1. So the BN Gomen thru the DPM and Education Minister have make their stand:
DPM: ‘Teaching Maths and Science in dual languages not feasible’
PAGE warns BN of polls backlash from PPSMI snub
DAP pushes for optional PPSMI
Read in full here.
DPM: ‘Teaching Maths and Science in dual languages not feasible’
2. I find it kind of strange that a BN Government which said that they wanted to "memartabatkan" our National language our Bahasa Malaysia but tells us that the PPSMI option is not feasible when the Gomen can afford to pour billions of Ringgit into the vernacular school which is one of the factor causing race polarisation that we Malaysians are facing now.
3. If the Government is sincere in wanting to put Bahasa Malaysia supreme in education then it is high time that the Gomen show some real balls like the Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore Gomen of years ago and introduce the SatuSekolahUntukSemua System. Otherwise they are just talking politics and just sacrificing our children's education on the altars of political expediency.. I say politicians should never be allowed to decide on our national education policy, that job should be given to the education professionals.
4. The Gomen and the anti PPSMI group has really got themselves all mixed up, the PPSMI option is never about Bahasa Malaysia, it is about the best means of keeping pace with latest knowledge in this fast changing world. The Government talk about translation of documents and books from English to Bahasa Malaysia but is the Dewan Bahasa Pustaka up to the monumental job and not finished translation after the knowledge is obsolete? The answer is an obvious NO, it is an impossible task of keeping up translation of scientific work and discoveries. Pak Menteri tidak perlu gula-gula atau memperbodohkan rakyat Malaysia.
This is what Datin Azimah of PAGE has to say in reply to the BN Gomen still in denial after March 2008:
PAGE warns BN of polls backlash from PPSMI snub
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Barisan Nasional (BN) risks losing votes in upcoming polls if it continues barring students from learning science and maths using English in schools, a parents lobby group said today.
The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) wants the 10-year-old policy of teaching science and maths in English at national schools (PPSMI) to be made an option for students in primary and secondary schools.
“If it is political (decision on PPSMI) give us the PPSMI option in national primary and secondary schools, and we will give you the two-thirds majority, which you are making increasingly difficult for us to do.
“Do not make us give the opposition our vote,” said PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said in a statement to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today.
“We would not like the Najib administration to be remembered for abolishing PPSMI, for not regaining the two-thirds majority and for making our children yet another lost generation,” she said bluntly.
Noor Azimah stressed that the government’s past decision in introducing PPSMI in schools was not “flawed”, adding it would empower students with the skills and knowledge needed to compete with other countries should the policy be retained.
She criticised Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for saying yesterday that the education system will turn chaotic if parents were allowed to freely choose the medium of instruction for their children.
Calling it “unacceptable”, Noor Azimah charged that all science and mathematics teachers should be able to teach in either Bahasa Malaysia or English as the PPSMI policy had previously been in place for nine years.
“If the number of schools that choose English are small, then it would be even easier to provide the teachers. The reasons should be addressed head-on and not swept under the carpet after spending RM3 billion of the rakyat’s hard earned income. We want an explanation,” she said.
Noor Azimah said that the current education system only divided children according to race-based schools, a split that was slowly incorporating class differences as seen in the growing popularity of private and international schools.
She stressed that PPSMI was not about learning English through science and mathematics, but to provide the context to put the language into practise.
Opposition parties like the DAP have thrown their weight behind PAGE’s cause, demanding the Education Ministry be more flexible and give students the option which will enable the country to retain its best talents.
The growing row over the education policy has split the country along racial, political lines ahead of national polls likely to be called early next year.
Vocal fundamental groups are using the issue to champion their version of nationalism.
Several non-partisan civil societies have recently banded together to counter this tide but the powerful Malay-dominant political parties appear to be reluctant to commit to this hot potato issue ahead of the 13th general election.
Noor Azimah said that PAGE will be sending a letter of appeal to Najib on the matter tomorrow morning in Putrajaya. Source here.
The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) wants the 10-year-old policy of teaching science and maths in English at national schools (PPSMI) to be made an option for students in primary and secondary schools.
“If it is political (decision on PPSMI) give us the PPSMI option in national primary and secondary schools, and we will give you the two-thirds majority, which you are making increasingly difficult for us to do.
“Do not make us give the opposition our vote,” said PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said in a statement to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today.
“We would not like the Najib administration to be remembered for abolishing PPSMI, for not regaining the two-thirds majority and for making our children yet another lost generation,” she said bluntly.
Noor Azimah stressed that the government’s past decision in introducing PPSMI in schools was not “flawed”, adding it would empower students with the skills and knowledge needed to compete with other countries should the policy be retained.
She criticised Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for saying yesterday that the education system will turn chaotic if parents were allowed to freely choose the medium of instruction for their children.
Calling it “unacceptable”, Noor Azimah charged that all science and mathematics teachers should be able to teach in either Bahasa Malaysia or English as the PPSMI policy had previously been in place for nine years.
“If the number of schools that choose English are small, then it would be even easier to provide the teachers. The reasons should be addressed head-on and not swept under the carpet after spending RM3 billion of the rakyat’s hard earned income. We want an explanation,” she said.
Noor Azimah said that the current education system only divided children according to race-based schools, a split that was slowly incorporating class differences as seen in the growing popularity of private and international schools.
