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This is an urgent message from PAGE Malaysia.

Dear Students, Parents and Malaysians,

MALAYSIANS APPEAL TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE OPTION TO LEARN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IN ENGLISH (RETAIN PPSMI AS AN OPTION)

You would have heard by now that the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English (better known as PPSMI) will be abolished in January 2012.

The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) has been in the forefront to champion the cause to maintain the policy for those who wish their children to learn these two (2) subjects in its lingua franca that is English.

Here is how the abolishment of this policy is going to affect you.

For Primary School Students

You have been learning Science and Mathematics in English since Standard 1, however when you enter into Form 1, you will have to learn these subjects in Bahasa Melayu until Form 5 and do your PMR and SPM in Bahasa Melayu. After SPM, you will revert the study of these two (2) subjects back to English.

For Secondary School Students

If you are entering Form 1 in 2012, then you have been learning Science and Mathematics in English since Standard 1, however in 2012, you will have to learn these subjects in Bahasa Melayu from Form 1 until Form 5 and do your PMR and SPM in Bahasa Melayu.

If you are entering Form 4 in 2012, be prepared … you may have to switch to Bahasa Melayu for Science and Maths after learning these subjects in English for the past 9 years, do your SPM in Bahasa Melayu and then switch back to English when you enter college or university. Yes we know this is crazy and unless you are “super-adaptable”, you will most likely be stressed out and confused. We have heard that the choice of language for Form 4 in 2012 may be determined by the Gurubesar of the different schools (?).

If you are not in Form 1 or Form 4 in 2012, there is no escape either. You WILL eventually be affected by the change when you reach Form 4.

If you have just completed your SPM in 2011, then you are in the luckiest group !!! You will be able to go straight into college and continue to do these subjects in English.

For Parents and Malaysians in General

After only a few years of implementing PPSMI and despite strong evidence that PPSMI is good for our students and Malaysia’s future generations, the Government has decided to change its mind and will abolish this policy in 2012. They think that it is best for ALL Malaysian school children NOT to learn Science and Mathematics in English. They actually believe that learning these two subjects in Bahasa Melayu is adequate and equivalent (or better) than to learn it in English!?

The sad truth is that despite the constant voices that they hear and read wishing for the option of PPSMI, the authorities seemed determined to proceed with the abolishment with the excuse that PPSMI will be replaced with another policy known as MBMMBI, to improve the standard of English amongst Malaysian students.

They keep missing the point (maybe on purpose) that we want PPSMI, not to improve the standard of English but rather, we want PPSMI simply because of the need to learn the subjects of Science and Mathematics in its lingua franca, that is English, for our children to be globally competitive, and for our nation to progress in the desired direction and speed.

In realising that perhaps the voices speaking out for the retention of the PPSMI policy (for those who want it) are too soft or too sporadic, PAGE Malaysia has decided to go all out on a nationwide wide and international campaign to reach out to as many Malaysian students and Malaysians wherever they are in the world, to come together as one and to build up the voice of the “silent majority” to inform the authorities that there exists a large and substantial number of Malaysian citizens (children and adults) would like to have the option for our students to learn Science and Mathematics in English.

We are not against the MBMMBI policy nor are we against the wishes of other groups who prefer to learn Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin or Tamil.

We are simply asking to be heard and for the right to have the freedom of choice for an option to learn these two subjects in English, alongside Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin and Tamil.

Where and how to make your preference known

PAGE Malaysia has specially set up two (2) separate platforms for Students and for Parents and Malaysians to register their wishes.

Students are requested to visit http://goo.gl/QHd42
Parents and Malaysians are requested to visit http://goo.gl/cFSlD

2012 is just a mere two (2) months away … do visit the website, complete the form today and make a difference!

Please email, like and share this with all your friends so that we can quickly collect the numbers that we need to transform us all into a voice loud enough to be heard.

Hopefully with everybody’s effort, we can make this go viral on the internet and strengthen our voice in the shortest time possible.

Parent Action Group for Education
PAGE Malaysia
18 October 2011

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5 replies on “Urgent Appeal to Retain PPSMI as an Option”

  1. We need to put an end to this language-bashing. I see many pro-PPSMI supporters making degrading statements of BM in the net and implicitly calling for imposition of English as a medium of instruction for Science and Maths in rural areas even against the will of those schools. I wanna show them that they and the English language won't gain anything from this. Nowadays there are a lot of shows dubbed from English to BM especially on Astro, not only cartoons but also documentaries and movies. What does it tell you about choice of medium of instruction?

    And I also want the anti-PPSMI to bypass the education system in keeping Bahasa alive. I think I've stated a good example in the previous paragraph.

  2. An example:
    I've a friend (from Chinese Independent) who studied Economics from Form 1- Form 3 in Malay, later Form 4 – 5 in Chinese, and then in English for Pre-U. She said she was lucky getting to learn so many languages. Any problems with translating? She said she managed to figure it out herself. That is what makes "language" interesting. Besides, English words aren't "original" and not translated. English has borrowed many words from other languages! Similarly, new Malay words can be assimilated for accurate translations. That is language, it isn't fixed.

    PS: The example given is just one example, it does not represent every student.

    PPS: I sincerely hope, parents can be more open in the idea of "language". And I believe, as far as your children are educated under a proper system ("proper" is another politically problematic term), she/he will have no problem in the future. Language is always limited, and language is used to transmit knowledge. If an individual has a solid foundation in skills of acquiring knowledge, intellection and imagination, language is only secondary.

  3. Maths and Science are the major subjects beside others. These two subjects should be in English esp in this time of globalization so as not to be left behind. I strongly propose the teaching of English for these two. Do hope our present Government should take heed of the Malaysian view. Our Prime Minister need to place the people first as in One Malaysia esp for the future of our Children.

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