Letters - Better a bilingual education policy

I AGREE with Chandra Muzaffar's view ("The English-medium school – a panacea?", June 24) that the country urgently needs to consolidate the position of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and medium of instruction in national schools while at the same time reaffirming the importance of English as a strong second language in a bilingual education system. The national education policy with Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction in the national schools and Chinese and Tamil in the vernacular schools must be maintained, but English has to be positioned as a complementary medium of instruction for selected subjects.
Learning their subjects in English is the only way by which students will be continuously exposed to the language in all its forms and become active users. The opportunity to read, write, listen and speak in English will provide an environment where they are immersed in the language. The English language classes will then serve to reinforce the formal features of the language which will in turn improve overall proficiency.
The recent call by a state ruler to reinstate English-medium schools as an option in the national education system is applauded by many as the solution to the declining standards of English among Malaysian students. The Singapore model is thought to be the most effective in the region.
Their argument is non-controversial at one level, that is in order for students to attain a high level of proficiency in English they need to be immersed in a learning environment where all the subjects are taught/learned in English. A learning environment with a single medium of instruction will naturally allow students to use the language regularly, which will in turn improve their proficiency. This supports the theory of total immersion for successful language acquisition.
However, apart from dismantling the national education policy which offers the choice of national, Chinese and Tamil schools for students to be educated in the national language and the two vernaculars, bringing back English-medium schools will create greater disparities in student achievement and in the socio-economic opportunities which accrue. Urban students who have greater exposure to English will be advantaged over the less-exposed rural children.
If English-medium schools are restored, one can foresee a Malaysia that is even more linguistically, socio-culturally and economically fragmented where the English educated will have a headstart, greater mobility and opportunities over those from the national and vernacular schools. Instead of creating an egalitarian society with a level education field, Malaysia will be perpetuating an elitist system where English education is the choice of the urban affluent – a situation which has already been created by private English-medium schools.
To circumvent the call for English medium education and the bargaining between our three major ethnic groups in their bid to assume linguistic and cultural superiority, the English language must resurface as a peace and pacemaker. Whether they study in the sekolah kebangsaan or sekolah jenis kebangsaan, Malaysian students must get the same access to English.
Integrating the three streams through a clear policy statement on bilingualism is the way forward. While maintaining the status quo of the vernacular languages, Bahasa Malaysia's position as the official language which fosters national integration will be reinforced. English will regain its earlier role of promoting national and international networking.
To implement it on the ground, bilingualism must manifest itself in a clear philosophy/policy statement. In this regard, the national education system must uphold and promote bilingualism (Malay and English) in the curriculum of national schools and higher institutions of learning to produce students who will acquire knowledge and skills through their mastery of both languages. Malaysians who go through the national education system will enter the employment market with a high level of proficiency in both languages, where Malay will be optimised for work and career opportunities at the local level, and English at the global level.
Halimah Mohd Said
Kuala Lumpur