She stressed that PPSMI was not about learning English through science and mathematics, but to provide the context to put the language into practise.
Opposition parties like the DAP have thrown their weight behind PAGE’s cause, demanding the Education Ministry be more flexible and give students the option which will enable the country to retain its best talents.
The growing row over the education policy has split the country along racial, political lines ahead of national polls likely to be called early next year.
Vocal fundamental groups are using the issue to champion their version of nationalism.
Several non-partisan civil societies have recently banded together to counter this tide but the powerful Malay-dominant political parties appear to be reluctant to commit to this hot potato issue ahead of the 13th general election.
Noor Azimah said that PAGE will be sending a letter of appeal to Najib on the matter tomorrow morning in Putrajaya. Source here.
What PAGE has to say is not a threat, the DAP, opportunistic as usual has now done a U-turn to support the PPSMI option:
Blogger Tuan Syed has wrote a very persuasive article for the reinstatement of the PPSMI excerpts:
"Sudah tentu pada PRU13 nanti, isu PPSMI ini akan diambil kira ramai pengundi yang tidak setuju PPSMI ditamatkan. Di sini saya ingin memaparkan semula komen daripada sebilangan pembaca Blog ini yang sokong PPSMI diteruskan. Dan kemungkinan besarnya mereka tidak akan mengundi Kerajaan BN jika PPSMI ditamatkan.
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Samaada Kerajaan peduli atau tidak akan luahan hati oleh umum ini terpulang-lah kepada Kerajaan. Blog ini hanya menyalurkan pendapat dan pemikiran orang berkenaan PPSMI.
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Kerajaan cuma perlu memikirkan perkara berikut : jika PPSMI dikekalkan, Kerajaan tidak akan KEHILANGAN sebarang undi, terutama sekali undi orang Melayu, atas isu ini. (Makhluk anti-PPSMI itu yang berjambang putih dan berkelakuan ganjil seperti orang kurang siuman yang kerap merayau di kawasan Masjid India itu tidak akan mengundi Kerajaan, walau apa pun berlaku. Makhluk ganjil itu sudah sah penyokong Pembangkang).
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Tetapi sebaliknya jika Kerajaan menamatkan atau mansuhkan PPSMI, kemungkinanya paling ramai juga pengundi (terutama sekali pengundi Melayu) akan membantah tindakan ini dengan TIDAK mengundi BN. Sebenarnya "Mansuhkan PPSMI" ini bakal menjadi isu besar pada PRU13.
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Kerajaan seolah tidak peka bahawa isu pendidikan dan masa depan anak-anak kita adalah isu yang sangat besar dan sangat penting bagi terlalu ramai orang. Ini bukan perkara sia-sia atau isu remeh. Dan majoriti ibubapa Melayu inginkan anak-anak mereka menguasai Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris.
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Jadi sebenarnya pilihan bagi Kerajaan sangat mudah dan jelas :
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Pilihan Pertama : Tamatkan PPSMI, jejaskan peluang majoriti paling besar rakyat marhaen (yang tidak akan memasuki university) untuk menguasai Bahasa Inggeris yang akan seterusnya mengurangkan peluang mereka untuk mencapai kejayaan hidup. Maka oleh itu, BN akan menghadapi risiko kehilangan undi secara besar-besaran pada PRU 13.
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Pilihan Kedua : Teruskan saja PPSMI yang akan disambut dengan tepukan dan siulan meriah oleh majoriti orang Melayu, majoriti besar orang China, hampir kesemua orang India, majoriti penduduk Sarawak dan Sabah; PPSMI yang akan membina generasi muda yang mahir berbahasa Inggeris, yang akan peka sains dan teknoloji dalam bahasa Inggeris, yang akan mempunyai daya saing untuk mencari pekerjaan dan peluang niaga sehingga ke peringkat antarabangsa dan akan baik segala-galanya. Tambah lagi, jika PPSMI di teruskan, golongan yang begitu besar dan ramai ini tidak akan mempunyai alasan untuk memarahi Kerajaan BN (atas isu ini) di Peti Undi pada PRU13 kelak.
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Bagi saya, walaupun memerlukan cermin mata untuk membaca, tetapi penglihatan saya masih jelas untuk memahami bahawa pilihan yang paling mudah, terbaik dan betul adalah Pilihan Kedua.
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Bagi saya Pilihan Pertama adalah Pilihan Maut (Death Wish). Apakah Kerajaan kita rela membunuh diri?"
Does the BN Government of Najib Razak has a death wish or something? Do they want to win and win big in the next GE or are now just in warming up the seat mode waiting for the next GE and a change of Government.
I like many others do not want to hear other Menteri to say it, I want to hear from the guy where the buck stops at his table, I want to hear what YAB PM Najib decide on the PPSMI on behalf of the Government he leads.
I want him to remember that fateful day when he finally say no to the PPSMI, long after he finds himself and BN on the Opposition side of the Dewan Rakyat and reminisce on what could have been.
The BN Gomen still have time to do the right thing for our children's education. The decision window is still open and the rakyat only wants a fair decision from the leaders they choose to form the Gomen. If you cannot make that decision, then lets have a national referendum to reinstate the PPSMI or Not.
