Push for Maths, Science in English

by Nancy Lai. Posted on April 10, 2011, Sunday KOTA KINABALU: The Association of Sabah National Type Chinese School will be initiating a move to convince the Government to allow government-aided or mission schools in the state to continue using English as the medium language for Mathematics and Science. Its chairman, Datuk Wong Yit Ming said that the associations director of secondary school development, David Chan has been appointed chairman of the sub-committee to look into the matter. Chan will be meeting representatives from eight government-aided secondary schools board committees and compile a memorandum to be presented to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. The meeting will be held at 12 noon at E-West in Luyang and those interested to attend can contact Chan at 019-8803411 for details. Speaking to reporters after the associations first meeting for 2011 yesterday, Wong believes that with the support and cooperation of mission schools Board, they will be able to convince the Education Ministry to review its decision on the issue. We are asking the Government to look into the possibility to allow our secondary schools to continue using English as the teaching medium for Mathematics and Science. We are very happy to see the Prime Minister Datuk Sri Najib Tun Razaks response to this issue where he mentioned that the Government would seek input from parents because as far as our survey is concerned, the majority of parents in our secondary schools still would like to have science and mathematics taught in English. If we can work together with the mission schools to talk about this issue, I think it will be more effective. In view of this, our Association has written to the Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who is also Deputy Prime Minister asking him to look into the issue, he said. Wong added that the association has also extended a copy of the letter to the presidents of Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties namely, MCA, Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek, Gerakan, Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, United Pasokmomogun KadazanDusun Murut Organization (UPKO), Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Datuk VK Liew and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) Tan Sri Jospeh Kurup. The association is seeking their assistance in the issue so that the Government will allow mission schools and Government aided schools to continue using English to teach the two subjects, he said and reiterated that the association strongly believes that the two subjects should be taught in English even though the policy has changed it back to using Bahasa Malaysia effective next year. We understand that under the unified examination, there are two systems, in Peninsular Malaysia, science and mathematics are in Chinese but in Sabah it is in English. So far the system has been working very well, there is no problem so we believe if the Education ministry can allow the parents to have a choice, I think the result will be the same and could even be better off, he said. Wong also disclosed that two other issues were discussed during the meeting, namely financial assistance from the Federal Government and the transfer of headmasters from Chinese vernacular primary schools in Sabah.

The association was happy to note that the Federal Government had made certain adjustments with regards to the Chinese private school policy and that the it has increased its allocation to the Chinese national type school (SRJK) throughout the country. But unfortunately in Sabah, we havent got much allocation from the Federal Government. One of the reasons we observed is, in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, not only the Chinese education body is asking for fund from the Government, other organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and Clan associations are also asking the Government to help the Chinese schools. In todays meeting, we passed a resolution to appeal to all the Chinese associations in Sabah, to put up a resolution in their respective annual general meetings, to ask the Federal Government to help the Chinese schools in the state. We believe the Chinese community is very concerned about this issue and we also believe that if everyone has the same aim, that is asking the Federal Government to help the Chinese schools in Sabah, I think the result will be much better, he stressed. On the transfers of headmasters, Wong said that the state Education Department should first consult the school Board before making any decision on the matter.He added that the association came to know of several cases where headmasters were transferred without informing the school board thereby causing much confusion. We therefore appeal to the Education Department to inform us early and also to hold a handing over ceremony. This is to avoid problems as to who should be responsible for the schools property, he added. The association has also written in to the state Education Department director about the matter and hope to be able to meet up with his next week to further discuss it so that a win-win situation can be reached, he said

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/04/10/push-for-maths-science-in-english/

THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CO-EDUCATION.

I study in a co-education school. In my class there are about 20 boys and 12 girls. We learn many things about one another in the course of being in the same class everyday. Sometimes the interaction is pleasant and sometimes not. In other words co-education has its good points and bad points, that is, its advantages as well as its disadvantages. The main advantage that I can see is that we learn that boys are different from girls in many ways. In short, we learn how to handle each other. Boys tend to be more physical, while girl are far gentler. However this is not a universal rule, for tom-boys do exist in our class and they pack a harder wallop than some s sissies, who also exist in our class. Anyhow I learn that the two sexes behave generally in fixed manners although there are exceptions. I suppose this sort of interaction will come in useful in the future when boys and girls become men and women who will produce the next generation. I am a boy and I have to admit that I learn a lot about how to handle both boys and girls by being in my class. I have a friend who studies in an all boys school. He always asks me how I handle girls. He is quite ignorant about girls, for I have seen him being tongue tied in front of girls. None of my classmates this problem. The one big disadvantage about having boys and girls in the same class is when we go for Physical Education. Boys and girls just cannot do the same type of exercise or play the same game together. So we need to have two teachers, one for the boys and one for the girls. Our headmaster has come up with the ingenious solution of having two classes doing P.E. at the same time so that the boys and girls from each class combine together under one teacher each. Another advantage of a co-education school becomes obvious when the school holds the school sports, concerts, and other functions. In sports a co-education school can see full participation from both sexes. Also the harder physical work of preparing for a sports meet can be done by the boys while the gentler tasks of preparing food and drinks as well as serving guests are best left to the girls. The boys and girls get to learn their social roles. In concerts and other functions it is undoubted that both boys and girls are needed. In a co- education school, there is no problem to finding the persons to take part. Howerver in all boys or an all girls school, they will have to borrow the necessary boys or girls in order to run their functions. I myself and the other boys have had go and serve our all-girls neighbour for some of their functions. I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed my duties there, for the girls there really appreciate our help thus lavishing their attention on us. I suspect that enjoy out being there too. Our girls too get to go and help out at an all- boys school. I am sure they enjoy themselves too. I have not studied in an all- boys school before so I do not really know what sort of situation exists there. However I would not change my place here for anything else. It is definitely better to have girls around- than to see only boys everyday.