Teaching of Maths and Science in English

The cabinet will soon make a decision on the teaching of Maths and Science in English.

MCA and Gerakan from the beginning were not in favour of teaching of Maths and Science in English.

On the other hand, MIC had supported the teaching of Maths and Science in English as it will increase the proficiency of students in the language. Students from Tamil schools had always had to adjust to learning of Maths and Science from Tamil to Bahasa Malaysia before the policy was implemented. With the use of English for Maths and Science for both primary and secondary level students, the issue of adjustment for Tamil School students was somewhat reduced.

MIC had always believed, and it is also the opinion of this scribe, that the use of English for Maths and Science in English will go a long way in helping students in their tertiary education where most of the research materials are in English. The importance of a good command of English cannot be understated and its continuous decline among our students had been alarming.

Therefore MIC welcomed the government's move to use English for teaching Maths and Science when it was introduced six years ago.

However, with the recent increase in calls to revert to the old system, the Education Ministery had called for feedbacks and held round-table discussions on the issue. YB Dato Seri Hishammuddin Hussein will be submitting a report on its finding to the cabinet for its deliberation.

Tamil school headmasters and parents during a round-table discussion organized by MIC had made it very clear that they are against teaching of Maths and Science in English. Despite MIC's own views on this issue, our cabinet representative, YB Dato Dr S Subramaniam has been instructed by MIC's Central Working Committee to convey their stand to the cabinet.

MIC President, YBhg Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu said although he believed that it was good for the students, especially in Tamil schools to master the English language, "but I have to listen and heed the views and wishes of the Tamil school headmasters and parents".

"They have a right to make their own decision. We can't impose on them our views. It is a matter that concerns their children and students. As such, we will abide to their request." he said.

Headmasters, teachers and parents of Tamil school students had taken a clear stand.

It will be interesting to hear the views of parents of children studying in Sekolah Kebangsaan. They have been silent on this issue. After all, the majority of Indian students are in Sekolah Kebangsaan.

What is your view?

Murugesan Sinnandavar

Pendatang Asing?

Dear Friends,

Thank you all for your comments and views. I have published all comments, except for those that do not carry a name or pseudonym. One comment was not published as it was a reproduction of an article published elsewhere. I value all comments, both in support and against. However, I have removed the chat-box as it is being abused to post lengthy comments and defamatory remarks.

As for Thefirewithin, I will try to write more often and keep it short. What to do, the nature of my profession as a lawyer had conditioned me to write lengthy 'submissions' and to cover all angels. Thefirewithin, if you had read my previous post, I don't think BN, UMNO, MIC or for that matter DSSV would be too happy about it. I pen my thoughts with my conscience, decorum and law as my guide. Thanks for enquiring about my arm; it was my right foot actually. Nice of you to enquire, really.

Now, on with our business.

It was brought to my attention the following paragraph from a Form Four Textbook, "Sejarah Tingkatan 4 (Edisi 2007) - Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka" under the heading "Kemasukan Buruh dari India", at page 255:

"Ringkasnya, kemajuan dan kemakmuran Tanah Melayu telah berjaya menarik minat imigran untuk datang ke sini dan keadaan ini berterusan hingga kini. Kita seharusnya berbangga dengan negara kita yang menjadi tumpuan pendatang asing kerana kekayaan dan kemakmurannya. Di satu sudut yang lain pula, masyarakat tempatan seharusnya lebih giat, berinisiatif dan bersedia mengusahakan sendiri kekayaan negara, terutamanya bagi mereka yang tidak bermodal besar. Jika tidak, orang asing yang sentiasa mengintai peluang untuk mengambil ruang tersebut, akan mengambil alih peranan kita, seperti yang berlaku pada hari ini."

Who are the "pendatang asing" they are referring to? If the Chinese and Indians are still referred to as the "pendatang asing", even after 51 years of "Merdeka", where does that leave us as a nation? What has become of our National Integration if our text-book refer to the Chinese and Indians as "pendatang asing"?
Remember the uproar that was caused a decade ago when Lee Kim Sai (if I am not mistaken) of MCA said that if Chinese and Indians are "pendatang", then historically Malays are also "pendatang"?

