Tuesday November 18, 2008
Umno men can change system
WONG Chun Wai’s On the beat column “For our kids’ sake, check the slide,” (Sunday Star, Nov 16) echoes the feelings of many parents but those in power can only sympathise as their hands are politically tied.
Our Prime Minister-in-waiting Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak studied at St Johns and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah studied at Tunku Kushiah College.
Both benefited from English schools and understand the commercial and intellectual values of a solid English education.
In this country, the real power resides in Umno delegates.
Only Umno delegates can give political will to the Education Minister to make drastic changes in the education system.
All they have to do is to pass a resolution calling on the Government to reintroduce English medium schools.
With consensus, the resolution will then be tabled at the Umno Supreme Council which will endorse it for recommendation to the Government.
And who is the Government? It is the same people in Umno who hold government posts.
It will be debated in Parliament where getting it through will not be a problem except for objection by a few opportunists.
The majority of us want the Government to reintroduce English medium schools while retaining vernacular schools.
It is the duty of any government to give the option to the majority and not the minority.
If the the minority want their children to study in vernacular schools, then they should not deny others from studying in English medium schools.
Chun Wai mention 60,000 unemployed graduates because “...many are unable to express themselves, because of poor communications skills (in English) thus limiting their job options...”.
I agree. Look at those Indian-subcontinent graduates who have no problem getting jobs at the United Nations or any UN agencies or in other English speaking countries because they come from an English medium education system.
But Indonesians graduates are only marketable in their own country as they are proud of their national language.
Let’s face reality. Bahasa Malaysia cannot help our students to be competitive in the job market either locally or otherwise.
The fact that they are handicapped in English contribute to their low self-esteem and misery.
And when they work they have a tough time polishing their English so as not to look like fools in the eyes of their bosses, colleagues and foreign executives.
My son obtained 5A’s in his UPSR. But I notice he couldn’t converse fluently in English compared to my in-law’s son who was a Grade One student in the International School in Romania.
His general knowledge could put our undergraduates to shame.
Having a good grasp of English, he is a prolific reader.
He has since grown up and is now one of Malaysia’s brightest diplomats.
The syllabus of an International School covers world history, geography and English literature.
Their approach is one of acquiring knowledge and creativity whereas our Sekolah Kebangsaan is one of spoon-feeding, rote learning and getting a string of A’s but not knowledge.
One reason why the youths of today are restless and aimless is because they are unable to channel their energy to knowledge due to lack of English.
In the old days, the British Council and USIS were full of students.
Today the British Council and bookshops selling the latest best-sellers from US and Britain are patronised by adults and a sprinkling of English-speaking students.
The rest of the youths either hang out in the malls or become Mat Rempits as they can’t even read English newspapers.
It is a pity. Once upon a time the poor could study at government English schools.
Today only the rich can send their children to International Schools.
HASSAN TALIB,
Gombak, Selangor.
Thanx Eileen;)
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