Language policy: Umno polls 'delay' compromise solution

The language march organised by the coalition against the teaching of science and math in English (GMP) last weekend may have forced the Education Ministry to roll out a compromise policy earlier.

Malaysiakini has learnt that before the language march last Saturday, a compromise policy had already been drafted by the Education Ministry.

However, talk in political circles is that the policy was delayed due to the upcoming Umno polls, for fear of jeopardising the chances of Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein Onn, who is eying the post of vice-president.

It is learnt that the compromise policy will scrape the teaching of science and math in English in primary schools. However, the subjects will continue to be taught in English in secondary school and at the tertiary level.

This effectively maintains the status quo before 2003, when both subjects had been taught in Bahasa Malaysia in national primary schools and in Chinese and Tamil in vernacular primary schools.

The teaching of math and science in English has been fiercely debated in both education and political circles since the policy was first introduced in 2003 by then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The latest compromise policy was reached after six roundtable sessions to review the teaching of science and math with various stakeholders. The roundtable sessions were held between July and December last year and listed down seven options approved by the Education Ministry. They are:

1. To maintain English as a medium of instruction for science and math at all levels;

2. To maintain English at secondary level whereas Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin or Tamil will be used at primary level;

3. English to be used from Standard Four onwards;

4. The mother tongue to be used at primary level and Bahasa Malaysia at secondary level;

5. Primary schools to decide for themselves which language to use;

6. Mother tongue to be used at lower primary (Standards One to Three) level and English and mother tongue to be used at higher primary level; and

7. Science will not be taught at lower primary level but integrated into the curriculum of other subjects.

It is learnt that several Umno and MCA ministers have been shipping out the compromise policy for the past one month or so in an attempt to gauge the response of various opposition groups towards the language-switch policy.

A prominent Chinese mainstream newspaper had also reported on the compromise policy. All these actions are believed to be moves to test the response of the public.

Another strong sign that the issue was becoming highly politicised was that almost immediately after the roundtable sessions in December last year, MCA had issued a statement stating that it supported the teaching of science and math in the mother tongue at the primary level but supported the use of English at the secondary level.

Incidentally, Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong is also the MCA Youth chief.

However it is not clear how GMP or other vernacular education groups such as Chinese educationists Dong Jiao Zong and Tamil educationists would react to it.

They objected vehemently from the start, believing that teaching science and math in English would erode their respective languages and cultures.

They also cited the falling standards of science and math in the country as examples of students from lower-income backgrounds and rural areas struggling to cope with the language switch.

More controversy erupted when claims began surfacing in education circles that the ministry was trying to lower the passing marks of the two subjects in order to prove the success of teaching science and math in English.

In a memorandum to the rulers, GMP accused the ministry of lowering the passing mark to 30, which would earn a student a B or C grade.

Both GMP and vernacular groups have repeatedly stated that they are not against efforts to improve the standards of English in Malaysian schools.

The reason the issue became contentious is because the outgoing Umno Youth chief, who is also education minister, is eyeing one of the three vice-president’s positions in the party, and has thus been forced to take a stand in the issue, however unpopular it may be.

If Hishammuddin continues to drag his feet, pressure from Malay nationalists within the Malay community would become greater.

If he abolishes the teaching of math and science in English, he will stand accused of being a weak leader, susceptible to pressure in a quest for power and position.

Perhaps even worse, he will incur the wrath of former premier Mahathir, who is known to guard his legacies, good or bad, very fiercely. Mahathir reiterated last Novermber that the policy should be continued to ensure that Malaysian students, especially the Malays, are not left behind.

Hishammuddin is also blaming the opposition for last Saturday’s march. Although he denies claims that the language march was orchestrated by certain individuals from within Umno who are out to cause his defeat in party polls, there are allegations that the Home Ministry is working against the education minister by granting a police permit to GMP for the march.

Interestingly, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar is one of the eight contestants eyeing the post of vice-president and one of the two Johoreans who are competing against Hishammuddin for the post.

As such, speculation is rife that the language march was timed perfectly to discredit Hishammuddin ahead of the Umno polls.