Tag: PPSMI

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Education Science & technology

[2620] Do not erect barriers to learning science and math

I am partial to an education system which has the English language as its medium of instruction. That is because I am most comfortable where English is the primary and the common language. While the Malay language is my mother tongue, I mostly use English to run both my private and professional life.

For a person with my background, it is reasonable for a stranger to expect me to be supportive of the policy (PPSMI) to teach science and mathematics in English. While I do sympathize with the policy, I oppose it.

I do not think anyone can doubt the importance of learning science and math. From the liberal education perspective, there are not too many other subjects that can liberate the mind the way science and math do. In terms of practicality, it offers a wide range of rewarding career choices.

To be good at both, one has to comprehend various scientific and mathematical concepts. The foundational lessons especially are crucial in allowing students to understand other more complex ideas. In both subjects, each concept is built upon an earlier concept. Failure to comprehend basic lessons will cause the student to struggle later. In a system where a student largely progresses based on his or her age, this can bring about a devastating snowball effect.

Learning those lessons can be harder than it is when both subjects are taught in a language that students struggle to master in the first place. That presents a two-layer barrier to mastering those basic scientific and mathematical concepts.

The language barrier adds to the frustration which can kill schoolchildren’s interest in science and math before the interest has a chance to bloom.

For many children from middle and upper-class families, English comprehension skills are not likely to be a problem. That is not true for the rest.

Consider a proxy to the mastery of the English language. Typically, families with higher incomes can be expected to have children who are better at English than those belonging to lower-income families. Here are the numbers. Based on the 10th Malaysia Plan, nearly 53% of households earned a monthly income of less than RM3,000 in 2009; about 66% earned less than RM4,000 a month; close to 76% earned less than RM5,000 a month.

The figures have probably improved since 2009. After all, 2009 was a recession year and we have recovered from that recession. Nevertheless, it is likely that a significant number of households still do not earn too much. This is a structural economic issue and such issues do not just change significantly in three years.

Notwithstanding the technical concerns about the evolution of household income over the past three years, that possibly means that more than half the children in Malaysia may have trouble with English. If PPSMI is to be continued in its blanket fashion as it was enforced earlier, that may lead to the making of a lost generation in terms of science and math education. As for the level of English, I am unsure if ­science and math classes are the place to learn English grammar, vocabulary and comprehension skills.

While I oppose PPSMI, that does not mean I think English is unimportant. I live in corporate Malaysia and in corporate Malaysia, English is the national language and not Malay. I know English is important. The inability to speak and write in English will come at a very great cost for fresh graduates and labor market veterans alike. I do believe that the teaching of English should be emphasized in all schools and at the early stages. The barrier to learning English should be reduced.

What PPSMI does to many students instead is that one, it does not reduce barriers in learning English — one does not learn grammar, vocabulary and comprehension skills in science and math classes — and two, it erects barriers to learning science and math for underprivileged children.

The point is that the teaching of English should not come at the expense of learning science and math.

At the very least, do not force students with a weak grasp of English to study science and math in English. Instead, let them improve their English in and outside of classes and let them learn science and math in the medium they understand best.

For students who already have a good command of English, let them study science, math and perhaps other subjects as well in English.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved
First published in The Sun on October 29 2012.

Categories
Education

[2452] PAGE is statistically wrong

The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) is a group known for its strong support for the teaching of science and mathematics in English in Malaysian public schools (the PPSMI policy). Its chairperson Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim argues the serial improvement seen throughout the years of PPSMI is a proof of success. They argue that that improvement is due to the policy.[1]

I am unconvinced that that is the case because such statistics is so raw in its presentation that it does not control for other factors.

How would we know if that improvement was not secular? Students’ achievements have been improving over the years even before PPSMI. It will be wrong to attribute all of those achievements to PPSMI. That factor as well as others should be removed before any reasonable conjecture could be made between PPSMI and achievements that the exams supposedly measured.

After that, how would we know what fraction of the improvement (or indeed even decline given that we only see net result) was due to PPSMI?

Even if all of those are accounted for, these improvements within the interested period are small enough that they are probably within the series’ standard error. In other words, the improvement could simply be some random variation with the mean essentially unchanged.

Consider the following graph I have pulled out from Noor Azimah and PAGE’s defense of PPSMI.

Take the science rural figures. The mean throughout the years is 90.6. The 68% confidence interval is between 88.9 and 92.3. Observe how many data points are within that band. The 95% confidence interval is between 87.2 and 94.1. Remember, this is before secular trend that has nothing to do with languages is taken out.

So, serial improvement as shown by PAGE through various graphs reproduced in Noor Azimah’s write-up does not really answer these questions.

To conclusive answer the questions, one has to compare two parallels, i.e. compare two series — one for PPSMI and another the status quo — concurrently. This will control for many things like grade inflation, secular improvement due to merely better education facility and access and the difficulties of the exam. After controlling all of these things, only then language will be the only factor being tested.

These two series do not exist side by side unfortunately.

The problem with Noor Azimah and PAGE’s argument is that they are comparing something that exists against something that does not and goes on to conclude that one that exists is better statistically. That is intellectual dishonesty.

The fact is there is no statistics to make the relevant comparison possible. Hence, there is no fact to make PAGE’s conclusion possible.

And, lest pro-PPSMI cheer, this is a double-edge sword. The statistics does not say anything about the alternative Malay-policy either.

