Some thoughts on PPSMI

Some thoughts on PPSMI

Some thoughts on PPSMI

If you had converged on the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (March 7) to witness or participate in the protest against the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English (PPSMI) one thing is obvious; there are very strong emotions but weak reasoning.

A lot of the unhappiness arise from the perception that PPSMI puts Bahasa Melayu as the second-class language in schools and I can sympathise with that view but I believe that the crux of the matter is the teaching and learning of science and mathematics.

I think that the reason for the Government’s drive to increase the use of English in the learning process comes from the accepted wisdom that the quality of English in Malaysia has declined.

While I am not denying that this is a reality, I would also like to point out another reality, the quality of Bahasa Melayu has also suffered tremendously in the past two decades or so.

However, because all the spotlight is trained on the quality of English, most people do not realize or do not care that the quality of spoken and written Bahasa Melayu is also in decline.

I make these assertions based on what I see on television, hear on radio and experience on the ground as a journalist.

If I may cite an example here; As a reporter with some experience at the Malay Mail, I was asked by the newsdesk to look at the work of three UITM students on attachment with the paper.

This is fairly normal stuff, seniors are suppose to help these students improve themselves in a real-life scenario so that they would not be shocked when they join the workforce after graduation.

When I went to the desk to retrieve their printout and get the slugs, the chaps on the desk said that they do not want to see the pieces until I have cleaned it up because they are really bad.

This is my first time helping clear junior copies because I have done very well to avoid this work but I thought: How bad can it be?

Let me tell you that I did not understand a single sentence, the Opening paragraph looked like someone picked words at random from a dictionary and clumped them together with no regard for grammar or syntax.

The only good thing I can say is that they got the spelling mostly right – which drew me to conclude that they were plucking words from a dictionary.

After several attempts to understand the gist of the story, I gave up and called on the trainee, a male and sat him down next to me.

I asked him to rephrase the opening paragraph because I was having difficulty understandingit. He struggled and babbled for a bout 30 seconds before I told him to just tell me what the assignment was all about.

He could not even offer me an explanation in pidgin English.

Sensing his embarrassment and frustration, I told him to explain it to me in Bahasa and guess what? He failed then too.

By this time he was pouting and so were the other two female trainees.

I told him that all I am trying to do is help him pass his practical at the Malay Mail but that message bounced off him.

I explained that the newsdesk did not want to see their articles because they were so incomprehensible and if the desk cannot use their articles, they may flunk.
Still the pout remained.

So I told the three of them to buzz off and go watch a movie or whatever it is that they wanted to do because obviously that is more important than learning at the Malay Mail.

Bear in mind that these kids are on the verge of receiving their degree in Mass communications and they fumbled with both English and Malay.

I have not looked at the works of any cub reporter since but from the quality of written English that make it pass the gate and onto the pages of our newspapers, I think the standards are falling.

So the decline of both English and Malay is the first issue here for me.
This is a peculiar situation because when I go through my children’s BM textbooks, they are learning, in standard one, things I learnt in standard three or four.

If we are teaching our children a higher standard of BM, why are they not speaking and writing better?

I think that the problem is that we do not try to make our children love the language. We teach them the technicality of syntax and grammar but we don’t teach them to look at the beauty of Bahasa Melayu.

This is the same problem that we face in the teaching of English.
Kids have not developed a love for the language, a love for literature.

This is why we do not read as much as we should.

Even when I am reading a science article, I see the beauty in the jargons and their technical explanations. I find joy in their economy of words, it makes me want to learn their code and be one of them.

The scientific knowledge is great, but the language is also beautiful.
So I believe, whether we want to teach Maths and Science in English ro Malay, we have to inject more passion into the teaching of the language itself.

Language is the very soul of civlisation so we must be passionate about learning it,a s well as being passionate about preserving its preeminence.

I think that the majority of those who attended the anti-PPSMI rally on Saturday is in love with the idea of preserving the preeminence of Bahasa Melayu but they themselves are not passionate about learning the language and appreciating Malay literature.

The few I interviewed were embarrassed to admit that it has been some time since they read a Malay book.

Sure they read vernacular newspapers like Utusan, Harakah, Suara Keadilan or others but they rarely, if ever immerse themselves in literature.

You may say that this argument is irrelevant because what is important is that they are passionate about the language.

You may be right but I cannot help but think that children learn from their parents and if the parents do not see the importance of appreciating the Malay language then the kids will grow up with the same attitude.

Shouting support for the language without appreciating the language is nothing more than the empty can that makes a lot of noise.

OK, let us go back to the issue of learning science and mathematics, which I believe is the real core issue here.

Science and Math are the two hardest subject to crack in school so if we want to encourage a high level of competency in these two subjects we must make their learning as easy and enjoyable as possible.

For some, English is right up there with Science and Math in terms of difficulty so teaching the two hardest subjects using a language that the majority of students do not understand only makes it more difficult and less enjoyable.

Teachers are also finding their job to be more difficult but I am not too concerned about the teachers, they can manage but maybe the lessons will not be as clear to the students as it can be.

This, I think should be at the core of the argument because the quality of English, can be improved with more emphasis on the language and though creative teaching that encourages its use.

The quality of English will improve when our children develop a passion for the lingo, there is no other way to do it short of using English as the medium of instruction for all subjects.

When the idea of PPSMI was first mooted I thought they were kidding because I saw it victimizing rural children and I still hold on to that belief.

Personally I have no problem with teaching Science and Math in English because all my children speak English as their first language. You can go ahead and say what you want but I believe that they will pick up Malay, good Malay as they grow up because I make it a point to encourage reading and appreciation of language through comedy, wit and general horsing around with both languages.

So, what I am saying is this.

I understand why the Education Ministry may want to persevere with the idea of PPSMI but they must also understand that there are valid arguments against it.

The Government should lead, yes, but it must also listen to the people.
Listening does not always mean following.

The Government must open the discussion and give the voice of dissent more space. The Government must do its best to convince Malaysians in general and Malays in particular why PPSMI is for the best.

Politicians must be politicians and try to convince the people to follow them. If the arguments are good and sound, people will give it room in their mind and they will play with it during moments of quiet contemplation and arrive at their own conclusion.

Once they have done their best to put forth their argument, they should consider a referendum and use that as guidance for their future policy.

I do not believe that there is a right or a wrong answer to the PPSMI question. Whichever way we go, the result will only show itself in 10 years time.
So perhaps the Government should appeal for time and at the same time open the floor and let the arguments flow.

source : http://marahku.blogspot.com/2009/03/some-thoughts-on-ppsmi.html

kzso - I am an ITM graduate (before it's being 'upgraded' to UiTM) majoring in Civil Engineering and quite perplexed how this so called 3 ITM trainees English are so bad! I hope the relevant School oops now it's the Faculty (most probably Mass Comm)look into this matter seriously...