Tuesday, December 6, 2011

PPSMI : Kajang convent's illogical move

This is a letter from a parent which appeared in The New Straits Times (letters to the editors). Looks like this issue will not be going away soon. However, we can't blame any parents for wanting the best for their children. We should allow all voices to be heard.

The New Straits Times, 6 December 2011

PPSMI: Kajang convent's illogical move

I WISH to highlight the manner in which the Kajang Convent primary school has implemented the Education Ministry's directive on the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English for the coming year.

The school has decided that it will not be teaching  Year Four pupils these subjects in English.


The school has been telling parents that it does not have the capacity to teach the subjects in the language.


This comes as a surprise considering that over the last six years the school has produced the best results in the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR)  in Selangor.


How is it that the same faculty of teachers who could teach the subjects in English overnight say its teaching staff couldn't do so?


Education director-general Datuk Seri Abd Ghafar Mahmud, in an interview with the New Sunday Times on Nov 6, had indicated that school heads could choose to have Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia or English, or in both languages for a particular level from next year and parents would be allowed to transfer their children to other schools if the option they want is not offered in their current schools.


The school's reluctance is bound to have long-term implications as most of the pupils go on to the Kajang Convent Secondary, which is going to continue offering Science and Mathematics in English.


Equally frustrating is that many of the schools in Kajang are keeping mum on what they want to do with the ministry's directive next year.


It has left parents frustrated as they do not know which school will be offering the subjects in English and, therefore, do not have a choice of a transfer to that school.

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