Published: Thursday October 30, 2008 MYT 7:28:00 PM
No time frame for Maths and Science decision
By KAREN CHAPMAN
KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry is not giving a time frame on when it will announce whether the policy to teach Science and Mathematics in English will continue or if it will revert back to Bahasa Malaysia.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said any decision on a policy matter needs to be brought to the Cabinet first.
“We have to wait for the release of the UPSR results. We also need to analyse what has been said in the four roundtable discussions we have held with stakeholders for their views,” he told reporters Thursday after presenting certificates to 331 excellent teachers at a teaching conference.
The UPSR results are expected to be released in the middle of November.
Asked whether it was possible to make an announcement at the end of this year or early next year, Hishammuddin said it would depend on how long it takes to analyse the differing views.
“Whatever we decide, we can’t start in January anyway as it is far too soon,” he said.
He said any decision made would not affect those already in the system as it would start with a new group of pupils in Year One.
He advised people not to be worried about pupils’ ability to master English as there are plans to strengthen the subject in primary school.
“The most important thing is to get it right this time.
“Whatever decision we make will not fulfil everyone’s wish or satisfy everyone but at least we have the facts and figures to back our decision,” he said.
Hishammuddin said the decision “did not have to be black and white, or a yes and no”.
It could also be a fine-tuning of the existing policy, he added.
The policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English was implemented in phases, starting with Year One, Form One and Lower Six students in 2003.
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