy-making.

So, when is a Chinese elder going to admit that the reason why their educationists are against PPSMI is because teaching Maths in Mandarin helps in the teaching of the 'mother-tongue', unlike say... English! And when is an Indian elder going going to pull a small group of other elders aside and admit,"Sorry la, we Indians, especially Hindus, are naturally passionate. One of our 2 main religious texts is an epic love story mah! What can you expect?"

We should then also not be in denial by declaring it wrong to decide based on race! Is it wrong? Remember, the Malaysian model is meant to be an integration model, not an assimilation model. Hence, differences are not just meant to be respected, but celebrated. Hence the issue of race taking primacy on socio-related choices no longer becomes a question of bias, but of fairness; i.e. in accepting we do champion our races' interests, what line shouldn't be crossed?

On race though, it may seem to many that PPSMI is one issue that is actually uniting. Many point to parents from all races uniting in support of PPSMI, but similarly opposition to PPSMI also comes from groups of all races, though typically polarised between the pro-BM and pro-vernacular crowds, myself being one of many exceptions. However, this hides a fact that we have a quasi-'race' in Malaysia supporting PPSMI, Malaysians that have English as their mother tongue!

As they say in Malay,"Bahasa JIWA Bangsa".

Finally, much of the confusion over race is also fueled by personality driven politics that still prevail in Malaysia. Sure, we'd like to say that we support abolishing tolls, but is this really because we have thought about it, or because that is what DAP and Lim Kit Siang has been saying, without sound economic basis by the way, for 3 decades? It is populist, espoused by a populist leader, but it is not mature to support a stand due to who backs it.

Returning to PPSMI, there are many who support it as it is Tun Dr M's idea. Besides that, other leaders have now invested themselves in its success, such as the former Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein. His supporters naturally see an attack on PPSMI as an attack on DS Hisham's record. It would not be wrong also to say a successful revamp of PPSMI would bring pride to TS Muhyiddin's supporters... unless DS Anwar's camp spins it his way of course!

Hence the madness of socio-politics in Malaysia, that is the personality cult behind what is real-politik in our country, threatens the resolution of an issue that is of great importance to our children and successive generations. But PPSMI is not alone in this... Malaysians should focussing on ISSUES, not personalities. The problem is, focussing on issues take EFFORT. Are we mature enough to take the effort? If not, we will continue to be at the mercy of our leaders...

There are too many issues in Malaysia that are being decided by the illogical bi-polar socio-political effects of racial interests and politicals of personalities. My hope is that with PPSMI, the Single School System debate and the need for a total review and reform of our education system will SNAP US OUT OF IT! We need to focus on ISSUES. Then only can we the people truly say we deserve the future we all wish for our children.

NB: One would think we would be more mature having been independent for 50 years. No? Maybe we should be more matured as the literacy and other metrics of education have been ever-improving over the years. No? Egads man, the Malay, Chinese, Indian communities in Malaysia can trace back the origins of over some 2 Millenia, even more! Still we are immature?! Indeed... we are human... not an excuse though!!!

The End Of PPSMI? - Part III

My learned friend Jebat Must Die (JMD) presented yet another impressive treatise, and again puts me to shame. Instead of focussing on individual policies such as teaching Maths and Science in English (PPSMI) or Satu Sekolah untuk Semua (SSS), he has chosen to attack the lack of a comprehensive education revamp whilst mounting an attack on the vested interests and outright profiteering that may the root cause of the mayhem in our education system!

I have chosen to build on my comments at his blog here as part of my body of writing on PPSMI as I believe it is important to put my views on it also in the context of my support for SSS.

The politics of education in any country is passionate, and rightly so, but the policies and implementation are too readily buffeted by other considerations, like politics. Unfortunately, in my view, even high minded goals like achieving or strengthening National Unity is also an irrelevance, or is at best, a secondary consideration, when deciding on our education policy.

The education policy should be focussed on education, the right education for the needs of our children, in order to attain a livelihood and be able to afford to be good citizens of the future, whatever that may mean in the decades hence from the time they begin kindergarten. (And they should all be given a chance to experience kindergarten.) Statistics such as those indicating education being the best long term enabler of social justice help justify such a course of action.

My support for SSS is hence not with National Unity or primacy of Bahasa Malaysia as a national language as a key reason, but simply because SSS if implemented properly would deliver the most efficient allocation of resources to achieve optimum delivery of education to the masses in the history of our young nation!

