Enhance the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 2025 to make it better by adding more lessons in English
Malaysians, the majority of us, must be a very caring and concerned lot. I notice we fight together as one people if we are not happy about things that are of national interest and especially those that adversely affect the future of the people and the country.
When talking about education I see every day letters written by readers that are published in mainstream and alternative (online) newspapers ask for a change in the education policy and most want English language content to be increased in the national schools’ syllabus and curriculum.
We want pupils and students of our national primary schools and national secondary schools, respectively, to be bilingual, at least, and be good in both Bahasa Malaysia and English language. We fear that being monolingual will not fully equip our national schools’ pupils and students and later when some of them complete their higher studies at universities, to be fully competitive globally.
I find that out of 30 letters in all languages I read supporting and asking for an increase in English language content in our national schools’ syllabus and curriculum, only one letter supports the use of only one language, i.e. Bahasa Malaysia in national schools. Some of the letters even went to the extent of suggesting the re-introduction of English medium schools and some ask for English streams to be introduced similar to the SRJK Chinese and Tamil concept.
I am not going to argue for or against increasing English language content of our national primary schools and national secondary schools in this letter but I am pro Bahasa Malaysia/pro English language as against some people who are only pro Bahasa Malaysia.
Being pro Bahasa Malaysia/pro English language, just like the majority of Malaysians, we are not suggesting that Bahasa Malaysia be relegated and become subservient to English language, we only want English language content to be increased in the national schools’ syllabus and curriculum and perhaps to be at par with Bahasa Malaysia so that our students can be bilingual as this will open our graduates to more opportunities such as looking for jobs or doing business internally or outside the country compared to being just being monolingual. Bahasa Malaysia shall however retain its position and prestige as the country’s national language.
I am no politician but I think it is a myth for anyone to think or to say that increasing the English language content in the syllabus and curriculum of our national primary schools and national secondary schools and to be even at par with Bahasa Malaysia and to make our pupils, students and graduates bilingual will result in political parties, coalition of political parties or individual independent politicians contesting at the coming 13th General Election to lose votes. I believe the exact opposite will happen instead.
I do not think the country, in the very near, medium and far future, will be able cater to all anymore for jobs or business and some will have to look for opportunities outside the country. The English language content in the current syllabus and curriculum is far too little to be considered sufficient and what they have now will not make our students bilingual. The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 – 2025 seems to have ignored this and the authorities concerned do not seem to address the situation properly.
The majority of Malaysians have already spoken and now it is left to the government and the opposition to listen to us and make the necessary change in our education policy.
HUSSAINI ABDUL KARIM, Shah Alam