Malaysians are a Pragmatic Lot!

Although patience must also be one of our virtues for tolerating so many years of tinkering with the education system and creating major problems in society, most Malaysians realize that we need to change the way we do things.

That is the reason there was a tentative step about two years ago to start teaching Science and Mathematics using the English language.

National integration is one other area that has been seriously jeopardized by the creation of many mono-racial boarding schools where racist leanings can be easily nurtured by those out to foster mischief.

So it heartening to read of some calls by Malays to bring back the English medium schools.

I am the product of such a school, St Michael’s Inst. in Ipoh where I left the sixth form in 1966. I was accepted directly into a polytechnic in the UK without any requirement to pass a language test.

English is my mother tongue and at first when I corrected the spelling or grammar of the locals, they were skeptical. So I asked them to check the dictionary. After a while, they accepted without question and they used to refer language problems to me.

Such was the quality of the English teachers in those days, especially the La Salle brothers.

How can we get a feel of this call to bring back English medium schools? Perhaps we should take it out of the politicians’ hands and ask the people. Yes, why don’t we have a simple referendum?

That will provide the most accurate feed–back. But are our leaders prepared to let parents choose the best solution for their children?