NUTP: Improve teaching in English rather than re-introducing English-medium schools

PETALING JAYA: The government should look at ways of enhancing teaching the English language in schools rather than re-introducing English-medium schools into the national education system.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Kamarozaman Abd Razak said the introduction of such schools would only attract objections from various quarters, as it would add to the already saturated language-streamed schools in the country.
"Why do they want to introduce (such schools)? To me, it's not suitable. It's not like students have to master the English language to be able to be good in other subjects.
"We should be looking for solutions on how to improve teaching in English and the language proficiency, because that is where I feel we are weak at," he told theSun today.
"But if the government decides to start English-medium schools, there are bound to be a huge number of people, especially the lower income group, who will be against it," he added.
Kamarozaman was responding to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan's statement on Monday that the government needed support from stakeholders, especially parents and teachers, to reinstate English-medium schools.
He had said English schools were vital for human capital growth, and that others who supported the introduction of such schools should also speak up, as the government needed consensus to start setting up.
Kamarozaman said more in-depth studies were needed before such schools could be introduced, and that he hoped the government would invite NUTP to a meeting to discuss the matter.
Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar had also recently urged the government to revive English schools to emulate Singapore, pointing that because of such a policy, the island state has done well.
Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) president Datin Noor Azima Abdul Rahim, in lauding those who supported the Johor royalty's call, suggested that students who enrol in English-medium schools first attain the national average score for Bahasa Malaysia.
She said this was to ensure that the Malay language was not relegated.
She added that while such schools should also be introduced in other states than Johor, it was a gargantuan task and would face resistance, as the other states have shown indifference over the matter.