Speech by Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education, at the White Paper Debate on the Report of the CLCPRC on 26 Nov 2004

Speech by Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education, at the White Paper Debate on the Report of the CLCPRC on 26 Nov 2004

REVIEW OF THE MALAY AND TAMIL LANGUAGES

1. I wish to thank Members for their comments and suggestions on the subject of the Malay and Tamil Languages.

2. Sir, a few Members including Mdm Halimah Yacob, Mr Ravindran, Mr Zainuddin Nordin and Mr Ahmad Khalis have spoken about the need for similar reviews for the other Mother Tongue Languages, that is, the Malay Language and the Tamil Language.

3. We agree with the Members that all our Mother Tongue Languages are important. Our children will benefit from a strong foundation in Mother Tongue Languages for both cultural and economic reasons.

4. In order to do so, we should ensure that Mother Tongue Languages are taught effectively in our schools. It is therefore necessary for us, after a period of time, to take a look at our curriculum and how we can better teach the languages. Like the Chinese Language, the way we teach Malay and Tamil must adapt to and anticipate changes in the environment.

5. The last review on the teaching and learning of Tamil Language in schools was conducted in 1998, and it is timely that we look at it again. We need to pitch the standard of the Tamil Language to a realistic level for our children. This was pointed out by Ms Braema Mathi and Mr Ravindran. Many parents said that their children have to put in a great deal of effort to learn the language. We should also consider the fact that English is becoming the dominant home language in most Indian households. We need to do more to help children from households who have little exposure to Tamil. Therefore, there is a need to review how we teach Tamil, especially at the primary level, so that our students do not lose interest in the language.

6. It is true that there is less of a problem for the Malay Language as most Malay families speak the language at home. When we conducted a review of how the learning of Malay in schools could be enhanced in 1999, the feedback received showed that the majority of students are able to cope with the subject. But as both Mdm Halimah and Mr Ahmad Khalis have noted, the home language trends in Chinese and Indian families are also beginning to surface in the Malay families as Malay parents become more educated. We are beginning to see, a small percentage of Malay families - usually professionals - who speak mainly English at home. Mr Yatiman Yusof has observed that this trend is likely to increase over the next few years. So, as Mdm Halimah has rightly pointed out, there is still a need for us to review and refine the Malay Language curriculum to recognize the different backgrounds and abilities of our Malay students, and ensure that they continue to have an interest in the language even after they leave school.

7. Therefore, as the Minister of Education has said in his speech on the first day of the debate, we will be reviewing the Malay Language and Tamil Language curricula in January next year. The reviews are expected to complete in August 2005. As part of the review processes, MOE will consult major stakeholders such as Malay Language and Tamil Language teachers, students and parents.

8. We would like to assure Mdm Halimah, Mr Ravindran and Mr Khalis that the review of both the Malay Language and the Tamil Language, like the one for the Chinese Language, will be comprehensive. We will focus on the appropriateness of the syllabuses, suitability of instructional materials, effectiveness of teaching approaches and assessment standards.

9. They have both suggested useful areas for the review committees to look into. In particular, they have spoken on the need to concentrate on teaching oral communication skills to the younger generation so that they can communicate in the language more confidently, effectively and in greater depth. Mr Khalis also brought up this point. We agree that these are practical and important skills for our students to learn. The Members also asked how we can make the teaching and learning of the Malay and Tamil Languages more alive and interesting for our children so that they will be motivated to use them within and outside of school.

10. The review committees for the Malay and Tamil Languages will look into these areas in greater depth and detail during the course of its work.

11. We will see what more needs to be done. Currently, Malay and Tamil Language students benefit from a rigorous curriculum to build their oral competency in the languages. There are adequate opportunities for students to hone their communication skills in class and in real life situations. For example, teachers conduct student-centred activities such as group discussions, oral presentations, speeches, poetry recitations and debates that encourage the students to communicate to their peers and teachers in the language.

12. These activities also make the teaching and learning of Malay and Tamil interesting and engaging. Besides student-centred activities in class, the topics in the instructional materials are developed with students' interests in mind and include issues that are thought-provoking. In addition, schools conduct enrichment programmes such as drama and field trips to further enhance the learning of the language among our students, and organised language competitions as platforms for our students to express themselves confidently in the language.

