Reintroduce English-medium schools to produce quality English teachers, says expert
KUALA LUMPUR: English-medium schools should be reintroduced where necessary so that the country could produce quality English teachers, especially among the Bottom 40 group.
Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said: “We have fooled ourselves in the past into thinking that a Malay education system could produce the English language teachers that we so desperately need.
“Instead, we have suffered tremendously.
“But we keep doing the same and expect different outcomes,” she told the New Sunday Times.
She suggested that there be better enforcement of the exit policy for poor performing teachers.
“This will improve the status and image of national school teachers and boost the quality of education, making national schools more attractive and, subsequently, becoming the first choice for parents again.”
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies Principal Fellow Professor Datuk Dr Teo Kok Seong called for better implementation of the education system.
He said there was nothing significantly wrong with the system as far as policies were concerned.
He said the country’s two blueprints were endorsed by international educationists following consultations.
“As far as education vision is concerned, ours is a global model. The problem is the lack of implementation. The discourse on education reforms should focus on effective execution so that the system is in line with global developments.
“These include the Industrial Revolution 4.0, Sustainable Development Goals, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and Education 4.0.”
A National Education Policy Committee was set up by the Education Ministry in October to study the education policies.
An educationist, who requested anonymity, said the committee needed to take a look at the Islamisation of national schools, which had made these schools increasingly Malay in composition.
“This needs to be addressed if we are serious about making national schools the choice again for Malaysians regardless of race or religion.”