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Media Statement on PPSMI Soft Landing

November 8th, 2011
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I have a feeling that the “soft landing” from PPSMI to MBMMBI will be an arduous, bumpy and costly journey. So for the record, below is the media statement by Education Minister, in case we need to refer to it in near future.

 

 KENYATAAN AKHBAR

YAB TAN SRI DATO’ HJ MUHYIDDIN HJ MOHD YASSIN

TIMBALAN PERDANA MENTERI MALAYSIA

DAN MENTERI PELAJARAN

MENGENAI PELAKSANAAN SOFT-LANDING PPSMI

 

Kerajaan pada tahun 2009 telah mengambil keputusan untuk memansuhkan Dasar Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI) dan menggantikannya dengan Dasar Memartabatkan Bahasa Malaysia dan Memperkukuhkan Bahasa Inggeris (MBMMBI).

Dengan pemansuhan PPSMI, murid di sekolah rendah akan mengikuti pengajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Malaysia di Sekolah Kebangsaan, Bahasa Cina di SJKC dan Bahasa Tamil di SJKT. Manakala di sekolah menengah, Bahasa Malaysia akan digunakan sepenuhnya dalam pengajaran Matematik dan Sains.

Untuk membolehkan murid menyesuaikan diri dengan perubahan bahasa dalam tempoh peralihan dasar, Mesyuarat Jemaah Menteri pada bulan Julai 2009 juga telah membenarkan Kementerian Pelajaran melaksanakan pendekatan soft-landing.

Berdasarkan keputusan tersebut, Kementerian Pelajaran pada tahun 2010 telah menetapkan dasar MBMMBI dimulakan pada tahun 2011 di mana murid Tahun 1 pada tahun ini mengikuti pengajaran dan pembelajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Malaysia sepenuhnya. Sebagai langkah intervensi untuk mempercepatkan proses peralihan daripada bahasa Inggeris ke bahasa Malaysia di semua peringkat persekolahan, Kementerian juga memutuskan bermula tahun 2012, murid Tingkatan 1 akan mengikuti pengajaran dan pembelajaran matematik dan sains dalam bahasa Malaysia sepenuhnya.

Walaubagaimanapun, peralihan kepada bahasa Malaysia pada Tingkatan 1 bermula tahun hadapan telah menimbulkan kerisauan ibubapa kerana dibimbangi anak-anak mereka yang telah mengikuti pengajaran dan pembelajaran dalam bahasa Inggeris selama enam tahun di sekolah rendah tidak dapat menyesuaikan diri dengan peralihan bahasa secara mendadak.

Setelah mengambil kira pandangan ibu bapa, kabinet pada hari ini memutuskan untuk membenarkan murid sekolah rendah kohort PPSMI untuk meneruskan pengajaran dan pembelajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Inggeris sepenuhnya, bahasa Malaysia sepenuhnya atau dalam kedua-dua bahasa apabila mereka memasuki Tingkatan 1 bermula tahun hadapan.

Ini bermakna semua murid kohort PPSMI yang mengikuti pengajaran dan pembelajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Inggeris dibenar untuk meneruskan pengajaran dan pembelajaran dalam bahasa Inggeris sehingga tamat Tingkatan 5.

Perlu diperjelaskan di sini juga, murid Tahun 3 hingga Tahun 6 2012 dibenarkan untuk meneruskan pengajaran dan pembelajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Inggeris, bahasa Malaysia atau kedua-dua bahasa di sekolah kebangsaan ; bahasa Inggeris, bahasa Cina atau kedua-dua bahasa di SJKC; dan bahasa Inggeris, bahasa Tamil atau kedua-dua bahasa di SJKT seperti yang diputuskan oleh jemaah Menteri pada bulan Julai 2009.

Bagi murid yang telah mengikuti pengajaran dan pembelajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Malaysia atau dalam kedua-dua bahasa, mereka dibenar mengikuti pengajaran dan pembelajaran dalam bahasa Malaysia sepenuhnya.

