The problem with PPSMI is
still brought to the center whenever someone influential raise it up.
Since its inception on 2002 and eventual cancellation on 2009, many
organization and individual stand to object the policy or support it. This
policy had a big impact on students, teacher, parents, administrator and policy
maker.
Many student
organization such as PKPIM had been in
contact with students who had been effected by this policy in their
curriculum and the teacher who is implementing the policy in the classroom. It
is no secret that the ministry is not ready to implement this policy because
student and teacher itself is not ready, that is the main reason why PPSMI is
being cancelled and being replaced with MBMMBI.
Then, why is there still voices demanding to return us
back to this policy? Even worse, some of them even suggested to revert back
some of the school to teach all subjects only in English instead of Bahasa
Melayu that is become a national policy nowadays. This suggestion is making our
Malaysian society even divided as it is.
We must remember that the reason to implement PPSMI is to
enhance the performance of English either in speaking or writing. Ministry
thought that by teaching Science and Mathematics in English, then the students
fluency in English will increase. They thought wrong and their wrongness had
been highlighted by many academician in language and education filed. Many
NGO’s that is enganging with civil society also knows that this policy is
problematic and pressured the government to drop it.
The policy not only effecting the English language
subject, but also in Science and Mathematics subject. Manys students loose
interest in the subject they dont understand, others loose respect to their
teacher who themselves cannot speak English properly. But still, the fluency in
English that is expected to be materialized is yet to be achieved.
Instead of stressing to learn Science and Mathematics in
English, why not strive to improve our own English learning? If the problem is
in English education, solve it properly by making sure the teacher reaches the
high standard in education. Always making sure they are equipped with good
facilities to help them educate students. Student itself must always be
nurtured to love English language, not to view it as a hard subject that is
only being taken to pass SPM.
Giving the wrong medication to the wrong disease will
make a patient even more sick. That is what happening when PPSMI is still in
implementation. English is seen as a burden and an enemy to the student.
Learning language should be voluntary and not to be forced. Lot of improvement
can be made if we focus on how to teach instead of continuing debating this
polemic. Everybody knows only a few people is still demanding this policy. The
reason their voices is being heard is because they have influences.
The voices of majority should be respected which is to
respect Bahasa Melayu as a language of communication in our education. At the
same time, we demand that the way of teaching English should be more on making
student like the language instead of just try to get A in the subject.
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