Tuesday March 5, 2013

FMM: Make English a must-pass subject by 2018

PETALING JAYA: English should be a must-pass subject in public examinations at all levels by 2018, said the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM).

The federation said a definitive timeline should be set to make English a compulsory pass subject.

“This will ensure that the necessary resources and concrete steps are taken within the next five years to implement the policy,” said FMM, in response to the Deputy Prime Minister’s recent announcement that English would be made a compulsory-pass subject in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia once teachers and students were ready.

“At the same time, students, especially those taking public examinations in 2018, would be better prepared since language proficiency is acquired over time and not overnight,” FMM said. “Most importantly, a definite timeline helps ensure policy implementation stayed firmly on course.”

FMM said that as employers, manufacturers were concerned over the declining level of English proficiency among the Malaysian workforce.

“English, being a tool of knowledge and medium of business and technical communication, contributes to people’s ability to compete globally.

“It will also greatly assist in the nation’s progress towards a high-income economy,” it said.

On Feb 23, Muhyiddin said the measure was one of a few being looked into to improve the education system and create a more competitive society.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said an allocation of RM38.7bil had been set aside with RM500mil to train teachers in core subjects such as English, Bahasa Malaysia, Science and Mathematics.

News

Tuesday March 5, 2013

FMM: Make English a must-pass subject by 2018