What a step backwards. A people pleasing, vote-buying government. At the expense of our children. Najib's children went to international schools and so did half the Ministers'...yang rugi, anak-anak kita. The regular people.
Biar mati anak jangan mati adat.
Maths, science to be taught in Bahasa
Muhyiddin to annouce decision after Cabinet meeting today
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 09:16:00
FILE PICTURE: Movement to End Teaching of Science and Maths in English chairman Datuk Dr Hassan Ahmad (right) and National Laureate Datuk Dr A. Samad Said during a press conference to announce their demand to revert the teaching of the two subjects to Bahasa Malaysia earlier this year.
MATHS and science WILL be taught in Bahasa Malaysia, under a government policy reversal that will affect tens of thousands of schoolchildren, and their parents, of course.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to make this announcement after today's Cabinet meeting.
It is learnt that Muyhiddin briefed former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of the government's decision a few days ago as a matter of courtesy, as the teaching of maths and science in English was a policy initiated by Dr Mahathir. The reversal is going to affect tens of thousands, but Muhyiddin is also expected to announce plans by the Ministry to strengthen English as a subject in schools.
Bernama quotes Muhyiddin as saying in Pagoh, Johor, yesterday that he had "already presented a memorandum on the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English, what has been implemented, the level of command of English and the position of science and mathematics" since the system was implemented.
He said he would also present several suggestions and recommendations on how the government could empower Bahasa Malaysia and strengthen the usage of English at all levels in primary and secondary schools. Ministry officials had met various groups with interest in education to prepare the presentation, he added.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
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8 comments:
tak pe lah saya, the decision was made after a study by many quarters including some universities. let's just trust the facts and figures they collected, like the hadis said, serahkan sesuatu urusan itu kepada ahli nya.
Yeah Snake...
true, true... but in our gomen, decisions usually made not based on facts and figures...more on political mileage...but what to do...
i myself got turned off sains, fizik, kimia secondary sebab the malay text susah nak comprehend...maybe i was just lembab kot, but my kids are quite frustrated, they were doing fine with English and the bilingual texts/exam papers...
Well, berserah je la and do the best i can for my kids
Dear Dynamic Duo
As a zitty schoolboy, I was Bi.
Meaning Bilingual of course. Naught else.
I was doing pure science as a student in La Salle Kota Kinabalu. I had the school's Kimia book by Underwood and the English by the same author from the State Library. Likewise with the Physics by AP Abbot , down to Geography. In almost all my subjects, I read identical authors in both languages.
It is undeniable that some of the beauty of the original texts were long lost in translation. Granted that English having had the long evolution from many of the languages of scientific discovery as well as literature, weilds the ability to marry the diverse and present such facts in so intriguing a manner.
More importantly, the very beauty and artistry in which the author draws the student's mind to wonderment and learning can only be borne by the language in which the author writes, whatever that language may be. His language, after all, is his instrument of academic awakening in the reader, true? Hence, any departure from the original incurrs loss, and some departures incur greater losses than other departures. Choose the departure well!
Enid Blyton's translations into BM were wasted on me. Likewise translating Usman Awang's "akan kupetik bintang timur menjadi kerongsang menyinari dadamu" from Kekasih into English surely dulls the poetic glitter of the poet though the actual linguistic content of plucking Venus from the sky to illuminate his lover's breast may still be understood. Whither then the passionate lyrical lament of the lover?
Our fatiguing argument over how the Japanese are managing without English, as are the French, Russians, Chinese and Indians, grossly ignore the fact that the language base or vocabulary of any culture depends on(pardon me I implore you)the collective consciousness of that culture's experience. The nations and cultures we keep comparing ourselves to have dabbled in scientific and alchemic arts for centuries. They already have words for observations and dicoveries, whether theirs or someone else's. I in my ignorance would likely lose some dosh if I wagered that the Solomon Islanders may have the same trouble translating the texts of quantum physics into their Touo or pidgin Austronesian language. Yes, their official language is English, I beg your pardon!
So I believe we should treat languages with respect and employ them where they are most powerful. It is a tool, after all. We cannot edify the Parthenon upon stilts of pine. Nor would we pay wages to a centurion to play upon the lyre. Well, at least not unless he were so gifted.
I cannot help but empathise with Saya. I serve the government, but I do not trust its judgement. These are the fellows who would have seen neighbour pitted against neighbour in the streets like ravenous hounds over a morsel for a bucket of water, so long as their own stockpile of water was secured. They would call upon God to shoulder the blame for the death of many under beams and pillars not of His command to build. They would turn a blind eye over your beautiful islands of paradise awash with non-degradable litter for as long as the proceeds fill their coffers. It matters not to them that the intelligentsia of the country in despair sail for fairer shores, for more are the spoils for the dividing amongst their carrion kind. Their propensity for unleashing calamity is unwaveringly consistent. There is complete denudation of all sacredity, and we the electorate remain the victims of the elect.
As with the current state.
But we need not weep much, for the state of instruction of the founding subjects was not completely executed in English anyway.
So what can we do when our leaders fail us? when the faith we need in something bigger than ourselves is proven ill-invested from generation to generation? All we can do is as Saya does, to equip our children with the best oil-skin boots possible, for we shall be changing horses mid-stream many times over before that distant bank plants their feet upon terra firma.
Jeffrey,
Blubber, blubber... blubber...(that's me blubbering, unable to respond...because as usual your comment is so eloquently worded and I'm tongue-tied)...hehehe
But I'm impressed that you made the effort to study in both languages and yes, somethings just cannot be said as well in a language other than that the writer is well-versed or has immersed himself in thoroughly in thought, speech and the written word. One cannot claim to know a language until he/she is able to dream in that language.
So much is lost in translation often times or for lack of a proper translation/term in the target language which adequately conveys the same as the source.
But ultimately, its up to us as the parents to find a way...and find a way we must!
It's easy, Saya.
Just say, "Tea at 1600."
Jeffrey,
Tea at 1600. Need an airlift! Heheh...but this payload might do the Lady in...
All's well that ends well.
how about if you dream together with a frenchy?? hehehe
Capt
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