Teaching of Science and Mathematics in BM year 2012

[youngyew]

You have just identified my entire point, eve. Though English is important, it is secondary to a proper teaching and learning experience.

(No you can't strike out words in this forum because we don't allow HTML )

[luminodreamer89]

hey youngyew, it is definitely a nice excerpt for us to read and reflect on. So, as we talk about this, it will go from a single PPSMI policy to the whole education reform. =)

I have a similar experience throughout my schooling years, from primary up to pre-u in my college. What the public, teachers, lecturers, parents look on, is just the amount of A on a piece of paper. Number of A is the only indicator for a student's performance in most people minds.

Talking about science, we are seldom being taught to find out something, or to explore the unknowns and bring up any questions we face in daily lives or scientific magazines. What we are taught is to follow the mark schemes. Any answers differerent from the schemes will be taken as wrong answers. During form 4 and 5, I remembered doing the PEKA assessment, while we ought to do a real experiment and record our results accordingly, we were taught otherwise. We actually copied the whole report, from hypothesis to conclusion from seniors' works.

All the while, we are being instructed to memorize and regurgitate it during exams.

However, I have a different lesson from my physics lecturer in college. He knew that most of the guys are active and keen on doing workouts in our college gym after classes, so he told us about F=ma.
If we are to focus on the strength, we need to add up the acceleration, which means lifting the dumbell at a greater speed.
If we are to focus on the size, we shall reduce the acceleration and pause more.
I think this is interesting and I also read this before on some workouts books.
And, from here, we move on to Newton's Second Motion Law.

But anyhow, I doubt the students will be ever taught to think scientifically. They will always be told to memorize certain scientific terms or principles because they will be asked in exams. They will always be asked to memorize the pattern of certain graphs and the results of certain experiments because these are the answers on mark schemes.

1Black Education. But, I do believe that many students out there realise there's something wrong with our education system. So, where there's hope, there's will; where there's will, there's a way. =)

[wongdg]

I strongly oppose to taking a turn back to before. We have been 3 decades behind in education policy and now want to be even more backward?!

If you are only a consumer in technology and have to import all your technical expertise, it suggest your education policy is gravely wrong. If your research is never strong and hardly attract anyone and have not made much progress and let alone breakthrough, you just have to think really hard about your direction.

If your nation is so advance and filled with knowledge that the rest of the world flock to you, then you can boast your language. Right now you are nothing! For the future of this nation and my next generation, learning knowledge in English is the way to go and I'm 200% for it.

Take a look in the mirror and don't lie to yourself, how many patents we hold under our name? Why? Why can't a nation compete with even 1 global company? Talking about global, we don't even wanna apart of it by hiding our heads in soil. Citizens voices are not heard let alone adopted for anything constructive.

I had my tertiary education in English and I am so much grateful for that. With a mastery in English, I can learn my way through the vast resources in internet. The linux community is one of them. No matter what nationality, we collaborate and learn for one anther through the forum. I check up wikipedia for new jargons and acronyms. I contribute to the rest of the world in english messages. Tell me what else enable you to do that?

[louis8_8wang]

i wonder why this becomes a controversial issue this few years. since teaching maths and science in english does help students somewhat in their future, the authorities should be more open minded to deal with this problem which shouldn't be an obstacle of our education system.

teaching maths and science in english more or less will acquaint students to their studies in higher level. I strongly disagree to change it, and not fowards and backwards again.

[leen866]

i'm just interested to know how many of you actually agree with the new policy.

[mehul91]

I read so many article. Guys, why are all of you making such a big fuss? The government think they are doing something right. Let them do it. At least, we who can speak and comprehend in English would have an upper hand in securing a job from MNC and foreign companies. They are pressured by villagers who find it difficult to cope with it. Some even thing its an invasion of culture. Well they do not accept the challenge to strive forward. They do not know they are jeopardizing their child's future. We on the other hand who know the importance of that subject can enjoy the wonderful and vast opportunities out there. Well thinking about it, you may think its selfish but you can not force a person who does not want to progress.

