Students Prefer Teaching of Maths, Science In English

KUCHING: Three Form 5 students here are of the opinion that the government should continue the Teaching of Maths and Science in English (PPSMI) policy.

They believed that continuing the good policy would further enhance Malaysian students’ competitiveness in the challenging era.

Bendy Tay Chuan Wei, 18, yesterday said the policy would benefit students in the long run.

The student from SMK Padungan reasoned that as English was a widely used international language, there was no reason that the policy, which was started in 2003, be not maintained.

“Ya, it should be continued because it would definitely become an advantage for students in future,” he said when met at a SPM workshop at a hotel here.

The Federal Cabinet decided in 2009 that the medium of instruction for Maths and Science will revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and mother-tongue languages in national-type schools from next year onwards.

The reason given was that PPSMI, which was introduced by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, had widened the gap between rural and urban students.

Beginning next year, students in Year One and Year Four in primary schools, and Form One and Form Four in secondary schools, will learn Maths and Science in Bahasa Malaysia.

Melissa Sally, 17, said PPSMI would make it easy for secondary students to face the language challenge at the higher level.

“This is because the main language used in universities and higher learning institutions is English. If we have built a strong fundamental, it would make our life later much easier,” said the student of SM St Teresa here.

Janet Kuek Keng Hua agreed with Tay and Melissa that PPSMI could help students master the English language.

The 17-year-old from SMK Bandar Kuching No 1 stressed that as English was the language of Science and Technology it would be wise for the authorities to carry on with the policy.

- TBP