Review language policy before it’s too late
Lee Ban Chen
The Second Malay Education Congress organised by the Malay Education and Development Organisations was held on March 26-27, 2005 in Kuala Lumpur. During the congress it was revealed that half a million of the Malay students might drop out if the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics is to continue.
Hence, the plenary session of the congress has unanimously adopted a resolution urging the government to cease implementing the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English, and the Malay language should be reinstated as a medium of instruction for all subjects, including in universities.
The impact of the astonishing revelation - half a million dropouts - and the firm resolution of the congress is so great that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi subsequently promised to review the policy.
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But our deputy prime minister cum the head of Umno education bureau Najib Abdul Razak immediately commented that we should not reverse to the old policy in an ad-hoc manner. His political mentor and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad when interviewed (Rencana, Utusan Malaysia, March 29, 2005) also came forward to defend the language policy which was introduced by him three years ago.
Immediately after that and before any review is made, our Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein hastily declared that the language policy is to continue until 2007, until then no review whatsoever would be made.
If the review promised by our prime minister could be regarded as a measure taken in an ad-hoc manner, then sure enough, when the language policy was introduced three years ago, it had been done in the same manner. And the retraction to review the language policy as promised and certain contentions of Mahathir and Hishammuddin of course were taken in an ad-hoc manner too.
Ridiculous notion
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According to Hishammuddin, the language policy is aimed at producing new generations capable of thinking and expressing ideas related to science and technology in English, besides being able to speak English fluently.
Mahathir is of the opinion that English is a universal language of our time, through which all knowledge could be accessed. In Hishammuddin’s words, 80% of the information on the Internet is in English.
We can directly access all types of knowledge through English. By means of English, the information can reach the majority of the people, added Mahathir.
By the logic of Mahathir, not only are the Malay, Chinese and Indian languages not universal and widely used as English, other languages in Asia, Africa or Latin America, no matter German or French, Arabic or Japanese, fall into the same category.
In short, all languages other than English are in fact not fit to be used as the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics, and by the same logic, also not fit to be used as the medium of instruction for subjects of Art - how ridiculous it sounds!
From a historical perspective, we know that Chinese, Arabic and German had once been held in high esteem in certain periods of time as languages of science and technology. Other languages including English of course were not as universal and important as the above-mentioned languages in those days, but did any one ever claim that other languages including English were not fit to be used as the medium of instruction for subjects of Science and Mathematics?
It is undeniable that English is an universal language for knowledge, especially science and technology, and it is important to master English as a second language beside our national language and mother-tongues of various races.
But to say that English is a universal language in our time for knowledge especially science and technology, is not a reason to deny the function of other languages in the same capacity, and subsequently condemn other languages as not fit to be used as a medium of instruction. This seems to be the hegemonic theory of the big powers in the process of globalisation!
If English is idolised to such an extent that our new generations could only be taught and educated in this foreign language, then where is the sovereignties of our national language and mother tongues of various races?
What about the self-esteem of the Malaysian people, if their languages are condemned as not fit to be used as a medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics, even in standard one, after being independent for half a century? Who is going to belief anymore that our languages including the national language are worthy of preserving and developing?
When Hishammuddin was asked to comment on the finding of the research revealed in the congress that half a million dropouts would be sacrificed as the result of implementation of the language policy. He said he did not study the findings yet, but was told by his officer that it was merely some sort of assumption.
DJZ’s bitter experience
The findings revealed in the congress in fact tallies with the research done by the Chinese Education Movement - Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ) , which discovered that students promoted from Chinese Primary Schools (SJKC) to Malay Secondary Schools (SMK), due to the switching of the medium of instruction from Chinese to Malay, only about 50 percent could survive the PMR examination, and about 25 % the SPM examination!
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If 75 percent dropouts occur due to the switching of the medium of instruction from Chinese to Malay, what is so strange then that the language policy would cause half a million casualties? Without even bothering to go through the research’s findings, it is rather irresponsible for Hishammuddin to dismiss it as merely some sort of assumption.
DJZ actually is an experienced education movement. In the 60s and 70s, many Chinese Secondary Independent Schools had adopted English as the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics subjects. As a result, many schools, especially those in rural areas were nearly closed down due to poor academic performances and insufficient student enrollments.
This is why DJZ so firmly opposes the teaching Science and Mathematics in English. DJZ repeatedly seeks to be granted an audience with the prime minister precisely to tell him of their bitter experience and try to convince him to give up the language policy. Three years have lapsed, and yet DJZ is still waiting to see the premier who claims to be people friendly and eager to hear the truth!
Besides DJZ’s bitter experience, now the Second Malay Education Congress has sounded its warning with their research findings. If the government still insists on the language policy without any review, who shall be held responsible if the net result is a large number of dropouts?
