File 31 : Math and Science in English, anyone?

This is a hot issue that is being debated up until today. Many people are still confused, be it students, teachers, academicians, and even laymen like me. We are confused as this issue had been debated for such a long time and there had been no concrete stand on the issue. In what language shall Math and Science be taught in schools? Should it be in English, in Malay, or in the mother tongue of respective vernacular schools?

As a product of national education system [this is the problem when we have many education systems in such a small country like Malaysia – everything got messed up easily], I am of the opinion that Math and Science shall be taught like before, in Malay and in Mandarin or Tamil – IF the purpose of having the two subjects being taught in English is to improve the command of English among students.

Learning these two subjects in English is not the answer to level up the proficiency of English among students. As the president of Translation and Creative Writing Association [PERSPEKTIF], Goh Hin San said “It is like operating on the leg when someone is having stomach problems”. I could not agree more on his view. He is absolutely right.

Math and Science are important subjects that would help develop Malaysia towards achieving its goal to become a developed country. Both subjects are crucial subjects and having it taught in a language which the students and the teachers could not fully understand would hamper the learning process of the subjects. It is true that English is a widely spoken language internationally but to have a good command in English does not necessarily means that we have to learn Math and Science in English.

My parents, my relatives, my teachers, and my friends learned Math and Science in Malay. So do I. But we could speak and write in English properly because the teachers always emphasise the importance of English during English classes. We had extra classes for English. We spoke English during English classes and even after classes. But the situation is different today. English is not more than just a subject to be learned in school. Teachers do not make it fun to learn English. Maybe the teachers should use the tagline that was used during my schooldays: ‘English is fun!’

In conclusion, English is not the answer if the government’s purpose of having Math and Science to be taught in English is to master the language. There are many other ways to do so. Don’t make a mistake that would be regretted later. This is for the future of Malaysia and our future depends on the policy.

p/s: Politics and educations are two different things. Maybe politicians shall be barred from being involved in policy making of the education system. Besides, by doing so, we can ensure that education will not be politicised.