LEAVE PPSMI ALONE, PUNKS!

What's the racket in KL today? GMP punks going against the PPSMI? Whatever. Here's a piece of my mind on the PPSMI issue:

I am all for the use of English in teaching Maths and Science subjects. Being a former Science Stream student myself, I have always found that it is easier to learn Math and Science in English than in Malay.

I think I understand why PPSMI was implemented by the Ministry of Education in the first place. Contrary to some group's perception that the use of English in teaching Math and Science is detrimental to Malaysian students' performance in those subjects (and also to the dignity of the Malay language), I find that it is actually a tool of convenience to enable students genuinely understand scientific concepts and mathematical framework.

To me, today's demonstration in protest of the PPSMI was totally lame. Some of those who took part in the protest didn't even look like the kind that ever saw Math and Science textbooks in their whole life (watch the news on tv, you'll spot those guys right away). The idea of taking away PPSMI after 6 years of its implementation seems rather... designated. Why after 6 years? If this was a writ for a civil suit, it would have been barred for exceeding the statutory limitation period.

Sure, take away the PPSMI... make everyone happy. No problem. But the long-term effect that's gonna come out later won't be good.

First, we know that most math and science terminology comes from Latin, some of which in turn is either developed or borrowed from Arabic and Hebrew. English, Spanish, French, Greek, German and Italian are modern branch languages of Latin. Our national language is currently not equipped with enough terminology to refer to all technical and scientific concepts, items, and methods that currently exist - unlike some other languages such as Russian, German and Japanese that have available terms in their own language to substitute those in Latin. In fact, we even had to resort to 'borrowing' words from foreign languages (mainly English, ironically) to refer to something scientific. This is a time-wasting process because... hey - if you still say 'momentum' as 'momentum', or 'reflex' as 'refleks' in Malay, then why not use English in its full form instead of driving the guys at DBP insane approving new terminology that has been ripped off from English anyway? What is this, author-ized plagiarism?

Moreover, the removal of PPSMI will indirectly destroy our precious Malay language as efforts to substitute some terms for Math and Science subjects in haste by ripping off other languages have led to Malay being totally messed up. Explain how strange words like 'polisi' (policy), 'penetrasi' (penetration), 'halusinasi' (hallucination), 'persepsi' (perception), etc. suddenly appear in our language out of nowhere. Therefore, those who think that removing PPSMI will protect the dignity of the Malay language better wake up from their halusinasi - it's actually the reverse.

Secondly, students who learn technical and scientific terms in Malay during their early school years will have to relearn everything they know in basic English terms when they get into tertiary institutions to further their studies, especially if they study overseas. This will slow down the learning process as lecturers and tutors had to ensure students get their grasp on the basic stuff when they could have zoomed on to intermediate level in the first year. Some students may find their first year a drag and become de-motivated to study.

Thirdly, how many Science and Math articles or sources have you ever seen written in Malay? I'm sure there are many students who face a hard time trying to interpret something they read in English into Malay for their presentations and note-taking process. Rather than flocking in front of Istana Negara with a faux coffin named Keranda 152 hovering over your heads, why don't you folks do something more productive like huddling together to write Math and Science textbooks in Malay to give to our future generation?

PPSMI is like a sword. If a sword is wrongly wielded by the bearer, it will injure both the target and the bearer himself. Therefore, instead of attacking PPSMI for the failure of its system, we should focus on the real root of the problem - the teachers themselves.

When a Math or Science teacher does not use/does not know how to use English in his or her teaching, how do we expect the students to learn Math and Science in English without good communication? It has been proven that teachers who fail to do their work will produce more failures than achievers no matter how intelligent their students are. Thus, having unable to follow the system efficiently, these teachers sink into inferiority complex and pin the blame on the system for their own weakness.

The Ministry of Education has taken great care and importance in providing teachers the courses and support they need to learn teaching Math and Science in English at school. However, not all teachers tried their best effort at mastering their skill and only a handful are determined to put their knowledge to good use. The rest are a bunch of whining, slacking, grumbling, complaining, angsty, hard-headed lot. These are the wimps that cry out, "Oh, life would have been easier if it wasn't made so hard!"

I think the most appropriate thing to do in this situation is to fire all incompetent teachers who feel that they cannot teach because of their poor command of English. There are lots of teachers who are capable of using English as their medium of teaching out there; as well as those who are willing to teach in English despite their lack of good command in the said language. Why waste our taxes on training these bunch of whining, slacking, grumbling, complaining, angsty, hard-headed lot?

The same goes to parents. Some complained that PPSMI impedes their children's learning progress due to their poor command of English. If some Malaysian fathers could spend money buying cigarettes or lottery tickets, while the mothers stock up on jewellery or beauty products, then they could have afforded English classes for their children. Parents should support and motivate their children to push themselves up against a challenge, not remove the challenge to give way to their weaknesses.

Another thing, this whole hype is nothing more than just a clockwork of certain political groups' agenda that have always wanted to make the government look bad in public's view. If your child sucks at English, blame it on the government. If your brother gets arrested for stealing a car, blame it on the government. If you lose a sock, blame it on the government. If the tsunami hits your neighbourhood, blame it on... who else? The government, again.

During the Pidato challenge last week, we see various international varsity students from different culture and ethnic strived to win the cup by expressing their ability in mastering the Malay language. If these foreign students are willing to learn our language, then why shouldn't we learn other languages to enable us move forward in this global era? Do we want to be forever hiding under our shells knowing nothing more than what we already know?

Oh yeah, for your information punks... I am a Malay guy who loves his mother tongue as whole-heartedly as any other patriotic Malay bloke in the streets. Just because I live in the city; went to an English-medium school; talk to my family in a mix of English, French and Malay; write my blog in English; and state my support to PPSMI, it doesn't mean that I revere foreign languages above my own national language. That's just plain stupid. At least I'm not a hypocrite like some certain literati who professes his dying love for Malay language and yet sends his children to English-medium schools overseas...

Semoga catatan ini dapat membuka mata pihak-pihak tertentu tentang isu PPSMI ini. Jika ada antara mereka yang tidak dapat membuka mata, kemungkinan besar mereka masih tertidur lagi.

"HALUSINASI" BY MEET UNCLE HUSSEIN is playing in my mind today.