Dengan keputusan ini, pemansuhan PPSMI adalah kekal. Kerajaan tidak bercadang untuk melaksanakan semula PPSMI seperti yang dituntut oleh sesetengah pihak.

Bagaimanapun, kerajaan berharap keputusan yang membenarkan murid kohort PPSMI, iaitu murid Tahun 2 hingga Tingkatan 5 tahun ini untuk meneruskan pembelajaran dalam BI sehingga tamat tingkatan 5 dapat melegakan hati ibubapa. Kerajaan yakin dengan keputusan ini pencapaian murid kohort PPSMI dalam peperiksaan UPSR, PMR dan SPM tidak akan terjejas.

Dengan pendekatan soft-landing ini, pengajaran dan pembelajaran matematik dan sains di sekolah rendah akan dilaksanakan dalam bahasa Malaysia sepenuhnya pada tahun 2016. Manakala di sekolah menengah, penggunaan bahasa Malaysia sepenuhnya bagi kedua-dua matapelajaran ini adalah pada tahun 2021.

Kajian Kementerian Pelajaran ke atas semua sekolah di bawah Kementerian menunjukkan bahawa kebanyakan sekolah telah melaksanakan pengajaran dan pembelajaran sains dan matematik dalam bahasa Malaysia.

Dapatan kajian menunjukkan, kurang 5 peratus daripada jumlah kelas di 7,495 buah sekolah rendah menggunakan bahasa Inggeris sepenuhnya dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran matematik dan sains. Manakala di peringkat sekolah menengah, kurang 9 peratus daripada jumlah kelas di 2,192 buah sekolah menggunakan bahasa Inggeris dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran matematik dan sains. Berdasarkan dapatan ini, kebanyakan murid mengikuti pengajaran dan pembelajaran matematik dan sains dalam bahasa Malaysia.Dapatan kajian ini membuktikan bahawa PPSMI tidak dapat dilaksanakan sepertimana yang dihasratkan.

Hasil kajian lapangan yang dijalankan oleh Kementerian dengan mengumpulkan maklumat melalui pemerhatian di dalam kelas, pengalaman guru dan amalan di bilik darjah serta temubual murid-murid mendapati murid sukar memahami matapelajaran matematik dan sains dalam bahasa Inggeris. Murid mengambil masa yang lama untuk memahami konsep matematik dan sains kerana mereka tidak faham bahasa Inggeris. Ini memaksa guru-guru untuk mengajar dalam bahasa Malaysia supaya murid dapat memahami kedua-dua matapelajaran tersebut. Masalah seperti ini bukan sahaja dialami oleh sekolah-sekolah di luar bandar, tetapi juga di bandar. Oleh yang demikian, sekiranya PPSMI diteruskan, sebahagian besar murid di negara kita tidak akan dapat menguasai ilmu matematik dan sains dengan baik dan mereka akan terus ketinggalan.

Pemansuhan PPSMI tidak bermakna kerajaan mengabaikan kepentingan penguasaan bahasa Inggeris. Di bawah dasar MBMMBI, Kementerian sedang melaksanakan pelbagai inisiatif baru yang lebih efektif untuk meningkatkan penguasaan bahasa Inggeris dalam kalangan murid.

Antara inisiatif tersebut ialah penambahan masa pengajaran dan pembelajaran bahasa Inggeris, penambahbaikan kurikulum bahasa Inggeris di bawah pelaksanaan Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR), penyediaan guru, pengambilan penutur jati bagi meningkatkan kapasiti pensyarah dan guru Bahasa Inggeris, penyediaan bahan sokongan yang berkualiti seperti bahan bacaan tambahan dan bahan digital bagi menyokong pelaksanaan pengajaran dan pembelajaran di bilik darjah.

Kementerian Pelajaran juga sedang mengkaji beberapa inisatif baru untuk dilaksanakan seperti program Oracy Skills (OPS-ENG) yang bertujuan untuk meningkatkan penguasaan lisan dalam kalangan murid, kelas berdasarkan Sistem Set, peningkatan kualiti dan kepelbagaian bahan pengajaran, pembangunan profesionalisme guru dan kecekapan pengurusan panitia bahasa Inggeris di sekolah.