[youngyew]

Originally Posted by mehul91

I read so many article. Guys, why are all of you making such a big fuss? The government think they are doing something right. Let them do it. At least, we who can speak and comprehend in English would have an upper hand in securing a job from MNC and foreign companies. They are pressured by villagers who find it difficult to cope with it. Some even thing its an invasion of culture. Well they do not accept the challenge to strive forward. They do not know they are jeopardizing their child's future. We on the other hand who know the importance of that subject can enjoy the wonderful and vast opportunities out there. Well thinking about it, you may think its selfish but you can not force a person who does not want to progress.

You speak as if this is not your country.

[davidchak]

Originally Posted by mehul91

I read so many article. Guys, why are all of you making such a big fuss? The government think they are doing something right. Let them do it. At least, we who can speak and comprehend in English would have an upper hand in securing a job from MNC and foreign companies. They are pressured by villagers who find it difficult to cope with it. Some even thing its an invasion of culture. Well they do not accept the challenge to strive forward. They do not know they are jeopardizing their child's future. We on the other hand who know the importance of that subject can enjoy the wonderful and vast opportunities out there. Well thinking about it, you may think its selfish but you can not force a person who does not want to progress.

Let me quote you this very famous poem by Martin Niem?ller.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

Then they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
I did not protest;
I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out for me.

If we dont speak up for our own country's future, who will? ANd it will be too late when its carved into stone already.

[mehul91]

Originally Posted by youngyew

You speak as if this is not your country.

I am not stating this is not my country and i do not care about it. Its just that when you see things unfolding in a disruptive sequence , you tend to think at times that no one can decide and shape your future better than you. Of course you need aid and assistance from teachers and parents, and an established education system. But although its sad that they change the subjects to be taught in Malay, it does not create a barrier for people who want to master English. Furthermore, all of us know the government is pressured ( or maybe they just love playing with lives). With that taken into account, its the (kampung and some nut case)people who have decided what is good for them. Just because you think English is good it does not necessarily mean that its good for everyone. Moreover, the language in which Maths and Science should be taught is a petty problem compared to what should be taught. Have you seen the chemistry and physics textbook. It does not help you a bit. In short, I am saying that its the people who wanted this ( of course not everyone) . And why should not the government listen to them. End of the day, in politics at least, what is right takes back seat to what people want.

Originally Posted by davidchak

Let me quote you this very famous poem by Martin Niem?ller.

If we dont speak up for our own country's future, who will? ANd it will be too late when its carved into stone already.

Well the poem was nice, but if you live long in Malaysia you would realise that speaking up brings you no where, and sometimes it bring you to your graves if you know what i mean.

[henry_yew]

Originally Posted by mehul91

I read so many article. Guys, why are all of you making such a big fuss? The government think they are doing something right. Let them do it. At least, we who can speak and comprehend in English would have an upper hand in securing a job from MNC and foreign companies. They are pressured by villagers who find it difficult to cope with it. Some even thing its an invasion of culture. Well they do not accept the challenge to strive forward. They do not know they are jeopardizing their child's future. We on the other hand who know the importance of that subject can enjoy the wonderful and vast opportunities out there. Well thinking about it, you may think its selfish but you can not force a person who does not want to progress.

Just because we have the upper hand does not mean that other people shouldn't. That's why the awareness should be there. Unfortunately, it isn't.

While it's true that you cannot force a person who does not want to progress, it's not a reason for such changes of policy, because you can change, but it will not necessarily motivate them to do better, right? After all if a person a lazy, will a change in language necessarily make them more diligent?

They could stick with a particular system and let those who can excel do so. Those who are lazy can just continue to be lazy. Even the weaker ones can excel if they put in the effort.

Yes, we are making a big fuss not just because it's a mere change in the medium of instruction. While it's true that we should also argue from the point of view of the matter of the subject, don't forget that such changes of policy also incur more costs which eventually eats up taxpayers' money; and those who have been comfortable with the old system will now have to change to the new system... again. Then there is the need to do research in this and that, translation of books, etc. etc. It's a clear waste of resources and manpower. We've wasted enough, do we need to waste more?

Shouldn't we care then? Shouldn't we make a fuss about it then?