Just on beauracracy alone, SSS must represent a savings, and when you add to that removal of the need for compensatory mechanisms in the system like ‘kelas peralihan’ all the way to killing the debate and political cost on vernacular schools, it is a step in the right direction!

Perhaps then, it is the sheer efficiency of SSS that the more intelligent of the profiteers of our education policy fears… wallahualam...

In any case, perhaps aiming for compulsory passes in SPM English to lead to the abolishing or amendment of the PPSMI policy, together with strengthening the English syllabus and returning compulsory credit for Bahasa Malaysia at SPM are too shallow as aspirations. Perhaps as JMD has indicated, it is time for not just the Minister of Education, but all of us, to 'Carpe Diem', seize the day, and drive for a total revamp of our education policy once and for all!

Be damned the profiteers... SSS is turning out to be a truly worthy cause to champion!

The End Of PPSMI? - Part II

I participated in a debate on this issue that cropped up following an impassioned posting at one of my favourite blogs. There were valid points on both sides, though I was stunned at how emotional the point of view was coming through from the pro-PPSMI commenters. Here were my comments (preceded by general thrust of comment I was responding to. You can look at the entire to-and-fro-ing, which is not too long, here.

My 1st Comment entry was in response to comments that cited the need to prepare children for technical nomenclature as early as possible and how we will fall behind to our neighbours:

I've been against PPSMI since its inception for reasons similar to (the commenter) SS, but focussing on the negative impact on rural Malays students (SS was focussing on non-Malay students!). I hence celebrated the consideration of compulsory pass requirement for English at SPM level to be a positive way for the government to wind back the flawed PPSMI here.

There is nothing wrong with having English as the medium for Science and Maths at SECONDARY level, when nomenclature becomes important. This is no different from the use of Greek, Latin or Arabic as medium for higher learning in the past.

It will spell the demise of Malay as a language of knowledge of the Sciences though, at least the Malaysian branch of the Malay language (the Indonesians translate significant volumes into Indonesian Malay). Some may not be comfortable with this 'loss' to the Malay language. But the overidding argument for me is the effectiveness from practical application mother-tongues for Primary level education of Maths and Science.

My 2nd Comment came in response to an apparent lack of comprehension as to why the anti-PPSMI people were anti in the debate. We were mainly not at all worried about our loss of cultural heritage from the use of English. We had more practical concerns:

random et al. I think you miss the point that SS, myself and other opposers of the practicalities of introducing PPSMI at Primary level are making. I for one do not oppose PPSMI because I wish to protect my cultural heritage - our Malay cultural heritage is not so shallow.

Indeed I am opposed to the quasi-nationalist line Pakatan Pembangkang and some NGOs are taking when opposing PPSMI and am disgusted with PAS trying to out-nationalist UMNO on this issue as it clouds our more legitimate argument.

The priority in teaching Maths and Science, especially at basic level, has to be focussed on what is Maths and Science! Without a proper grounding of the basics of these subjects at the Primary level, it won't matter what language is used at the Secondary, tertiary or working level, our kids won't even qualify on merit!

(In response to the issue of candidates being rejected at job interviews due to poor command of English)

You have to have the engineering, finance, etc degree even to get to the interview, remember? And much as we dislike it, at Standard 1, for many Malaysians still, the comfort level for absorbing knowledge lies with their mother-tongue or language at home... which for the vast majority is still NOT English!

I've studied and worked in Europe for some 10 years, and in many countries, English is introduced as late as the 3rd or 5th grade! And the populace of said countries are sufficiently bi-lingual, and develop tech-heavy leading products with brands like Nokia, Phillips, Novartis and the like...

I hope that the point is made. Our opposition to PPSMI is not to 'protect cultural heritage', but because the PPSMI at the moment is IMPRACTICAL. And I would bet if we asked the Education ministry to be more transparent with the stats, this would be proven!

As an afterthought, I then realised why some pro-PPSMI commenters may be so passionate. Maybe, for many Malaysians, English has become a mother-tongue! Maybe so many are now using English at home, especially those who use it at work and started the policy of teaching English to their kids first, that they are frustrated that their kids will struggle when learning Maths, Science and other subjects in Malay, Mandarin and Tamil! Food for thought...

The End Of PPSMI?