Kerajaan berharap pemansuhan PPSMI dan pelaksanaan dasar MBMMBI dapat meningkatkan penguasaan bahasa Inggeris, ilmu sains dan matematik di kalangan pelajar serta mendaulatkan bahasa kebangsaan.

Pejabat YAB Timbalan Perdana Menteri

4 November 2011

source: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=306975049312877

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Posted in BornInMalaysia, Tamil-Schools

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Who caused failure of PPSMI?

November 6th, 2011
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This is what the DPM said:

Tan Sri Muhyiddin (picture), who is also the Education Minister informed the press that the decision taken to implement the Upholding Bahasa Malaysia, Strengthening the Command of English policy, (BMMBI), which would have replaced PPSMI was supported by all members of parliament, including those from the Opposition.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin pointed out that s study conducted by the Education Ministry shows that a total of 5 – 7 per cent of schools under the Ministry had implemented the PPSMI when the policy was introduced in 2003, while the majority resorted to a mixed-language medium, and some had even conducted full lessons in Bahasa Malaysia.

Question now is who caused the failure of PPSMI? Who is going to take responsibility for the failure of its implementation? For the wastage of millions of Ringgits? Who jeopardized the education of students for last 8 years? Teachers? Students? HMs? PTAs/PIBGs? Ministers? Senior officials? Some junior officers?

If I’m not mistaken in 2003, the Education Minister was Musa Muhammad (1999 – 2004), followed by Hishamuddin Hussein Onn (2004 – 2009), and now Muhyiddin Yassin (2009 till present).

Next question: What is the guarantee that MBMMBI would be successfully implemented? Would it cost wastage of millions before we make up another complicated acronym of a policy?

 

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Parliament sitting on Deepavali eve cancelled

October 21st, 2011
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Parliament sitting on eve is cancelled. All questions for the day to be replied in writing. The request was made by DAP MPs to Speaker and Minister Nazri last week, which the cabinet also discussed and agreed to postpone in view of the religious festivals the next day. As you may know, parliament sittings can drag to night, especially nowadays. So, not only MPs affected, but also various other staff, journalists, drivers, etc.

While the decision is good, one should always take in the “lesson learnt” so that its not repeated in future. As per my suggestion, time to send officials for sensitivity and common-sense courses. No point talking about creativity and innovation when much more simpler things also we are lacking.

Read about my earlier article on the parliament sitting issue here.

source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/10/19/no-parliament-sitting-on-deepavali-eve/

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Posted in BornInMalaysia, Indian, Religion

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MIC creates Mainco for economic uplifting

October 21st, 2011
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Yeah, I know, one of the first thing that crosses our mind is – Not another MAIKA! A reader in MK also voiced the same.  Just to quote one example from that letter:

 

… Last but not least, the proposal to set-up 200,000 hectares of Indian owned plantations is eerily similar to Maika’s past record which eventually ended in the fragmentation of these estates in areas such as Tumbuk Estate, Kuala Langat.

To date, there is a community of 30 ex-plantation workers who are still waiting for the houses and gratuity compensation promised by Maika which never materialised, thanks to Maika’s failure to protect the best interests of its employees.

So, here’s the story: MIC has set up a company known as Mainco (Malaysian Indian Company/MIC Investment Company?). The purpose is to access various projects under all the TPs (ETP mainly, but I guess can extend to GTP, RTP too). However, there’s no mention if Mainco will ask the community to invest ala MAIKA. I strongly think they shouldn’t, as the comparison will be made to MAIKA. Perhaps at a later stage can consider listing or cooperative style membership, if the investment is successful.

So far, there’s some mention of getting soft loan from government to kickstart the company.

The other issue is who will benefit from such a company. Would it be cronyism all over? A case of “who you know” rather than “what you know” may get you the projects.  Anyway, we shall wait and see how it progress.  Would be interesting to see the roadmap/blueprint of plans and also how transparency is built-into the operation, organisation and management of the company.

