More schooling options needed

A one-size-fits-all approach does not seem to be suitable for Malaysia as the Government needs to be able to cater to the different communities within the country.

MALAYSIANS should have more schooling options within the education system, said Taylor’s Education Group School Division president B.K. Gan.

He said a one-size-fits-all approach was not suitable for a country as diverse as Malaysia.

“We need to be able to cater to the different communities within Malaysia, (such as) the urban and the rural, and that’s a reason why options are important.

“The British Council says that by 2020, two billion people will be learning and speaking English.

“If we are to move into (becoming) a developed nation by 2020 and want Malaysians to be able to communicate and do business in the world, the options then become quite obvious – that one of the languages that must be made available to Malaysians is English,” he said.

Gan was speaking as one of the panellists at The Star’s Cafe Latte chat on “Should English-medium schools be offered as an option?” here.

The chat was moderated by Education Editor Chelsea L.Y. Ng.

The chat series serves as a platform for invited guests to share their views on current issues.

Gan said that in terms of deciding on education policy, the country should consider the sort of workforce it would need by 2020.

“China is opening up.

“That’s a powerhouse – they have over 100,000 native English speakers in the country just to teach them English.

“South Korea has opened up and there are many South Korean students here to learn English.

“The whole world is opening up to one common language,” he said.

Federation of National Writers Association of Malaysia (Gapena) general-secretary Borhan Md Zain said the setting up of English-medium schools was not feasible – partly due to the lack of qualified teachers.

“It was reported that 70% of English language teachers right now are still not ready to teach English.

“And the remaining 30%? They are probably teaching at residential or premier schools but the rest of them still need help.

“There is a need for proper teaching techniques and facilities (in schools) before we can start thinking of introducing (something new).

“If they (teachers) cannot communicate well in English in the first place, how are they going to teach English?” he asked at the session.

The other panellists were Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim and Monash University Sunway Campus lecturer and founder of Parents for English-medium National-type Schools (PENS) Assoc Prof Dr Lan Boon Leong.