Fear of English ungrounded
In an apparent endorsement of Dong Jiao Zong's objection to the government's proposal to teach Science and Mathematics in English, MCA education bureau chairperson Dr Ting Chew Peh argued, "Their (the students) English may improve but their results for the two subjects may decline. If this happens, the gain is not worth the loss. Or their results for all the three subjects may be affected" in the report Teaching Science, Maths in English will affect nature of Chinese schools: Ting.
This is incomprehensible. What is the basis to claim that English is a lesser communicative tool for teaching science and mathematics (or other subjects) than Mandarin? In countries where English is the medium of instruction, Science and Mathematics have not suffered, and in fact are more advance.
The argument of lack of infrastructure (after decades-long neglect of English) is not convincing because a start has to be made, and now is as good a time as any, once the limitations of national education policy has been acknowledged.
The real reason for objection is then as what Ting, who is also MCA secretary-general, admitted that "this will change the nature of Chinese primary schools and cause a great impact on the running of the schools".
The running of Chinese primary schools is important because it has everything to do with Chinese language curriculum that is value-laden, both self-oriented and group-oriented, with Confucian ethics and other sources of Chinese values, such as Taoism, dominating the main themes.
There is a fear that, language being a cultural transmitter, the introduction of English to Mathematics and Science, and later other subjects will infuse values that are western, neutral or downright erosive of Chinese cultural values traditionally imparted through the Chinese curriculum.
Chinese educationists' vehemently object to government's vision schools not because they oppose the principle of national integration per se. Their worry is that the common administrative and organisational structure of vision schools will be controlled by bureaucrats/headmasters appointed by the ministry of education who are likely to promote national policies agenda, in suppression of Chinese cultural values transmission.
Chinese community leaders then make a big deal out of this transmission from generation to generation of Chinese cultural values through Chinese school curriculum, and the constitutional right to mother tongue education is treated as synonymous with the right to cultural identity based on heritage of the "motherland" in traditional China.
They however should not forget that to survive in the world today and to economically prosper one has to adapt to modernity and the information age in which the most important capital is intellectual capital and not traditional cultural capital.
Whether one likes it or not, English is the main medium of the Internet, books and texts for dissemination of knowledge — and also western values of democracy and upholding of rights, whether gender, minorities, et cetera that form the value core of modernity and progress.
How do Chinese community keep up with globalisation if they insist on mono-cultural preservation of their traditional values taught through classics without fusion of western values?
Their dilemma is the same faced by other communities. The Muslim community also feel the pressure of encroachment of western secular values, conveyed through the media, and subtly vindicated by western success in technology, military and economic advancement. One either adapts by cultural fusion, or like the Taliban, one isolates oneself, denies and conflicts with the other.
If cultural conflict is unproductive, cultural fusion — getting and integrating the best of both western and traditional Asian values for balance in perspectives — should be encouraged.
For this to happen, our Chinese curriculum and methods of teaching have to incorporate more and not less English. The teaching of Mathematics and Science in English is not even enough, and should not be opposed.
Mandarin should be harnessed as a working and culturally neutral tool to interface with Mandarin speaking communities elsewhere for business expedience.
It should not be myopically viewed by as an embodiment and transmitter of traditional Chinese values to be jealously preserved and guarded at the cost of rejecting English particularly when one is living in this country, and in a world that is now a global village.
