The teaching of English.

23.6.2009.

The big furore about English for maths & science and making an English pass compulsory for exams shouldn't have been one. We've already had it before, for heavens' sake ! I went to an English school from 4 years of Malay school and 2 years of "Special Malay Classes". We were fined 5 sen if caught speaking Malay in the school compound. Uninterrupted, I went to University studying in English and to this day read almost entirely English. I speak Malay to my wife, but mostly English to all four of my University-educated children, and my 2 daughters-in-law. I'm no less Malay for it, but find the English medium practically unavoidable in the seeking of knowledge because most of the literature available is in English.

An additional language cannot be but beneficial, even if it's Latin. I have also tried to study Arabic, through night-classes, and Cantonese, through self-study, and fared miserably in both. But English is such an easy language to learn. Ari went through Malay-medium schools. Yet through association and imitation can to-day speak passable English, even if he can't differentiate a component from a consonant.

Similarly, my wife has learned to pick the language over the years, and can strike a recognizable conversation, although she cannot differentiate a computer from a commuter - "lets go to KL by computer". 

The Minister of Education cannot forever let incoherence permeate the Ministry's management of the nation's educational system. Let's do the right thing, which is the brave thing. You can't ask the people walking on the streets how things should be run, lest you are run by street-walkers. You must get the enlightened opinion. Get some common sense, even if not so common. Show some balls. Ignore the shrill voices of misguidence. Listen to the sober voice of reason. It's not so hard to do.

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