The Close of a Chapter
6 years ago
Thursday, July 9, 2009
‘I’m now announcing that we’re going to abolish our dearly revolting PPSMI,”.
PPSMI stands for Pembelajaran dan Pengajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris, literally translates as Learning and Teaching Science and Mathematics in or using English. It’d been introduced since 2003 and was a proposal of our dearest ex-prime minister, i.e. Dr. M. Students who had done their UPSR in 2002 or started their primary education would have been the first to acquire their scientific and mathematical knowledge in secondary language.
English is indeed a secondary language in Malaysia and it’s really enjoying its privilege of the middle class. We don’t talk about other languages, which are either of upper class or lower class in the society as they are unrelated over this topic.
Reestablishment of PPSMM has, again, downgraded the status of this language.
It’s alleged that the implementation of PPSMI over this half decade had degraded its students, particularly in Science and Mathematics, which are currently learned and taught in English. And some politically correct social members are reckoning that this measure itself has been a failure of Malaysian schooling system since 2003 as it’s not hitting the spot, i.e. to polish up the ability of young citizens in mastery of this language.
It’s just a matter of time and I would regard them as teething troubles which would predictably happen in the early stage of this introduction.
I’m saying this in my experience. I’m the first secondary batch receiving this special treat. Candidly, I think the benefits brought by this scheme outweigh the disadvantages. At the very least, it has allowed its students to have more references from other resources. For instance, the textbooks used in other English-speaking countries can be treated as reference books for Malaysian students. Add to that the English scientific terms from those books would be easily comprehended without the need for translation; we can actually have all the latest facts and figures at our fingertips.
Not to trigger off a feeling of racial inequality, the legislation of learning those subjects in Bahasa Malaysia would be just an unreasonable and unjust option for non-bumiputras.
Let’s take a look on what happened before 2003. In our six-year primary schooling, we’re firming up our foundation in the basics of languages, sciences and arts using our own mother tongues. Apart from endeavoring to get a grasp on the arithmetic and sciences, we would have to master own tongue as well as other lingoes.
Soon after this, we learned everything in our national language, which’s still considered a somewhat unfamiliar language for non-bumi like us, even after six years of learning. It’s when we’re undergoing a significant shift in our means of acquisition of new and more advanced knowledge. It’s also when many among us had dropped out as they’re not linguistically strong enough to be selected for.
As for those who’d luckily been selected for, the selection did come at a price – we did sacrifice our time, money and strength to make firm our grip of this language so that we could excel in other subjects through this language.
Nevertheless, the percentage of sacrifice makers is less than thirty percents. Most among us were using the national language throughout their 11 years of compulsory education. It’s therefore explicable that even more had dropped out after the establishment of PPSMI.
Meanwhile, this scheme had caused not much affliction on the thirty percents as they still have to accommodate to the transformation and this transformation does not differ much from the one happened formerly.
From a student’s standpoint, I would prefer to suffer now than to suffer in the future for a longer time, perhaps the whole life ahead of me.
I don’t fancy our Ministry of Education to exterminate the scheme as well as to carry on with the scheme for primary education.
It’s after all making the young pupils more stressful as they need to master all three languages fully together before they can do well in others. I suppose letting the native language to predominate among the small children would be a better way of building the all-important foundation.
We should keep on with the scheme for secondary education as the children should have learned how to adapt as they are moving from childhood to adolescent stage of growth. Otherwise, they won’t be competitive enough to take on the oncoming challenges.
The decision of the ministry on increasing the number of English teachers as well as the length of time or period for English classes in primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions is indeed commendable. This is rather a practical action of achieving greater English level among Malaysian students.
We should always take peeks and emulate the successes of other countries in their education system. Positive attitudes towards our education are also of crucial importance. Stop behaving as if you deserve better. You should muse on what adaptations you should have to every single problem that hits you.
There are still 2.5 years for the ministry to change their mind.
Don’t be an escapist or the fox that described the grapes as sour just because it couldn’t reach them.
PPSMI stands for Pembelajaran dan Pengajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris, literally translates as Learning and Teaching Science and Mathematics in or using English. It’d been introduced since 2003 and was a proposal of our dearest ex-prime minister, i.e. Dr. M. Students who had done their UPSR in 2002 or started their primary education would have been the first to acquire their scientific and mathematical knowledge in secondary language.
