KOTA KINABALU: Parents must be given the opportunity to decide the language for teaching science and mathematics to their children.
According to the Parents Action Group for Education (PAGE) Sabah Chapter, parents know what is best for their children.
“We want our children to have the best education possible and we feel that that we should be given the option to choose if we want our children to be taught these two subjects either in English or Bahasa Malaysia,” its protem chairman, Francis Goh said.
Speaking to reporters here yesterday, Goh said parents who expressed support for the PPSMI (science and mathematics in English) felt that it was unfair for pupils doing well academically to be dragged behind by their peers who are lagging behind.
“It is not fair to hold a child back just because others are having problems catching up,” he said, adding that even parents in the rural areas are supportive of the PPSMI.
Goh disclosed that a study by JARINGAN revealed that 53 per cent of parents in the rural areas prefer PPSMI as they are aware of the importance for their children to have a good command of the English language.
The study also showed that parents from the rural areas aspire to have the opportunity for their children to study abroad just like their peers living in urban areas, Goh stressed.
According to him, PAGE Sabah Chapter was not against the Education Ministry’s decision to scrap the PPSMI system but strongly felt that the parents should be given an option on their children’s education.
The action group welcomes the reverse decision announced by Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin two days ago on the ‘soft landing’ approach to the MBBMMBI (Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening Command of English), Goh said.
“However, the decision still fell short of the group’s demands as we want PPSMI for our future generation to go beyond 2020. PAGE Sabah Chapter is of the same mind as PAGE Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah and we will continue to support the struggle for a just cause that will benefit all future generations of Malaysians.
“While we are fully supportive of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language, we however believe that mathematics and science are better taught and learned in English. It is never the intention of PPSMI policy to improve English as a language for Malaysians,” he pointed out.