SEREMBAN: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s suggestion to reintroduce the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) is facing a lot of opposition.
“Don’t turn our children into guinea pigs,” said Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said the children’s should not be compromised.
“The system (PPSMI) was a failure and there so many setbacks. Why do we want to go back to something that clearly didn’t work and try it again on our children?
“I met the managing director of Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) several years back and he was shocked over the implementation of PPSMI. He said, Malaysia was the only country in the world to teach Mathematics and Science in English even though the language is not the mother tongue of the country,” he said.
Mohamad added, although the importance of English as an international language could not be denied, there was no need to make it compulsory for primary school pupils to learn the language through Mathematics and Science.
“For me, the two subjects are already tough enough. Adding English will not help students to understand the subjects better.
“English proficiency among teachers also has to be boosted. The state government and state Education Department have organised courses to help the teachers master the language,” he said after the launch of the premises of SK Warisan Puteri and SMK Warisan Puteri here today.
Present were Ampangan assemblyman and Seremban Umno division head Datuk Abu Ubaidah Redza and state Education Department director Pkhairuddin Ghazali.
Yesterday, a news portal had reported that the National Parent-Teacher Association Collaborative Council (PIBGN) and the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) had expressed their objection to Dr Mahathir’s proposal.
PIBGN president Datuk Mohamad Ali Hasan said the teaching of English should not be mixed with Mathematics and Science.
Mohammad said all parties, including parents, had to reach an understanding on the matter to strike a balance between empowering English and upholding Bahasa Malaysia as the national language.