That is the point however. The statistics does not say anything. PAGE however sees an elephant in the clouds.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reservedMohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reservedMohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved
[1] — GMP (Gabungan Mansuhkan PPSMI), led by PAS members is pushing the Government to stand firm on abolishing PPSMI (The teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English) yet again, and claiming that only 3% of pupils benefited from PPSMI.

Evidence to support the continuance or abolishment of PPSMI, should be based on the achievements in UPSR, PMR and SPM. That should be the benchmark. The test results of these three national examinations, proved to be very encouraging, clearly supporting the continuance of PPSMI while contradicting all statements that have been brought against PPSMI. [Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim. Pro-English group hits back: Don’t twist the facts for “political expediency”. Malaysia Chronicle. October 29 2011]

Categories
Education

[2027] Of PPSMI and teachers’ proficiency in English

And so, after six years of going through the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English (in Malay, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris; PPSMI) in all primary and secondary public schools, it will come to an end in 2012.[1]

As I have expressed earlier, I am of two minds about the policy, with some bias towards English. But in order to continue the policy, it is important for the system to have teachers with proper English competency. Below is the first concrete data I have seen indicating that there are not enough teachers to support the policy.

Fair Use. Obtained from The Star.

I obtained the table from The Star. I reproduce the full document (actually, it is an appendix to probably another document which is not in my possession) here for your perusal.

The table indicates teachers’ proficiency in English in primary (red column) and secondary (blue column) schools. Assuming Aras 5 and 4 are classes which the teachers have respectable command of English as what I think the table is implying by separating Aras 5 and 4 from Aras 3, 2 and 1 with a thick line, it suggests that the policy of PPSMI needs to stop. It can only continue if the number of teachers with good command of English improves dramatically.

I once had to sit through a couple of classes led by an instructor who was incapably of conversing in English intelligibly while at Michigan. Having an instructor like that proved to be a painful experience for me. So, it certainly did not help me in acing the course. If I remember correctly, I stopped attending the instructor’s session to attend another session instructed by a native English speaker.

I could imagine that the same difficulty I faced could be repeated in Malaysian public schools with one crucial difference: the students cannot switch classes, unlike me. They do not have a choice, if the teachers suck.

And a whole lot of those teachers, as the table shows, suck.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

[1] — KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet has decided that the medium of instruction for Maths and Science will revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and mother-tongue languages in national-type schools from 2012 onwards.

The reversal of the Teaching of Math and Science in English (PPSMI) policy will be done in stages, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said on Wednesday.

He however added that there will be greater emphasis on learning the English language.

English literature will be re-introduced, as will subjects on grammar and composition.

Beginning 2012, students in Year One and Year Four in primary schools, and Form One and Form Four in secondary schools, will learn Math and Science in Bahasa Malaysia.

The change will not affect those in Form Six and Matriculation.

The two subjects will be taught in two languages until 2014 for other students, he said.[Math and Science back to Bahasa, mother tongues. The Star. July 8 2009]

Categories
Humor Society

[1924] Of science and mathematics in Jawi

This debate on language is so annoying. So, let us resolve it once and for all.

All science and mathematics courses in Malaysia should be taught in Jawi.

Let us just screw everybody in the name of nationalism! If Japan could do it without English and the Latin alphabet, we can too! Yes, we can!

Categories
Education Society

[1855] Of celebrating a blackeye to racial chauvinism

I am guilty. I am guilty of grinning when I found out that the Malaysian education system is maintaining English as the medium of instruction for science and mathematics in the primary and secondary levels.[1]

I am guilty because despite preferring for the courses to be taught in the language best comprehended by the students, I actually find myself in a celebratory mood upon learning the decision of the ministry.

I am guilty because despite preferring for English to be properly taught as a course of it own, I am satisfied with the outcome of the roundtable meeting.

I am guilty because despite comprehending why forcing students to learn science and mathematics in a language which many students find themselves struggling in may hurt their interest and comprehension in those subjects, I give today’s decision two thumbs up.

I am guilty because despite preferring the schools themselves to decide their medium of instruction, I am relieved that the medium remains English.

I am guilty because despite being a fan of charter schools, I am glad the state stands firm in its action.

I am guilty because despite the fact that I fought for autonomy for the Malay College and supportive of its wider implication in the name of fairness, English is the language.

I am guilty because despite calling myself a libertarian, I appreciate the state’s action.

Why am I so guilty of contraction and yet, unremorseful?

It is because it is not everyday one could shove so many chauvinists around. To all sides, at the same time, to boot. This chance only happens once in a blue moon.

It is true not all who oppose having English as a medium of instruction are chauvinists. Many like friend Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad opposes it because he first hand witnesses how the policy hurts academic performance and interest in classes of Malaysian children born to not-so-well-off parents. These people are honest people and I sympathize with their position. Furthermore, honestly, frankly, I prefer the reversion of the status quo to the previous state because the previous state comes closer to my ideal.

Yet, I also note that many of those opposing the policies are chauvinists with overtly racial worldview, if not downright racist. It is against this people that I gloat against, not to the sincere supporters of reversion.

To the others, I deeply apologize.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

[1] — PUTRAJAYA, Dec 16 — Maintaining the current practice of teaching science and maths in English is the most popular choice among education stakeholders.

This was the general sentiment at a roundtable meeting held today to debate seven options on the medium of instruction for the two subjects.

The stakeholders present, which included parents, politicians and teachers, and their consensus for the English policy to be maintained, will be the strongest reason for the government to maintain the status quo. [English it is. Shannon Teoh. Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani. The Malaysian Insider. December 16 2008]