A FLAWED rationale or is it unpreparedness of the system that has caused the compulsory requirement of a pass in English at Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia in 2016 to be postponed? The practical exams for science, too, is to be postponed to a later date because the laboratory facilities in schools are inadequate. What these postponements smack of is incompetence on the part of policymakers and implementers. For, the assumption is that a time table must have been considered before dates are announced. Inadequacy of facilities and teaching staff is surely not an arbitrary occurrence that cannot be forecasted. For example, it has long been understood that there is a shortfall of proficient English Language teachers and to overcome this, teachers from English speaking countries were brought in. What happened to them? Were the numbers brought in too small? Because if that move had been implemented properly, the problem should have long been addressed. Instead the public is now told that neither the students nor the teachers are ready.
To continue reading the rest of the article, click here