I have always been an opponent of the teaching of Maths and Science in English policy (PPSMI) as it stands. This policy and my opposition to the construction of KLCC (I started being annoying to the establishment very young!) have been major exceptions to my general support of Tun Dr M's policies.

The main reason for my opposing PPSMI has been rational, unemotional and often repeated; it is unreasonable to expect students in the rural areas who begin to learn English for the first time in Standard 1 to be able to cope with English as a medium of instruction. My examples are pertinent, such as how English even as a language is introduced late in many OECD countries like Finland and Holland, for practical reasons, and without too adverse as effect to literacy.

I found evidence of problems with PPSMI from teachers and policy-makers; most point to its introduction at Primary level in Rural areas to be a key concern. Any UMNO candidate who cared to ask would have discovered this, though it disappointed me how many chose to couch their views based on the candidates they supported! Not me. Mukhriz's chums in evidence may remember what I said at tea in Ipoh after 'Pengenalan Calon' with Tengku Azman supporting...

My opposition to the PPSMI is also moderate. I am agreeable in general to having Maths and Science taught in English from Secondary level. This makes sense much as how Latin was a medium of instruction of 'Higher Knowledge' in medieval Europe, and this is where Tun Dr M's logic that the terminology of Maths and Science in Malay is lagging really does apply. I have had problems articulating Chaos Maths and even Blending in Malay!

The problem with teaching Maths and Science in English from Secondary level is that it curtails any future effort to build a science nomenclature in Malay. Sad in terms of how it stunts the growth of Malay as a carrier of knowledge, but for the current world, there is need also to be practical. So, PPSMI to me was in short, bad, but could be modified, or fixed. Another way to make it more successful is just to introduce English in rural areas early, through Kemas etc... right...

So, I now greet the news from TS Muhyiddin, that he is considering a Pass in English to be compulsory at SPM level, to be a step in the right direction... but only if it is a precursor to at least a winding back of the PPSMI... something that has been rumoured strongly if I may add...! I am supportive enough of this in said terms to say it justifies UMNO's choice of Deputy President and DS Najib's trust in him by making him Education Minister!

However, I also encourage TS Muhyiddin and his team to take the opportunity given by this policy revamp to look at upping the quality of English taught in our schools. Our English is still being taught at a relatively basic level. This is fine for a baseline, and certainly, the baseline for a compulsory Pass should be retained for the rural folk. However, our A's and B's should be of higher value. At the same time, this may allow for our English syllabus to be more attractive to students.

Besides re-introducing the teaching of grammar (!) I would be keen to see 10 year olds begin enjoying Shakespeare, at least in simple terms. The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing are easily adapted, and could transform English teaching into a fun activity, much as Puisi and Sajak does for Malay. By 12 or 13 years, Romeo and Juliet?... the frowning of religious teachers nonwithstanding... And we can always mix it up with Hang Tuah and Tuhfat-al-Nafis dramatised in English!

Worth considering... one hopes... then perhaps, Satu Sekolah, Satu Bangsa?

NB: And I believe also that TS Muhyiddin should re-introduce a compulsory Credit in Bahasa Malaysia for SPM. Malaysians should be embarassed if they can't get even a Credit in our National Language!

PPSMI Dan Ekonomi Negara

Sebagai seorang pencinta bahasa, saya begitu sedih melihat usaha para pejuang Bahasa Malaysia kini dipergunakan sehingga huru-hara timbul di negara.

Seperti biasa, Pak Lah yang tahu isu ini sudah mendidih begitu lama dan membiarkan ia membuak-buak selesai keputusan Mathematik dan Sains UPSR yang mengecewakan di luar bandar dengan diputar-belitkan berita mengenai 'kejayaannya', kini sibuk pula ingin menyelesaikannya 'dengan segera'.

Akhirnya, saya setuju dengan pendapat yang mengatakan ini permainan politik sesetengah pihak yang tidak ikhlas pun tentang hal ini. Cuma digembar-gemburkan semata-mata agenda perebutan kuasa pihak tersebut. Malah, kalau bukan kerana ada peralihan kuasa dan sudah diketengahkan isu kuasa Raja-Raja Melayu, tentu tentangan PPSMI disyaki agenda mengalihkan fikiran perwakilan UMNO dari krisis ekonomi menjelang Perhimpunan Agung pada akhir bulan ini...

Hmmm... saya lagi jalan-jalan di Sabah sekarang. Akan saya sambung...