Malaysia’s education minister Maszlee Malik urged the country’s teachers to improve their standard of English, noting that it is a crucial skill for students in the 21st century.
Enhancing the use of the country’s national language, Bahasa Malaysia (BM), was one of the key initiatives in the Ministry of Education’s first 100 days in office. However Malik noted that the current education landscape demands that students are equipped with effective English language skills.
“The ministry is transforming English education in Malaysia in line with the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 as well as English Language Roadmap 2015-2025,” Malik said.
“I believe that with continuous involvement and commitment from all stakeholders, we can produce more students who are competent in communicating in English and emerge as competitive global players in this highly challenging world.”
As a start, the ministry said it is committed to raising the quality and standards of the teaching profession and will support teachers with the necessary training.
Speaking at the Highly Immersive Programme (HIP) Carnival, he urged all teachers to keep pace with the fast-changing world of education and meet students’ needs, reported Malaysiakini.
Last month, the education ministry launched ‘Language Days’ in Malaysia’s national schools. The plan involved having one day a week dedicated to the use of BM and another day for English.
Most have lauded the move but some are doubtful whether national schools will be able to execute the plan effectively – particularly for English day as teachers were ill-equipped.
However, deputy education minister Teo Nie Ching said the ministry to studying ways to partner private schools, which typically have a higher proficiency of English than public schools.
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