Media statement
by Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew, DAP National Publicity Secretary and Education Bureau Chairman
on Wednesday, 23 October 2002
in Petaling Jaya

The English switch: BN parties went against the aspirations of all communities and they must pay a price in the coming general elections for taking a great gamble on the future of our children


We are very disappointed with the Barisan Nasional Council's decision on the English switch yesterday. The decision to teach Maths and Science in English from Standard One for all primary schools beginning from next year simply showed that the BN party leaders have gone against the aspirations of the major communities in the country. They should not have ignored the calls made by all the major communities on the question of preserving their mother tongue languages and cultures, and the fact that the best way to teach Maths and Science subjects is through the use of mother tongue language.

The UMNO, MIC, MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and other component parties must pay a price for taking a great gamble on the future of our school children. They ought to be taught a lesson through the ballot box in the coming general elections.

Until today, the BN leaders have yet to convince the DAP and other NGOs that the switch would be effective in enhancing the standard of English and the standard of Maths and Science among the students. The education ministry has also failed to demonstrate to the parents that the schools at all levels are ready for the drastic change.

On the other hand, the DAP has presented various studies and evidence to the education ministry, that the most effective medium of instruction for Maths and Science(and any other subjects which require cognitive and thinking skill), is the mother tongue language. Countries which are well-known for their high standard in Maths and Science, such as Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Italy, Korea, Japan, Germany, France, USA, China, Taiwan and Singapore were all using mother tongue (or home language in the case of Singapore) as the medium of instruction. South Africa was rated worst among the 38 countries in both Maths and Science in TIMSS (Third International Maths and Science Survey) because they were using a foreign language (English) as the medium of instruction for their young children.

We urge the BN parties to respect the aspirations of the three major communities in the country by retracting their decision immediately. What they really should do is to focus on the enhancement of English proficiency by introducing more classes, better quality teachers and programs, creating an English speaking environment both in schools and public life and making English a compulsory subject to pass.