English possible subjects for SPM 2016

Muhyiddin Yassin

English is likely to be made compulsory subject for the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) from 2016, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
   
The deputy prime minister, who is also education minister, said the move is in line with the implementation of the second wave of Malaysia Education Development Plan.
   
He said the matter was being refined Ministry of Education and the implementation of this project will hopefully bring down the percentage of students who failed the subject in SPM.
   
"If we follow the existing curriculum, there are approximately 20 percent of our students who fail English, but I believe when we introduced this prerequisite then the percentage will decrease.
   
"Moreover, if we find that students need 'intervention' because they are weak in English learning, we can be added to provide tuition program (and) focus on poor students.
   
"And maybe if additional class will be held if deemed necessary in selected schools," he told reporters after launching the 'Memperkukuhn literacy and English proficiency' level students in Negeri Sembilan deer Kampung Baru here today.

Also present were Minister of Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Negeri Sembilan Mohamad Hasan.
   
Malaysia Education Development Plan will go through three phases of the wave (the preparation phase) (2012-2015), a second wave (implementation) (2016-2020) and the third wave (assessment) (2021-2025).
   
He said the first wave of the plan, the ministry will train 61,000 English language teachers in primary and secondary schools.
  
"To ensure that our English language proficiency level increases, the programs that we introduce is our native-speaking help bring teachers and students in schools throughout Malaysia.
   
"Next we will train 61.000 English language teachers that we have to (make them) are more skilled and more specialists," he said.
   
Earlier in his speech, Muhyiddin said the program Teaching English and Literacy (TELL), which was first introduced in 2011 showed marked improvement for penguasaaan English among students and teachers.

He said the teaching skills of the teachers of English in Level One primary schools increased by an average of 54 percent, while the ability to write and read English among students, an increase of 16 percent compared to students who were not in the program.
  
"I understand that the mentor and their counterparts in Malaysia together produce thousands of materials and communication resources.
    
"I believe with complete transformation of the ministry now, has brought a paradigm shift in the way we think, act and solve the problem of language proficiency among Malaysian teachers are no longer possible," he said. .
   
TELL is a program to improve the English proficiency and literacy among English teachers Level One (who teaches Year 1, 2 and 3) primary school.
   
A total of 360 mentors who are native-speaking English language is divided into several areas across the country with each mentor will be responsible for taking care of five schools in the area.