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University Malaya (MU) vice-chancellor Rafiah Salim admitted and openly called on all public universities in Malaysia needed to accept the fact openly and overcome the problem of lecturers who are not proficient in English.
According to Rafiah, the problem of the lack of proficiencies of English language of many lecturers is directly attributed to the educational system that had focused only on Bahasa Malaysia over the past decades.
"Only recently had English been given priority," she said.
It's about 30 years since Mahathir who was then education minister decided to level the playing fields of the various races in universities by abandoning English as the primary language of education. This way, the Malays from the rural schools will be able to compete based on meritocracy. However, the Indians and Chinese who were generally weaker in Bahasa were quick to adapt and adopt the language. Today, most Chinese and Indians in schools have compatible competency in Bahasa and at such, the competitive advantage diminished.
"Only recently had English been given priority," she said.
It's about 30 years since Mahathir who was then education minister decided to level the playing fields of the various races in universities by abandoning English as the primary language of education. This way, the Malays from the rural schools will be able to compete based on meritocracy. However, the Indians and Chinese who were generally weaker in Bahasa were quick to adapt and adopt the language. Today, most Chinese and Indians in schools have compatible competency in Bahasa and at such, the competitive advantage diminished.
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Until the lecturers are competent to do so, the system will continue to generate graduates with English baked in African pizzas.
3 comments:
Sad to admit. I am one of those screwed by Mahathir and his notorious gang. It's not fun at all trying to play this catch up.
Long live mahadi!
Hasilox, sorry for you!
The lecturers' English is spoken in African slang AND ALSO with ESKIMO grammar thrown in for good measure. But let's look at he schools first. Remember the case a few years ago when a new graduate entered a class and announced, " Good morning, I is your new English teacher."
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