Wow, that's a huge blow for me for I was in the latter group. Never have I thought that I'd be labelled a terrorist in my own country, by my own people...
Well my friend, I feel for you because you have absolutely no clue how it was like living in an English-challenge environment growing up.
As a mother (who used to be a working citizen), I totally understand the importance of English and I absolutely agree that we need to beef up English proficiency amongst our students from young. They must master the language not just to move ahead of the competition but also as a tool to succeed. No argument there.
My children only read in English and I speak to them in a mix of Bahasa and English at home. In fact, my sons are better in English than in Bahasa subject at school. My 8-year old son can even tell me that his English teacher speaks broken English at school. I enrolled my daughter in a kindergarten where even the cleaner speaks in English.
I, on the other hand, come from a family who didn't speak a single word of English. My mom married my dad at the age of 16. She went to sekolah Melayu until the age of 15. My dad was a primary school teacher until he retired 15 years ago. He is now an Imam. I went to a primary school where even the English subject was taught in Bahasa. My husband grew up in a Felda settlement. English was taught in Bahasa too there.
So my friend, if you knew where we were coming from, you can surely empathize with us. We didn't hate the language then, we simply didn't have the privileges like you had when you were growing up in the city.
Slowly, we began to embrace the language and proudly we, the 'terrorist', have evolved into successful men and women at par with people like you in the 'minority' group, if not better. We might still think in our mother tounge, but we are no less sucessful than you.
Anyway, being a nosey mom that I am, I say if the government is serious about tackling this issue, they should:
- Train the teachers well. This needs to be done properly over a reasonable period of time, not hastily like what happened at the beginning of the implementation. My close relative who is a teacher in a secondary school in Selangor once said "key the door" when she meant "please lock the door." Another close relative said she can't scold her students anymore simply because she can't do it in English. I think I need not elaborate further on this point. How can the students learn when the teachers can't even express themselves in the language?
- Improve the standard of English through intensive English class instead of focusing on teaching the language through the teaching of Math and Science. Perhaps we could have 2 English classes instead of 1.
- Instead of Math and Science, perhaps we could teach less important subjects like moral studies, physical education and arts in English as a start. Thorough implementation can start once all teachers have undergone intensive English course and are QUALIFIED to teach in English.
- Have special English class for students in rural areas.
- All English teachers (both in primary and secondary schools), including those sent to rural areas must have TESL qualification.
The above suggestion is made based on my own experience as a kampung girl from Alor Setar, Kedah and an overseas graduate mother living in a nice sub-urban neighbourhood.
I think I make a pretty good point here. Don't you think so?
glokalmama,
ReplyDeleteI read this article with much pleasure. I understand that perhaps there was some offense taken when you read the bit about "terrorist" but i would like to clearly "clear" the air here as it is a terrible misunderstanding. When i mentioned terrorist, i meant the group of "boys" who like a half past six gangster always made fun of those who had additional skills like speaking english or even the ability not to be able to play football! in short, these boys were insecure about themselves and thought the world centered around them. I never meant for everyone else who could not speak english to be called a terrorist!
So i think you may have misunderstood me there and if i may say so, jumped the gun! in a rather dramatic way! even the title suggested so...
Nevertheless, the whole point that i was trying to make was clearly articulated by you in this article and your success story is exactly what i mean by we live in an english world. You have seen for yourself how the ability to master english has made you what you are today. We cant deny the fact that having brains is one thing but to be able to communicate the brain is another...
Malaysia should be very proud of you and your husband because you both profess exactly what rural development of the mind is all about and i am sure this is exactly what the government had hoped to achieve when they sent us all abroad for our education. To see you giving the best to your children today is clearly an act of greatness. I congratulate you both for it.
You dared to change and embrace knowledge to better yourself so that makes you almost a caliph! those who did not and continued to destruct those who seek greatness, now we can both call them terrorists!
in short, i should have said this before in 1990... dont fault us for being able to speak english well just as how we should not fault you for not being able to speak english well.
but what is most important is that today we are both speaking the same tune... alhamdullillah.
Cowboymalaysia,
ReplyDeleteThe word 'terrorist' did jump at my face at first, but none taken. There's no denying that having brains without the skill to communicate, is not a passport to success.
As a mother who have gone through the experience myself, I hope that many more children, especially from the rural areas, would have the opportunity to transform themselves and become great communicators. Insya-Allah.