25 May 2013
University lecturers to boost English in schools

By AHMAD FAIRUZ OTHMAN

 

PHUKET: Lecturers from public institutions of higher learning (Ipta) will help improve English proficiency of primary and secondary students.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this was one of the suggestions to boost English proficiency following the merger of the education and higher education ministries under the new cabinet.

“Under the previous Higher Education Ministry, there were almost 100,000 faculty lecturers. It would be easier to mobilise resources of specialist teachers in the learning of English at Ipta to help with English proficiency

in our schools,” Muhyiddin said at the end of his working visit here yesterday. On another matter, he said the ministry was in the midst of revisiting a previous suggestion to offer Mandarin and Tamil language classes in national schools.

“This is not something new as it was previously decided that Mandarin and Tamil classes would be offered if the number of students was sufficient. However, this did not progress, possibly due to a lack of students.”

Muhyiddin said such classes would boost the standard of national schools, as it would enable students to learn other languages. “I will have to look into the matter. If we want to do it, this has to be done properly. This way, they will not feel sidelined when it comes to learning their mother tongue.” 

Muhyiddin, who is education minister, said the teaching of Tamil and Mandarin required more skilled teachers.

“We have more than 7,000 primary school and 3,000 secondary school teachers. Before we can make a decision on policy, we need to study its rationale and implementation.” On the ministry’s official name, Muhyiddin said it would be Kementerian Pendidikan in Bahasa Malaysia, rather than Kementerian Pelajaran.

New Straits Times

25 May,2013.