M'sian policy change in teaching Maths & Science

The Hub : Miscellaneous Topics

Hello Guest, Login to post.

Topic started by nirosha sen on Tue Jul 14 7:11:57 2009. [Full View]

For Malaysians, July 8th was a rude awakening. We were forced to be confronted with yet another change in teaching Maths & Science from English back to vernacular languages - Malay, Tamil & Mandarin.

Put in your 2 cent's worth here and share your experiences abt schooling in general. Particularly, usurping vernacular languages in favour of English as medium of instruction.

Let's hear it!!

| RSS Feed | Email me when a reply is posted

Responses:

Full Thread
From: joe on Thu Aug 27 11:58:29 2009. [Full View]

app_engine
From: rajraj on Thu Aug 27 12:18:19 2009. [Full View]

joe: When I was a professor I had a Japanese student in my course on Logic Design. She always carried a dictionary with her ( English-Japanese-English). One day she walked into my office and asked me whether she could bring the dictionary to the tests. I said OK as long as there was no notes written in it. She brought the dictionary to all tests and the final examination. Guess what? She came out at the top beating all those who were educated in English medium in high schools (in the US). There is a lot of hype about English medium in Tamilnadu. In my days you could count the number of schools offering Englsih medium, most of them Anglo-Indian schools.
From: app_engine on Thu Aug 27 12:30:30 2009. [Full View]

equa,
Going back to my original statement that India / China are becoming economic powerhouses despite most part of primary education in local language...

Well, even if I'm willing to concede that the local language factor for basic edu has not contributed at all to the growth (or not contributed significantly), at the minimum it didn't HINDER them from performing good internationally (add Japan / Germany / France etc to this list as well).

That way the fear of Malaysians that getting their children's basic schooling in vernacular will hinder the individual's or country's economic progress is totally unfounded, IMSO.

OTOH, such education may in fact help other languages flourish and keep the overall "culture" fabric a lot more diversified than a monotonous "Coke-McD" culture
From: joe on Thu Aug 27 22:26:39 2009. [Full View]

இந்தி கற்பது பாவச்செயலா ? - discussion
http://jaihindpuram.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post_28.html

i also posted few comments there.
From: app_engine on Fri Aug 28 10:06:38 2009. [Full View]

Possible future ideas of Kapil Sibal :

Step 1 : Make Hindi learning compulsory as language 3 in TN

Step 2a: Make Hindi the "instructing medium" for other subjects in TN

Step 2b: Drop English as language 2 in TN (or make it "optional") and make Thamizh as language 2 in TN

Step 3: Make Thamizh as "optional language 2"

Step 4: Change medium of instruction for "non-professional" colleges to Hindi

Step 5: Change medium of instruction for professional colleges to Hindi

எல்லாரும் ஜோராக்கை தட்டுங்கோ
From: Plum on Fri Aug 28 10:36:32 2009. [Full View]

joe wrote:

இந்தி கற்பது பாவச்செயலா ? - discussion
http://jaihindpuram.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post_28.html

i also posted few comments there.

Joe, no point arguing. They always loop back to if you can accept English, why not Hindi?
"Why not" can be prefixed to anything. There is no point arguing with people who use that as basis for their logic.
From: app_engine on Fri Aug 28 10:59:29 2009. [Full View]

A few questions for my understanding of the situation in "developed" countries:

Is English taught as a compulsory (second) language in Japan / Germany / France / Holland and such countries?

Also, is English the medium of instruction at schools (upto 12th grade) while the local language is just learnt as a "2nd language" or "optional local language" ?

What is the medium of instruction in "majority" of universities in such developed countries, for engg / sciences? Is it English or the local language?
From: app_engine on Tue Sep 1 10:54:44 2009. [Full View]

Digression (somewhat related)

Nepal's VP loses his post because of refusal to take oath in Nepali.

http://dailythanthi.com/article.asp?NewsID=511263&disdate=9/1/2009
From: app_engine on Tue Sep 1 11:58:27 2009. [Full View]

http://www.dinamalar.com/new/fpnnewsdetail.asp?News_id=4807

Looks like DMK still holds on to the 2 language policy and does not support the imposition of the third

From: Sudhaama on Mon Sep 14 7:58:43 2009.

[Full View]

.

.Suicidal approach... killing COMPETITIVE PROSPECTS of their Posterity.

...Let us learn... from the BITTER EXPERIENCES of the Great CHINA and JAPAN.!

nirosha sen wrote:

It is high time... that all the World Governments... understand and well- realise... as well as FORESEE...

..that the present FAST trend is GLOBALISATION..... in all spheres, one after another.

..especially in Science, Engineering and Technology fields.

And the future World will be the SCIENTIFICALLY and INDUSTRIALLY ADVANCED Nations all over the Globe....

Most of the Careers will be Technical, Commerce and Trade oriented.

...with ample chances for Scientific advancements... unlike the present era.

Even Farming and Agriculture will be so advanced that just with a few Technical employees... vast Field- areas can be managed.

And the Uneducated will be CONDEMNED by the Society... beause there will be pratically NO EMPLOYMENT for the UNSKILLED Labourers.

..since all the Operations will be MECHANISED... or COMPUTERISED.

..because of Time-demands and FAST RESULTS.

Employment for every world Citzen... at one or the other stage of Career, will be in one or more different countries... apart from his Nation of birth.

So one common World Language.. preferably for Science-knowledge.. just to understand at least.. is quite IMPERATIVE..

...and that can be ONLY ENGLISH...

YES... MULTI-LINGUISTIC Europian settlers in USA.. realised it LONG LONG AGO.

Japan and China... is realising it now.. too late.

No doubt everyone's Mother tongue should be the Top-priority ..TO BEGIN WITH.!... during Elementary School studies mostly.

But the Subjects of MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE... must be taught through ENGLISH MEDIUM ONLY..... from the High School classes...

...for ALL THE GLOBAL STUDENTS... henceforth...

..if we are REALLY WISE enough with FORE-SIGHT.!!!
.

| RSS Feed | Email me when a reply is posted

Want to post a response?

(Hello Guest, you need to Login to post a response. Are you a New User? Register first.)

Back to Miscellaneous Topics forum