English... Math and Science, to or not to....

One street demonstration, some tear gas, water canons and a few arrests later.... (this is a pic from The Star, Sunday, March 8) the issue is still there. The demo was to support the demand to revert to BM as the medium of instruction... Majority of the middle class parents still want this present policy to continue. This is a group more attuned to the requirements of the world outside...

I learned Math and Science in BM... did it impaired my learning? Hard to say.. but it definitely made my BM better. However, I think learning them in BM was rather long-winded. Dunno, maybe BM lacked vocabulary in the areas of science and technology. Had to borrow so many words from English. And sometimes it takes too many words to describe a process.

I came from a non-English speaking home but it is now my children's first language. And nah!!! I wasn't from the elitist class either! I have many childhood friends who share this similar switch.... non English speaking but using English as first language at home now. Wasn't because we wanted to be elites but it just happened. So, how was it that we, from the non-English speaking backgrounds were able to 'master' English??? We had good teachers, maybe?

Fast forward 20++ years... the switch back from BM to English as a medium of instruction. Politicians, educationists and less of your regular mom and dad... those on the other side of the divide believe that the policy does not benefit the children. I am sure everyone knows how 'non-marketable' our graduates are; one reason being not able to communicate (in English). The systematic deterioration (whether consciously or unconsciously initiated) of the standard of English has all but rendered many of our people into the backwater.

I think Tun Mahathir realized that... so he tried to undo some of the mistakes of the past (to which he also had a part). But now, people call ETeMS his silly legacy. Choices... it's about time the gahmen allow English schools. For those who continue to want their children to be educated in English, let them. For those who want their kids to learn in their mother tongue... by all means let them. Question of a common language is not a problem... the compulsory pass in BM will ensure that. But then again... question of social classes might rear its head again!!!

And it will also be interesting to see where all those who champion the use of BM again, send their children to be schooled. Let's see whether they walk their talk also or they're just full of hot air... like so many of our 'hot-air' policies.