The above mentioned textbook was written from a point of view of a Malay, not Malaysian. How can we ever dream of becoming One Nation if our history is written with such myopic view?

I had highlighted this issue to the press during the press conference held in conjunction with the opening ceremony of MIC Youth's new office. I am not sure how many newspapers will carry this story but as of now I was informed that Sin Chew Daily will carry it. Probably the Tamil Dailies will too.

In any event, this issue, together with the Teluk Panglima Garang teacher's issue will be some of the matters that will be raised at the next BN Education Bureau meeting.

Before I sign off, my apologies if I write infrequently. However, I will not write unless I have some undiscovered facts or a fresh point of view to share. At times the nature of my profession is such that it throws up sudden and urgent work.

Have a good weekend. I am off to Pangkor with my division youths for a short break. God bless Malaysia.

Murugesan Sinnandavar

MIC Youth bureau: 'Racist' teacher deserves sterner lesson

Source : http://www.malaysia kini.com/ news/87628


MIC Youth bureau: 'Racist' teacher deserves sterner lesson

Aug 12, 08 12:05pm

The MIC Youth education bureau is irked by how a teacher who hurled stinging racial remarks at her students had been let off the hook.

The teacher had since been transferred to another school in the same district, but the bureau argued that this was not a form of punishment at all.

In a statement, bureau chief M Saravanan expressed dissatisfaction with the Education Ministry regarding this matter.

"This is an issue which touches on racial sentiments. It does not involve an individual but refers to a large number of Indian students.

"The teacher's apology to the students and parents involved is not the best solution and does not diminish the gravity of her action," he said.

"Transferring (to another school) is not a form of punishment or harsh (enough) punishment for a teacher who crossed the boundaries," he added.

Police reports lodged

Earlier this month, two students from SMK Telok Panglima Garang in Hulu Langat filed police reports against the history teacher.

They revealed that the teacher had called Indian students 'keling pariah', 'Negro' and 'black monkeys', amongst other derogatory names.

In the reports, the Form Four and Form Five students said the teacher also told students during class that 'Indians came from dogs', Indians are 'children of prostitutes' and the community is 'stupid'.

She also supposedly stated that the community's youths 'do not have testicles', 'always menstruate' and indulge in 'thuggery and theft'.

Meanwhile, Saravanan said any action taken by the ministry must serve as a strong lesson for other educators.

He said the teacher had tarnished the dignity and professionalism of her profession and therefore was not qualified to be an educator.

He also quoted Deputy Education Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong as saying during an interview that if the teacher was found guilty, stern action such as even dismissal would be taken.

"Transferring (her) to another school is not a stern action as promised," said Saravanan.

The education bureau chief also stated that the teacher must open apologise to all quarters through the media.

He also noted that other teachers might do the same thing in order to get transfers to another school.

The statement also revealed that the points raised by the bureau were endorsed by the parents and residents in the area.

------------------------------------------ end of report ----------------------------------------

Note: Mr. M.Saravanan will be meeting the Minister of Education YB Dato Seri Hishamuddin personally to convey the people's dissatisfaction and present a memorandum pressing for harsher punishment.

Murugesan Sinnandavar

Education, the Foundation of a Nation

With all the political circus that is going on around us, I doubt if many would be interested in talking about the ‘mundane’ issue of education. However, it is a subject close to my heart and I would like to jot down some views here.

Education is the very foundation of a country. It is the one fundamental that must be set right to build a strong nation. Our education system, though not terribly wrong, is not right either. Each Minister of Education will be sworn in and he will proceed with ad hoc changes to the system before moving up the political hierarchy. We are left with an education system that is incapable of producing students in keeping with the demands of the global economy or contribute towards national integration.

