DPM to make announcement on the use of English to teach Mathematics and Science (PPSMI)

THE STAR

MUAR: The Cabinet will decide today (8 July 2009) on the use of English to teach Mathematics and Science, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said he would table a paper on the matter to the Cabinet, which would then decide on it.

“Whatever its decision, it will not be due to pressure from any party or groups and it should not be viewed as politically inclined.

“The Education Ministry has carried out studies and I will table the results before the Cabinet tomorrow,” Muhyiddin said after attending the Gerak Bakti UPSR programme here.

“While we decide on the use of English in the teaching of the subjects, we also need to look out for our children’s future,” he added yesterday.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said he had met and compiled views from various groups and non-governmental organisations on the matter, among them former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said all views would be submitted to the Cabinet, adding that it would not decide hastily and would give importance to the needs of students and the country’s educational system.

“Tomorrow evening, I will outline in detail the ways for English to be taught. The Cabinet decision will be final,” he added.

Sources familiar with the decision said that Muhyiddin, who would meet the press after lunch, felt that it was time for a firm decision as the matter had dragged on long enough and a further delay would just “add to the confusion”.

There have been calls from various groups for the policy to revert to before 2003, when the subjects were taught in Bahasa Malaysia in national schools, and either in Chinese or Tamil in national-type schools.

The issue has seen a rare alliance between Malay and Chinese educationists, who are against the switch, although there are also calls by many parents and entrepreneurs for English to be maintained.

One ministry official said there were three ways for Muhyiddin, who had looked at all the arguments and found all sides had merit, to resolve the issue.

“Firstly, he could decide to maintain the present system and set another deadline for a further review. Secondly, he could reverse the medium of instruction to that of pre-2003.

“Thirdly, he could make the teaching of Mathematics and Science in primary school in Bahasa Malaysia and the vernacular languages, and in English for secondary schools,” said the official.

However, sources said the third option was the least likely as it would make it difficult for the students, who would already have a poor command of English.

They said Muhyiddin had expressed his disappointment with the standard of English taught in schools as he was well aware of its importance.

“Whatever the decision, improving the command of English will be given great importance,” said the official, adding that Muhyiddin would have to be mindful of the political implications of this issue before deciding.

It is a balancing act between the importance of the national language and the need to arm children with English to face the globalised world.

Re-inventing education

THE STAR

THERE is a need to review, revamp and re-invent the development and delivery of education, allowing for greater flexibility and creativity.

Limkokwing University of Creative Technology president Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing said it was time for a new Commonwealth model to be considered.

“One that effectively accommodates the different needs of a country; one that builds the people first and then the economy.

“This re-invention must happen if there is to be transformation so that every young person is purposefully educated, and has a part to play and a stake in moving their country forward,” he said at the stakeholders’ forum during the recent 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers.

The other forums held were for youth, vice-chancellors and teachers.

Dr Lim said this was an urgent mission as holding on to irrelevant systems and models will continue to serve only a tiny fraction of those in the Commonwealth.

“Urgent because only by unleashing the massive talents of one billion young people and opening up opportunities to them, can we truly say we achieved the Common – Wealth which literally means our ‘common well-being’,” he said, adding that this was the founding principle of the organisation.

“It should be our common mission going forward if we are to stay true to the spirit of that word — Commonwealth,” he added.

Dr Lim said many governments in the Commonwealth adopted the British system of education “wholesale” even after independence, because the systems and methodologies were already in place.

“It was a one-size-fits-all solution that worked at that time.

“The British system, as good as it was, is not applicable to many Commonwealth countries that are struggling to develop,” he said.

Dr Lim said what was common was really not common at all as it did not take into account the differing socio-economic development stages of the countries.

It did not take into account that other than a colonial past, most of these countries had little in common in terms of heritage and traditions with the West.

“What we have in common is our history, our bonds to the United Kingdom and the legacy of the English language,” he said.

It also did not take into account that in many parts of the Commonwealth, a Western style education was accessible only to the wealthy and privileged — in a nutshell, the elite, he said.

This, he added, reinforced the divide between rich and poor people within a country and between communities.

But, he added, problems do not go away, they fester and become bigger problems.

“What then do we call education systems that are at odds with the reality of life for most of the world?” he asked.

In many Commonwealth countries, Dr Lim said millions have not stepped into a classroom while enrolment and completion ratios of education are among the lowest in the world.

“What is very clear is that very few get started and even fewer make it to the finishing line.

“The question we must ask ourselves must be are we doing enough in education and it’s not just about whether we are spending enough,” he said.

Tips and Techniques for self study

Report Card Day has come and gone for most schools. Students sitting for SPM PMR would have gotten either praises J or scolding L from their parents.
Here’s some study tips for those of you starting to panic, worry, sweating, pressured etc etc.

