Gomen to scrap PPSMI............

The teaching of the two key subjects in English, a policy known by its Malay acronym PPSMI, was the brainchild of former premier Mahathir Mohamad. He introduced it in schools in 2003 despite loud protests.

Now, it is set to reverse a controversial policy by scrapping the teaching of mathematics and science in English in primary schools, an influential online newspaper said yesterday. The policy will, however, be continued in secondary schools, the Malaysian Insider website reported.

An aide of Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein could not confirm the report when contacted yesterday.

The teaching of the two key subjects in English, a policy known by its Malay acronym PPSMI, was the brainchild of former premier Mahathir Mohamad. He introduced it in schools in 2003 despite loud protests.

He felt it could improve Malaysian students' poor English standards and keep them abreast of the two subjects, rather than have to wait for Bahasa Malaysia translations of mathematical and scientific works.

But rural Malays said their children have problems coping with the subjects when taught in English. Malay nationalists and Chinese educationists have also opposed the move, saying it would erode the mother-tongue languages.

The government under Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has since dithered over whether to continue with the policy.

The issue came to a head on March 7 when thousands of protesters took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur to hand a memorandum of protest against the policy to the Malaysian King.

PM Abdullah then asked Datuk Seri Hishamuddin to decide quickly whether to reverse the policy, but the Education Minister said this is a decision that should be made collectively by the Cabinet.

source : the straits times,singapore

Who says you can master English thru maths & science?

Scrap this PPSMI thing & make English a compulsory subject in the educational system........

Read here.

cheers.