Thursday November 18, 2010 Star Online
Timely advice by Wee
APPLAUD the call by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong for pupils from Chinese and Tamil schools to know the importance of Bahasa Malaysia and to improve their proficiency in the language as early as at the primary level (“Wee: Improve your BM” – The Star, Nov 16).
The call is urgent and most timely as it was also reported that in this year’s UPSR, the percentage of pupils in vernacular schools scoring As for Bahasa Malaysia comprehension and writing skills had declined by 2.9% and 3.4%, respectively.
The drop is worrying and deserves attention, more so since the Bahasa Malaysia (BM) papers sat by pupils from vernacular schools are of a “simpler version” compared with those sat by pupils from national schools.
Primary pupils from different streams will follow the same BM curriculum and syllabus when they are in secondary schools.
And, with the reversal soon of PPSMI (the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English), all subjects except the English Language, will be taught in BM in secondary schools.
A pertinent question to ask is: How well prepared are pupils from vernacular schools for this switch in the medium of instruction?
I agree that most vernacular Chinese and Tamil schools are doing what they can for their pupils to pass the BM papers with at least a D grade in the UPSR.
However, since the papers are of a “simpler version”, passing and even getting good grades may give pupils a false sense of their actual Bahasa proficiency.
The reality is that a mere pass is not enough to tackle subjects that are taught in BM in secondary schools.
Chinese and Tamil schools must put extra emphasis and effort into ensuring that all their “products” are truly proficient in BM.
Teaching approaches and strategies that cater only for the elite few are not acceptable.
It is a wrong strategy to just strive to get the majority of pupils to pass with a mere grade D and expect the secondary school teachers to pick up the pieces.
Schools should adopt approaches that are wholesome and can benefit the majority, if not all, of the pupils involved.
From next year, the new Primary School Standard Curriculum and the “Upholding Bahasa Malaysia and Strengthening English Programme” will be introduced.
These initiatives will give greater prominence and emphasis to BM as well as English and allocate more time for these languages.
Primary Chinese and Tamil schools must seize the opportunity and spare no effort to improving their pupils’ proficiency in BM.
Perhaps the time has even come for vernacular Chinese and Tamil schools to take up the challenge of preparing some, if not all, of their pupils for the same BM papers as sat by pupils in the national schools.
When pupils are faced with having to master a higher level of BM, their attitudes, values, motivation and approach towards the learning of the language will take on a new perspective. The whole school will be put on a new, diligent and urgent priority to learning BM.
Primary vernacular schools should pride themselves in that their pupils are not only proficient in their mother tongue but are also equally confident and proficient in BM.