The MIC has set up a special purpose vehicle known as Mainco Bhd to tap into the many development projects unveiled by the government in order for the Malaysian Indian community to reap the economic benefits from these projects.

Mainco, which has already been registered, would vie for business opportunities under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) such as those arising from the Mass Rapid Transit and the Greater Kuala Lumpur development projects, MIC president G Palanivel said today.

It would also acquire new businesses or buy into listed companies.

To operationalise Mainco and undertake these activities, MIC will ask for government support by way of soft loans, said Palanivel (right), who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

“We want to make Mainco a successful business group and empower the Indian community,” he told Bernama in an interview.

The move would also contribute to efforts to lift the community onto the country’s mainstream of economic development from being a sub-stream community now.

He said the MIC was also requesting the government to award eight percent of the civil contracts in the country to Indian Malaysians.

This will enable Indian Malaysian contractors to make higher profit margins.

“Otherwise, if an Indian Malaysian uses other people’s license, then the profit margin will be very minimal, so we are looking at direct contract award,” he added.

Asked when all these plans would come to fruition, he said, “We need time and the support of the government.”

MIC was preparing the project paper containing all its proposals on how “we can work with the government and the private sector,” said Palanivel.

The MIC president expressed confidence in the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, which was more sensitive and responsive than before the 2008 elections.

The government’s speedy response was evident when the Suria Cooperative proposed by MIC just after he took over was set up speedily with an RM8 million fund to provide financial help to Indian Malaysian retailers and enable traders to expand their businesses.

Furthermore, in the 2012 Budget, unveiled on Oct 7, he said the government had accepted MIC’s proposal for RM100 million to be set aside for Indian Malaysian entrepreneurs especially for women under Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia.

The same amount has also been extended to the Chinese Malaysian community.

He said the MIC was also looking at Indian Malaysian participation in future eco-friendly projects such as extracting oil and essences from fragrant flowers.

“There is a demand for such environmentally-friendly products in European countries where consumers are willing to pay a premium,” he said.

Dairy projects including cattle farming to produce milk and milk by-products were also in the pipeline, said Palanivel.

There were plans to set up Indian Malaysian-owned palm oil plantations for which the MIC had requested for 20,000 hectares of land and funding, he said.

‘Soft loans rather than grants’

He reiterated that the MIC preferred requesting for soft loans from the government rather than grants to operationalise plans to uplift the economic status of the Indian community.

As to the economic standing of the community, he said more than 30 percent of Indian Malaysians could be categorised as low-income economy.

And many do not even have any income and some earn below RM500 per month, doing menial jobs like washing plates.

This was evident from the thousands of Indian Malaysians who turned up at the party’s Sunday service centres nationwide, be they from rural or urban areas.

“They look impoverished,” he said.

“The poor have to be mainstreamed, we have to empower, mentor and counsel them and in the process build up their capacity. We need a 10-year plan to bring the community out of its present rot,” he said.

Palanivel said that a good percentage of Indian Malaysians have been deprived and this “deprivation has led to violence, robbery and murders”.

“The community has lost its empowerment and capacity,” he said, adding that the time has come for deliverance out of poverty and low income.

source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/179059

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Indian Cultural Centre in Klang?

October 20th, 2011
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 Interesting news indeed. Wonder when this Indian cultural centre will be completed and how exactly the state government plans to source additional funds from private sector.

BTW, what happened to proposal to set up Indian Cultural Centre in Batu Caves in 2008?

 

An Indian cultural centre will be built in Klang, Tamil Nesan reported.

The paper quoted Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar as saying that the state government had allocated RM2mil for the centre, with added funds to be sourced from the private sector.

A plot of land of about four to six hectares by the Klang river had been earmarked for the project, he said after attending the Navarathiri religious prayers at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Kota Kemuning.

The event marked an auspicious Hindu festival to symbolise the triumph of good over evil.

Dr Xavier said discussions were being held with the Indian High Commission as well as various cultural and religious organisations to ensure that elements of Indian culture and identity were reflected in the making of the centre.

source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/13/nation/9684400&sec=nation

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