The influential education group Dong Jiao Zong today cautioned the ethnic Chinese that the alternative language proposal approved last week by the government has the final objective of using English in lessons and exams in all Chinese primary schools.

"The alternative implementation method allowed in the Chinese primary school is only a temporary and transitional measure since students in all schools will have to sit for exams in English in 2008," said spokesperson Quek Suan Hiang.

The Dong Zong president was referring to Education Minister Musa Mohamed's remark in Malay daily Utusan Malaysia yesterday that the use of English in exams would be made compulsory in all schools in 2008.

Dong Zong, or the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia, is a component of Dong Jiao Zong, which is the collective name for the organisation and United Chinese School Teachers Association of Malaysia (Jiao Zong).

Dong Jiao Zong issued the statement in their standing committee meeting this afternoon which was attended by more than 30 people and educationists including Dong Zong deputy president Dr Yap Sin Tian and Jiao Zong deputy president Loot Ting Yee.

The meeting was their first after the alternative proposal from Barisan Nasional's Chinese-based parties was accepted by the ruling front's supreme council meeting end October and approved by the cabinet last week.

Against worldwide trend

Dong Jiao Zong stressed that they agreed with the government's aim to upgrade English proficiency among students, but opposed the idea of using English in the teaching of Science and Mathematics.

"We noted the importance of English as a communication language in this information era and we have proposed since the early 1980s that English classes should start at Standard One," Quek said.

The group however oppose the use of English in the two technical subjects as a method of upgrading English proficiency, stating that this is against the principle of the teaching of languages.

"It does not acknowledge the effectiveness of teaching through mother tongue and ultimately the use of mother tongue as an instruction medium would be marginalised.

"This is against the trend in the development of education worldwide," Quek added.

Dong Jiao Zong also cited other facts going against the language switch.

For one, the policy ignores the physical and psychological growth of children, taxing them with two subjects occupying almost one-third of the timetable. It also exacerbates the shortage of primary school teachers versed in Mandarin and increases exam and homework load of pupils right at the start of formal schooling.

They added that, if English were made compulsory in exams in 2008, pupils in Chinese schools would be sitting for only one subject the Chinese language in Mandarin. This would in turn lead to reduced use of the mother tongue.

"This political solution did not fulfil education principles and did not take into consideration the people's opinion," Quek said.

"Although the proposal will be implemented by force, we believe the true results will be revealed once the proposal is put into practice. The proposal is not acceptable and not workable," he said.

"Besides considerations for globalisation, the changes in our education system should be farsighted and take into account the multiracial feature of our society when drafting a policy that is acceptable to all ethnic groups," he added.

The group urged the public to be aware of the development of the language switch and stand firm in protecting mother tongue education.

Confusion

Speaking to malaysiakini later, Dong Zong chief executive officer Bock Tai Hee said DJZ will go down to their grassroots nationwide to convey the message through all their activities.

Asked on Chinese schools feedback after the proposal accepted, he said they were still unclear of the implementation.

"Most of the time, this confusion is caused by the BN Chinese component parties when they make their own interpretations to the newspapers, which differ from what the Education Ministry actually said," he said.

He said Dong Jiao Zong's stand reflects the opinion of the people nationwide and is comprehensively made after discussions with politicians, headmasters and teachers who had attended the Education Ministry's working committee meeting on the language switch.

The using of English in teaching Science and Maths was first introduced in May by the Umno supreme council after Prime Minister and party president Dr Mahathir Mohamad's proposal to bring back English-medium schools was rejected by his own party.

However, the language switch proposal did not go down well with many groups, especially those on vernacular education which argued that it would not help upgrade the standard of English.