First Key
Focus 100% on only 1 thing at any given time.
Concentrate fully on that task for that time. DO NOT allow anything to distract you, and that means NO sms, NO phone calls, NO chatting.
Let’s say you decide to learn Chap 3 of Form 4 Physics – Pressure for the next 1 hour. Then please commit to Focus 100% on that for 1 hour.
Most people (and that includes adults too) live through distraction the whole day. The world is getting more and more ADD, probably due to more and more distractions in our lives. Therefore, many people do not realize the POWER and EFFECTIVENESS of focusing 100% on something, even though it’s only for a short period of time.

Second Key
Use Time Budgeting Technique.
Budget a time for your lesson. Let’s take the example of learning Chap 3 of Form 4 Physics – Pressure. Let’s say you decide to allocate 3 hours to complete the chapter, then stick to the 3 hours. Meaning you don’t give yourself excuses and do something else in that 3 hours. (toilet break is acceptable J)
It doesn’t matter whether the time allocated is enough or not. What matters is you learn the habit of FOCUSING 100% on a given task. I guarantee after FOCUSING 100% for 3 hours, you’ll definitely see significant improvement of understanding in that Chapter.
Please stop after 3 hours. Don’t over shoot your budgeted time. Learn to be disciplined.
You can be flexible – but please understand that if you’re always flexible with your time, you’ll not have enough time to finish your syllabus. Learn to balance flexibility with discipline.

Third Key
Chunk Down your lessons.
Slice your budgeted 3 hours into smaller lessons. Preferably complete the lessons within a day or 2. Maximum 3 days if the chapter is long.
For example – you may decide to study 1 hour each lesson. You can study 1 hour in the morning, 1 hour in the evening and then another hour the next morning. (Remember to give 100% FOCUS to the subject matter in that 1 hour)

Fourth Key
Don’t sit.
That’s right, you heard me the first time. Stand up and look down at your books on the table, or hold the book up with your hands and read it standing over your desk. Do that periodically over your lesson time – I suggest to stand for 5 – 10 min. Or better still, hold the book or your notes and pace a while around your table.
Why? You’ll be less sleepy this way.

Fifth Key
Create a study environment that you like.
If you like music, then study with music. If you like to munch snacks, then study with snacks. If you like cold, then study with the air-cond blasting. (BUT – please make sure you’re giving 100% FOCUS to your lessons and not your snacks!)
Try it out – You’ll be amazed with the Power of 100% Focus

Credit to http://epitomeofsuccess.wordpress.com/

SBP Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 1 - Matter
Question 2: Form 1 - Respiration
Question 3: Form 2 - Food Test
Question 4: Form 2 - Animals Support System
Question 5: Form 3 - Transpiration
Question 6: Form 3 - Growth
Question 7: Form 3 - Electric Circuit
Question 8: Form 2 - Force
Download here

Selangor Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 2 - Ears
Question 2: Form 1 - Combustion
Question 3: Form 2 - Digestive System
Question 4: Form 2 - Air Pressure
Question 5: Form 2 - Acid and alkali
Question 6: Form 3 - Generation of electricity
Question 7: Form 2 - Plants Support System
Question 8: Form 3 -Transpiration
Download here

Perak Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 2 - Ears
Question 2: Form 3 - Blood Circulatory System
Question 3: Form 1 - Matter
Question 4: Form 2 - Lever
Question 5: Form 2 - Digestive System
Question 6: Form 1 - Heat
Question 7: Form 3 - Asexual Reproduction
Question 8: Form 1 - Combustion
Download here

SPM: 10 subjects max from 2010 onwards

THE STAR

It’s official -- all students will be able to take a maximum of only 10 subjects in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination from 2010 onwards, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The only exceptions would be students in the joint science and religious stream who will be allowed to take 11 subjects next year until the curriculum is streamlined by 2011, after which they too will be able to take a maximum of 10 subjects.
“This means all students would be taking a maximum of 10 subjects in the SPM from 2011 onwards whether they are in national, independent or private schools,” he told reporters after chairing the Commonwealth ministerial meeting at the 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the six core subjects in the SPM -- Bahasa Melayu, English, Islamic Education or Moral Studies, History, Mathe­matics and Science -- would remain the same.
“However those in the science stream are exempted from taking Science so this means they take five core subjects and can choose five elective subjects,” he said.
The same applies to those in the religious stream as they would be exempted from taking Islamic Education, while those in the joint science and religious stream were exempted from Islamic Education and Science.
He said changes would be made to the SPM open certificate introduced in 2000 where students could take six core subjects and any other elective subject as long as there was no clash in the timetable.
Muhyiddin said the rationale behind the decision was to ensure students had more time for extra-curricular activities.