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Call on the Education Ministry to ensure that proper English is used in the teaching of Mathematics and Science Media Statement by Ngeh Koo Ham (Setiawan, Tuesday): Yesterday, I attended a presentation on how Mathematics and Science will be taught to Standard One students this year. I was impressed by the hi-tech LCD presentation but was shock to note an English mistake in the brief presentation. One of the topics in the Science subject was titled 'Light and Dark' and the teacher who was making the presentation repeated the topic without making any correction. We cannot blame the present batch of teachers who went through the Malay medium of education. They would not dare to correct the materials supplied by the Education Ministry. They would presume that the materials supplied by the Education Ministry must have used the correct English. The Science lesson was trying to teach the Standard One pupils to differentiate between 'Light' and 'Darkness' or 'Bright' and 'Dark'. It would have been correct to use the words 'Light and Dark' as adjectives for example, light or dark colour. I call on the Education Department to ensure that the materials supplied to schools use correct English. I reiterate DAP's stand that the best way to learn English is through the teaching English language itself and not through Mathematics and Science. I call on the Government to seriously review and reconsider the present policy of trying to improve English through the teaching of Mathematics and Science. Additional hours now allotted for the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English in Vernacular Schools (which are repetition of the same subjects taught in Mandarin or Tamil) should be replaced with the teaching of the English language.   (7/1/2003) * Ngeh Koo Ham, DAP Perak Chairman & National Assistant Treasurer