English literacy gap caused by poor proficiency of teachers

KUALA LUMPUR: The language proficiency and the number of English teachers are among the contributing factors to the language mastery between students in urban and rural areas.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said the ministry was aware of this and committed to improving the situation.
"The lack of English teachers and their own performance is among the reasons for pupils' lack of skills and command of the language," he said, adding that the ministry has conducted various programmes to improve the standard of proficiency among English teachers.
"We are also ensuring to have enough teachers' quarters in every school," he told Dewan Rakyat during the question and answer session.
In replying to a supplementary question from Budiman Mohd Zohdi (BN - Sungai Besar) on the issue, Chong said the ministry did notice the gap of English literacy performance among pupils in urban and rural areas.
He added that the ministry will meet all State Executive councillors in charge of education to explain on the decision to convert nine Institutes of Teacher Education (IPG) into vocational colleges.
This, he said, when replying to Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem who said the decision to convert the IPGs - including two from Sarawak - was short-sighted and detrimental to the public.
"No (it's not). We have explained that some of the IPGs were being under-utilised, so we are looking at ways to optimise it. However, we will discuss with state Exco members soon," he said.
The government had, during the tabling of Budget 2017, announced that nine - of the 27 - campuses would be converted into vocational colleges or polytechnics as they were being under-utilised.