Each year we spend billions on mega projects and on military expenditure, yet we don’t spend enough to develop our education system. I am not referring to the money spent on maintaining our schools but about the fund needed to expand and upgrade the entire system.

Here are some facts that indicate that all is not right with our education system:

1. It has become a norm rather then the exception to send children for tuition. Children not only take tuition on subjects that they are weak in but for all subjects.
2. Most Chinese parents send their children to the Chinese Type National Schools and not National Schools. Chinese students form a distant third ethnic group in National Schools despite being the second biggest group in the country.
3. We still don’t have enough buildings to cater for a single session school system despite being independent for more then 50 years. Countries like India that has lesser per capita income then ours, could manage a single session school system.
4. A significant number of National Type Tamil Schools and schools in the interiors of Sabah and Sarawak lack basic infrastructures and are in such a state that is not conducive for learning.
5. A significant number of affluent upper middle class families prefer to send their children to private schools and those with ‘connections’ prefer to send their children to International Schools.

Where are we heading with a system that does not command the confidence of the populace? Why should parents spend extra on tuition fees when a comprehensive education system is supposed to cover all our educational needs?

Another area that must be looked into is the quality of teachers. Yes, there are dedicated and able teachers but do they form the majority of the staff or are they in the minority? Those with the ability to produce excellent results often end up dedicating their time in giving tuition. It is perplexing when a student takes private tuition from the very teacher that is teaching him the same subject in school.

Teachers Training College should not be the dumping ground for graduates with degree in courses that no one else will hire nor be the last choice option for students with no where else to go. Government must make Teachers Training College a centre of excellence in education and attract the ablest students to enroll there.

In order to attract the best, the government must make teaching an attractive profession with paychecks and perks to match. Why shouldn’t we spend more on training our teachers and retaining the best? The quality of students will be in direct proportion with the quality of the teaching staff.

It’s about time the government look into our education system comprehensively and holistically. We should formulate mid-term and long term education policies that involve the entire government machinery, just like the Five Year Economic Policies and Overall Perspective Plan (OPP) that we have for our economy.

In the long run, we will not be able to compete globally and retain our edge if we rely on an outdated and limping education system. If we are to set our country back on the right track, we have to strengthen the foundation of our education upon which the tracks are to be laid.

Murugesan Sinnandavar

PRESS STATEMENT - PSD Scholarship

Ahmad Ikmal’s statement that UMNO Youth was against increasing the PSD’s scholarship quota for non-Bumiputra applicants from 10 per cent to 45 per cent is a step in the wrong direction.

Whilst it is understandable that Ahmad Ikmal has the interest of the Malay students at heart, leaders of BN should not forget that we represent all Malaysians and must place the interest of the Nation first.

The Malay students need not fear or worry as the government did not decrease the number of Malay students offered PSD Scholarship (1,100) compared to previous years. Nor did they increase the requirement to qualify for such scholarships.

The government merely increased the number students that have been offered scholarships in keeping with the large number of non-Malay students that had obtained excellent results. This bodes well for the country and our brain bank.

The cry of non-Malay students that performed well above the minimum cut-off point but were turned down for PSD Scholarship year after year is a clear indication that the 10% quota for non-Malays was grossly unfair and deprived many excellent students from pursuing their dream. An increase to 45% is a step in the right direction and must be welcomed by all.

We must not forget that all students, irrespective of race are children of this Nation and must be equitably nurtured.

The government must work towards establishing our education system based on meritocracy to benefit from its best students.

Murugesan Sinnandavar
MIC CWC Member

Need for Meritocracy in Our Education System - Part 1

It’s that time of the year again when students get their SPM and STPM results. Nerve wrecking as it may be, getting good grades is just half the story. The other half has to do with getting suitable courses in universities or colleges and scholarships that comes with it. All your student life, nay, your entire life (and in some cases, the entire family’s) has been geared towards this moment.

Students would have put in hours after hours of hard work for years to get the best possible results. A fantastic result is a cause for joy for the entire family but that’s just the beginning of the next battle; proper placement. There, things are not entirely in the hands of the students. Higher forces are at play.

