27% of SPM students in Terengganu failed in English

KUALA TERENGGANU: About 5,500 or 27% of students who sat for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination in Terengganu failed in the English Language subject.
This was based on statistics by the Terengganu Education Department since the last five years, which showed a worrying trend since English Language had been made a compulsory subject to pass for SPM candidates since 2016.
However, State Education Director Zakaria Hussin said efforts were being made to improve proficiency of the language among students in Terengganu through the 'Terengganu English' or TRENGLISH programme with the cooperation of theTerengganu Foundation.
The programme is to enhance mastering and usage of Communication English among primary and secondary school students in the state, he added.
He said it would be implemented at 32 selected schools with the appointment of 32 Terengganu Hired English Language Personnel (T-Help), comprising graduates in English Language from local public institutions of higher learning.
The programme focused on Form 3, 4 and 5 students, he told Bernama here today. Zakaria said the appointment of T-Help was to enhance students participation in the teaching and learning of the English Language, as well as co-curricular activities.
"The difference between T-Help and ETA is that T-Help comprise Malaysian graduates who are proficient in English, while ETA are American graduates whose mother tongue is English.
"We need T-Help because it was found that all the 20 ETA teachers are not proficient in Malay and this poses a problem for them to communicate with students in class," he added. – Bernama