Uggah (fourth left) rings the bell seven times to symbolically launch the event while (from second left) Chang, Michael, Dr Annuar, Wong and others look on.
SIBU: Teachers who will teach Mathematics and Science to Primary One pupils in the state next year should use “Sarawak English” instead of worrying about their command of the Queen’s English, said Dato Sri Michael Manyin.
The state’s Education, Science and Technological Research Minister said it was understandable that the teachers might not have confidence in using English as the medium of instruction because they have been teaching in Bahasa Malaysia for many years.
“Do not bother about the grammar or the Queen’s English, just speak with Sarawak English. Because that is where we have to start. ‘Gasak Ajak’ (Just Do it). So we start with this until finally someone points to us the mistake and gradually we will speak the pure Queen’s English,” he said at the launch of the Sarawak English Language Education Symposium (SELES) here this morning.
“In the 1960s, we were taught pure grammar and today, how many times we heard ‘He is taller than me’? If you use Queen’s English, definitely the teacher will say it’s wrong because it should be: ‘He is taller than I’. But this is Sarawak English and it is correct, just say it.”
Thus, Manyin urged the teachers not to be afraid to make mistakes and start to speak English confidently.
He also said that in fact, both Sarawak English and Queen’s English are correct as the language has evolved.
Sarawak is spearheading the Putrajaya’s move to introduce English as the medium of instruction for Mathematics and Science in schools, starting with Primary One pupils in all schools except Chinese-medium schools.
The programme would involve 1,046 primary schools statewide.
Manyin today admitted that the implementation of the use of English to teach Maths and Science subjects is an uphill battle.
However, he said his ministry will rise to the challenge, pointing out that there are over 2,800 teachers being trained for the task
“We will do the monitoring and we will provide all the assistance we can give for the first three to six months next year,” he said.
He said the method of teaching would be different from those used in the 1960s to 1990s where nowadays they were required to facilitate the learning process of the school children.
“Teach less so that the children can learn more,” he said but reminded the teachers to be more prepared because the pupils will be more inquisitive.
The idea was to stimulate the pupils’ imagination of which from there it would develop into creativity and subsequently innovation, an example taken from Singapore’s education policy, said Manyin.
The symposium this morning was officiated by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas. Also present were Education, Science and Technological Research Assistant Minister Dr Annuar Rapaee, Bukit Assek assemblyman Irene Chang and Pelawan assemblyman David Wong.