English is indeed a secondary language in Malaysia and it’s really enjoying its privilege of the middle class. We don’t talk about other languages, which are either of upper class or lower class in the society as they are unrelated over this topic.
Reestablishment of PPSMM has, again, downgraded the status of this language.
It’s alleged that the implementation of PPSMI over this half decade had degraded its students, particularly in Science and Mathematics, which are currently learned and taught in English. And some politically correct social members are reckoning that this measure itself has been a failure of Malaysian schooling system since 2003 as it’s not hitting the spot, i.e. to polish up the ability of young citizens in mastery of this language.
It’s just a matter of time and I would regard them as teething troubles which would predictably happen in the early stage of this introduction.
I’m saying this in my experience. I’m the first secondary batch receiving this special treat. Candidly, I think the benefits brought by this scheme outweigh the disadvantages. At the very least, it has allowed its students to have more references from other resources. For instance, the textbooks used in other English-speaking countries can be treated as reference books for Malaysian students. Add to that the English scientific terms from those books would be easily comprehended without the need for translation; we can actually have all the latest facts and figures at our fingertips.
Not to trigger off a feeling of racial inequality, the legislation of learning those subjects in Bahasa Malaysia would be just an unreasonable and unjust option for non-bumiputras.
Let’s take a look on what happened before 2003. In our six-year primary schooling, we’re firming up our foundation in the basics of languages, sciences and arts using our own mother tongues. Apart from endeavoring to get a grasp on the arithmetic and sciences, we would have to master own tongue as well as other lingoes.
Soon after this, we learned everything in our national language, which’s still considered a somewhat unfamiliar language for non-bumi like us, even after six years of learning. It’s when we’re undergoing a significant shift in our means of acquisition of new and more advanced knowledge. It’s also when many among us had dropped out as they’re not linguistically strong enough to be selected for.
As for those who’d luckily been selected for, the selection did come at a price – we did sacrifice our time, money and strength to make firm our grip of this language so that we could excel in other subjects through this language.
Nevertheless, the percentage of sacrifice makers is less than thirty percents. Most among us were using the national language throughout their 11 years of compulsory education. It’s therefore explicable that even more had dropped out after the establishment of PPSMI.
Meanwhile, this scheme had caused not much affliction on the thirty percents as they still have to accommodate to the transformation and this transformation does not differ much from the one happened formerly.
From a student’s standpoint, I would prefer to suffer now than to suffer in the future for a longer time, perhaps the whole life ahead of me.
I don’t fancy our Ministry of Education to exterminate the scheme as well as to carry on with the scheme for primary education.
It’s after all making the young pupils more stressful as they need to master all three languages fully together before they can do well in others. I suppose letting the native language to predominate among the small children would be a better way of building the all-important foundation.
We should keep on with the scheme for secondary education as the children should have learned how to adapt as they are moving from childhood to adolescent stage of growth. Otherwise, they won’t be competitive enough to take on the oncoming challenges.
The decision of the ministry on increasing the number of English teachers as well as the length of time or period for English classes in primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions is indeed commendable. This is rather a practical action of achieving greater English level among Malaysian students.
We should always take peeks and emulate the successes of other countries in their education system. Positive attitudes towards our education are also of crucial importance. Stop behaving as if you deserve better. You should muse on what adaptations you should have to every single problem that hits you.
There are still 2.5 years for the ministry to change their mind.
Don’t be an escapist or the fox that described the grapes as sour just because it couldn’t reach them.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Spent several hours, a T-shirt specially designed for the upcoming event in August, namely Relax Camp Season 2 by Methodist Intermediate Fellowship of Pantai Remis Chinese Methodist Church (link) has eventually made its way out. (Hooray! Let's give it a rapturous welcome!)
I still can't seem to get my failure, which happened last year, in relation to this, out of my mind. My paper design for last year's event was perfect but the output'd the oppsite effect. I felt indeed wretched about the way things had turned out. Perhaps constraint on spending money and time for the release of the design were the direct factors of this mishap.
