Malaysiakini.com（http://www.malaysiakini.com）
Why not maths and science in Bajau, Dusun, Iban too?, 15 July 2009
by Joe Fernandez
Malaysians in Sabah and Sarawak are unhappy with the anticipated disruptions to the teaching of maths and science in schools from 2012. They also want to know why mother tongue education should be confined only to Tamil, Malay and Chinese.
Many prominent individuals in Malaysian Borneo expressed concern over the matter and gave their take on the subject.
Among them were Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF) chair Jeffrey Kitingan, state tourism, culture and environment minister Masidi Manjun, Kian Kok Chinese secondary school principal Lim Chian, former science advisor to the chief minister, Tham Nyip Shen, and Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu.
"The majority which includes Malaysians in Sabah and Sarawak should have been consulted," said Jeffrey.
"If there was to be a change, an option should have been given whether to continue with the present system of teaching the two subjects in English or switch back to the respective mother tongues."
He said that many urban schools in Sabah and especially in Sarawak have adjusted well to the teaching of maths and science in English. The students are from various ethnic backgrounds, come from middle and lower middle class families.
In the case of rural schools, continued Jeffrey, "the children should at least be given the choice of opting for mother tongue education in Dusun, Bajau, Iban, Bidayuh and other languages widely used in Malaysian Borneo".
"We do not have enough qualified teachers to teach students maths and science in English especially in the rural areas. This is a fact," said tourism minister Masidi, a Dusun from Ranau.
Case for English-medium schools
Jeffrey said research by BHF has shown that English is the adopted mother tongue of many people, not just Eurasians in Malaysian Borneo but also elsewhere in Malaysia,"
"There's a case for bringing back English-medium schools for these people, as national-type schools, just like that for Tamil and Chinese schools."
Jeffrey, a Harvard scholar, predicts that "the proposed switch will be disruptive as it's too abrupt".
He said the fact that the planned changes will only be enforced in 2012 meant that not only would it have an adverse impact on students from that year on but also in the run-up to the switchover.
He pointed out that a Form 1 student learning maths and science in English today, will have to switch to Malay for both subjects when he or she enters Form 4 in 2012.
Two years later, in 2014, the student will have to switch back again to English for both subjects when he or she enters either matriculation or Form 6 (STPM) in 2014.
Why must a student be forced to switch to Malay in mid-stream for two years, i.e. Form 4 and Form 5, and once again continue in English when he leaves secondary school.
That the switchover is politically-motivated is not far-fetched. It may have had something to do with the just-concluded Manek Urai by-elections in Kelantan and expected snap general election in 2012.
National schools (Malay) will switch to Malay for the teaching of maths and science in 2012 for Year 1, Year 4, Form 1 and Form 4. Similarly, national-type schools (Tamil and Chinese) will be allowed to switch to their respective mother tongues for the teaching of the two subjects.
Matriculation and Form 6 would continue to be in English for maths and science.
No reason to make the changes
"Chinese private secondary schools in Sabah see no compulsion to make the change and plan to continue teaching both maths and science in the English language," said Kitingan.
"I wonder if this means that they will be sitting for both these subjects in PMR and SPM in the English language."
Kian Kok Chinese Private Secondary School in Kota Kinabalu appears to speak for all private schools, including the Chinese, in Malaysian Borneo when it confirmed that the teaching of maths and science will continue as usual in English after 2012.
"There is no compulsion in the proposed changes announced by the government recently. It doesn't mean that because we are a Chinese school, we must teach maths and science in Chinese," said Kian Kok's Lim Chian in a telephone interview with Malaysiakini. "We will continue to teach math and science in the English language."
"If the PMR and SPM are going to be conducted in only mother tongues for maths and science, we would teach these subjects in English and Malay."
Interestingly, he didn't stress on the importance of teaching maths and science in Chinese at his school which is funded by the public, wealthy donors and monthly student subscriptions averaging RM200 per month.
Lim said the school's decision is purely motivated by concerns over the welfare of the students and their future "which would be rather bleak without the English language".
"Many of our students are also hoping to get a scholarship for further studies," said Lim. "Scholarships are only meant for those who have a good command of the English language."
Chinese and private secondary schools in Sabah and Sarawak have generally been using the English language for the teaching of maths and science even before independence.
Former PM inspired by Chinese schools
The policy has continued in Malaysian Borneo, even after English medium schools were phased out and became national schools.
Lim claimed that former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in fact "inspired by the experience of Chinese schools in teaching maths and science in English". "
He knew that Chinese schools were doing well in both subjects and the English language as well," said Lim.
"He didn't want Government schools to be left out and that's why he introduced the teaching of math and science in English in national schools and national-type schools."
Tham Tham Nyip Shen, also a former deputy chief minister and ex-deputy president of Sapp (Sabah Peoples Progressive Party), stressed on his own experience where he had his primary education in Chinese and secondary education in English.
"I entered secondary school not speaking a word of English," said Tham. "Yet four years later i.e. including one year spent in bridge class, I was the only one in Form 3 at my school in Keningau to score distinctions in both math and science."
Tham feels that as a Chinese, he would lose out on the lessons to be learnt from the Chinese civilisation if he didn't know Chinese. At the same time, he would like to learn Sanskrit as well, if possible, since China's religion and much of her philosophy came from India.
"Knowledge is best obtained in the original language," said Tham in explaining his interest in the Sanskrit language. "So, for the acquisition of scientific knowledge, the importance of the English language cannot be ignored or under estimated.
"Much of the original scientific discoveries are in this language. There are so many things on science in the English language that would be lost in translation to another language."
Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew laments the billions wasted in switching to the English language for the teaching of maths and science. He sees even more billions being wasted on the switch back to the mother tongues from 2012 for the teaching of both subjects.
"English should be just a subject at the primary school level. But English should be the medium of instruction in bridge class," said Hiew.
"At the secondary level, English should also be the medium of instruction in government-aided schools and private schools, while national-type schools can have the choice of using both English and Malay to teach a subject."
・La Salle Secondary School, Kota Kinabalu
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