This brings back memories of my own school days. My secondary schooling was at SM La Salle Klang, a school rich in it’s tradition of excellence and discipline. I remember parents who enrolled their children in La Salle used to brag about it, as if it was a kind of achievement on its own. Although most well-to-do parents in Klang preferred to send their children to La Salle at that time, it had a good mix of students from upper, middle and working class families.

At La Salle , we were treated equally and were judged based on merits. There were children of state exco members, YB’s, business tycoons and laborers alike. Your religion, race or family background didn’t count for much (unless of course there was a fund-raising). We were constantly reminded that our ticket to a bright future depended on how well we performed academically, coupled with good discipline and some extra curricular achievement for a good measure. We, in La Salle Klang played hard and studied harder.

I had a long time rival in school, Maniyamuthan. We were both in the same class from Form One to Form Six. We were friends but were also fierce rivals when it came to exams. Most of the time Maniyamuthan came out first in class and I used to come in second. However, in SRP (now PMR) I upped him by becoming the top student in school by scoring 8As. Not to be out-done, he came storming back in SPM as the top student with 9As and I came in a distant second with only 7As (although I came out first in the trial!).

We were both from working class families. Therefore, our hopes for a bright future hinged on us obtaining excellent results and getting a ‘suitable’ course on scholarship. There were many other bright students from all races in my school and we all grew up as brothers. However, imagine the despair, hurt and sense of unfairness when none of the non-bumiputra top students were offered JPA Scholarship after SPM.

Our Malay brothers who had good or even average results were offered scholarships to continue their studies overseas. Maniyamuthan and I, despite being the top two students in school didn’t qualify for the JPA Scholarship.

Some of the Malay students who were offered scholarships were deserving but many weren’t; by ordinary standards. Students who did half as well and whose parents were directors of large corporations or high ranking civil servants were offered to further their studies in the USA whilst we, the non-Malay students who had given our all, were consigned to Form Six.

Students from La Salle did their Form Six at Sekolah Tengku Ampuan Rahimah which was just across the street. There were only two Malay students in our Bio-Math’s class and even they were from another school. All our Malay ‘peers’ from La Salle had gone overseas on scholarships. What we were left with were two Malay students from another school who didn’t make the cut. Things were never the same for anyone of us after that; both the Malays and non-Malays.

It was not the fault of our Malay brothers and most of them genuinely felt sorry for us that we weren’t offered scholarships despite having better results. It was the failing of a system that chose one over the other based on race and not merits.

It’s been twenty four years since; regrettably the same cycle is still being played out today in schools all across Malaysia. Imagine the number of students that would have been affected by this form of partiality through the years. A whole generation of Malaysians would have grown up being taught to strive to be the best but would have ‘learnt’ the hard way that the best does not necessarily win.

The policy makers might have had a national agenda of getting more Malays into government sponsored foreign university programmes to balance up the perceived racial inequality. However, they failed miserably on another important front. They failed to nurture and care for all the nation’s children equitably. The policy has left almost half of its children with a sense of alienation and disenchantment.

With that, they killed the spirit and trust of those children that knew only this country as their own and who would have laid down their lives in her protection.

The system was also unjust in that it robbed the dignity of the truly deserving Malay students who would have nevertheless earned their rightful place in a merit based system. Excellence both in the Malays and non-Malays were punished by rewarding the mediocre.

Any effort towards national integration will be futile and a mere gloss over if the educational policy is perceived to be discriminatory. Excellence must be justly rewarded and our children must feel that they are on a level playing ground to enable them to bond seamlessly.

For the survival of this nation and to nurture the spirit of this country, the government must treat all its children equally, regardless of race. Equal educational opportunity must be given to all. Inequality in this field will only serve to diminish the credibility of our educated population.

Education is the life-line of a Nation. This lifeline should never be chocked by the debris of mediocrity. Let the best student be given the best opportunity. Without it, this nation will never achieve greatness.

Murugesan Sinnandavar