In this year, I'm reassured that any restriction regarding this has been driven off, so I won't have to be frustrated again.
Let's see what I had had last year:
This is the front view of one of my T-shirt designs last year for the event, which had taken place several days before I departed for Cheras on the last day of June. The output was utterly different from what's in the plan. I felt awkward when was bombarded unceasingly with questions for this hideous T-shirt.
I still can't seem to get my failure, which happened last year, in relation to this, out of my mind. My paper design for last year's event was perfect but the output'd the oppsite effect. I felt indeed wretched about the way things had turned out. Perhaps constraint on spending money and time for the release of the design were the direct factors of this mishap.
In this year, I'm reassured that any restriction regarding this has been driven off, so I won't have to be frustrated again.
Let's see what I had had last year:
This is the front view of one of my T-shirt designs last year for the event, which had taken place several days before I departed for Cheras on the last day of June. The output was utterly different from what's in the plan. I felt awkward when was bombarded unceasingly with questions for this hideous T-shirt.For the reason above, most of the community members (specially set up for this event for this 2nd season) had requested a T-shirt designing contest as to have more choices for the better T-shirt. Though it's brought out with a somewhat sarcastic twist, it's still acceptably fair for everyone, and a lot more significant for discovering the hidden talents of the other members.
Anyhow, I thank god for this year's design. It wouldn't have happened so smoothly if no blessing's given to me. Tada!
Front view of the design. I fancy the front view, particularly the curvy motif.
It's streaked yellow-white gradient to make it sparkle in the black.
Back view of the design, the date of the event's well-written there.
I just pray that I won't have to change anything hereafter
Anyhow, I thank god for this year's design. It wouldn't have happened so smoothly if no blessing's given to me. Tada!
This is another major breakthrough of mine. The front and the back parts of the T-shirt are put together to give a rough idea about how it will appear when it's put on. There're in fact two curvy motifs joining together to give a heart shape, in conformity with this year's theme:
Awaiting True Love 真爱要等待
Awaiting True Love 真爱要等待
Front view of the design. I fancy the front view, particularly the curvy motif.It's streaked yellow-white gradient to make it sparkle in the black.
Back view of the design, the date of the event's well-written there.I just pray that I won't have to change anything hereafter
Saturday, July 4, 2009
I have a bout of depression these days. There’re too much many things for me to be worried about though most of them are trifles.
I admit myself as a somewhat eccentric person. I’ve never been able to have myself controlled well emotionally and psychologically. I have too many worries and fears. I shouldn’t have those, I know.
I’m acting as if I’m a -philiac. I am easily addicted to anything I like. A BLEACH junkie, I can’t find a way to get rid of this role I’m playing.
I realize that am getting further away from God. It is coming with a manifest sign – I’ve no peace.
I’m behaving as if I’m a chronic AIDS patient. I’ve lost my immunity to fight against the loss of confidence and joyfulness.
I’m getting gradually indolent about everything. I’d lost touch to Korean, too much of my regret.
That’s no way for me now to iron my laziness out.
I’m a problem child, a problem friend, a problem family member, a problem partner.
I’ve an unfortunate habit of causing problems to others.
I’m in abject misery and have started to let things slide.
I should take Dogmatil, perhaps.
Am I taking everything too seriously? Should I?
I admit myself as a somewhat eccentric person. I’ve never been able to have myself controlled well emotionally and psychologically. I have too many worries and fears. I shouldn’t have those, I know.
I’m acting as if I’m a -philiac. I am easily addicted to anything I like. A BLEACH junkie, I can’t find a way to get rid of this role I’m playing.
I realize that am getting further away from God. It is coming with a manifest sign – I’ve no peace.
I’m behaving as if I’m a chronic AIDS patient. I’ve lost my immunity to fight against the loss of confidence and joyfulness.
I’m getting gradually indolent about everything. I’d lost touch to Korean, too much of my regret.
That’s no way for me now to iron my laziness out.
I’m a problem child, a problem friend, a problem family member, a problem partner.
I’ve an unfortunate habit of causing problems to others.
I’m in abject misery and have started to let things slide.
I should take Dogmatil, perhaps.
Am I taking everything too seriously? Should I?
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