13. Mdm Halimah and Mr Ravindran also suggested using IT or other teaching methodologies to appeal to our children. Our children have grown up very comfortable with technology - they use mobiles phones, play computer games and surf the net - we should tap on their IT literacy as well as the excellent infrastructure in schools to teach the languages. Schools are already doing so. MOE has developed interactive CD-ROMs for teachers to use in class, and some schools have also created their own websites to encourage students to communicate with their Malay and Tamil Language teachers in the Mother Tongue Languages through the internet. As Mr Ravindran has also pointed out, some teachers have excellent language teaching approaches, and MOE also organises sessions for teachers to share these best teaching practices. For Tamil Language, there is also an on-line newsletter to create awareness on the various teaching approaches used by teachers.

14. I agree with Mdm Halimah's point that reading will help inculcate an interest in the language. She expressed concern on the lack of suitable Malay Language reading materials and books. This is requires the effort of the wider community. At the present moment, MOE collaborates with the National Library Board to review and get suitable and interesting books in the language to be available for students in schools. MOE has also developed supplementary reading materials such as the Big Books and the Small Books for lower primary students, and the Supplementary Readers (Bacaan Tambahan) for secondary school students. Our local newspaper, Berita Harian, carries a weekly column for students, such as Tunas (Budding Writers), and Info-R (Information for Teenagers), and teachers often use these materials in their lessons. The review could study what more should be done to produce interesting, accessible and appropriate reading materials of various genres and topics that appeal to our students, including novels, fables and stories, joke

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REVISED ML AND TL CURRICULUM

15. There was also a question raised on the implementation timeline of the recommendations of the Malay and Tamil review, and whether it will also be aligned to that of the CL review.

16. While we will always try to ensure comparability across all three Mother Tongue Languages, and the issues facing them are not very different, we also need to recognise that the teaching and learning of the three Mother Tongue Languages may require different solutions. The sensible thing to do is not to rush implementation. We will want to ensure that there is sufficient preparation time, for example, to train the teachers in order to do a good job.

SCHOOLS OFFERING TAMIL LANGUAGE

17. There was some concern that schools will not offer the Tamil Language if the enrolment of their Tamil Language students fall. This was raised by Madam Halimah yesterday and also by Mr Khalis and Mr Ravindran in their speeches.

18. A critical mass of students is needed to ensure that our limited teaching resources are well-deployed. A sufficient number of students is also needed to create enough opportunities for students to use the language with their classmates. Where the Tamil Language demand in an existing school has fallen to a very low level, MOE will review if the Tamil Language teaching resources need to be re-deployed to other schools where demand is higher. However, I would like to assure parents that any decision taken to stop Tamil Language instruction in a particular school will be taken after careful consideration. In general, existing students in a school will continue with their Tamil lessons in the school until they graduate.

19. MOE strives to make Tamil Language instruction as conveniently accessible to as many students as possible. The current level of accessibility is high - as of this year, there are 70 secondary schools offering Tamil Language within curriculum time. Next year, the number will increase to 71. Information on the schools offering Tamil Language classes is available in the Sec 1 posting exercise booklets which are given out to Primary 6 students every year. This is to help parents to make an informed choice regarding the secondary school for their children.

NON-TAMIL INDIAN LANGUAGES

20. Mr Khalis, Mr Ravindran and Mdm Halimah asked about non-Tamil Indian languages and whether MOE will conduct a review in the teaching and learning of these languages. This is something best done by the non-Tamil Indian speaking communities who have already made commendable efforts to improve the teaching of their languages.

21. Mdm Halimah and Mr Khalis asked if students offering non-Tamil Indian languages are disadvantaged. I would like to assure members that students are not unduly disadvantaged by the current treatment of non-Tamil Indian languages. At present, the Ministry conducts examinations for these languages at PSLE, N levels, 'O' and 'A' levels. The grades obtained at the national examinations - are treated on the same basis as the other official MTLs. Similarly, students who offer these languages will continue to be considered for Edusave awards based on their overall performance in the other subjects.

BICULTURAL STUDIES PROGRAMME FOR OTHER MTLS

22. Mr Khalis asked about the role of the Malay Language in economic development and international relations. Mdm Halimah asked if there are any plans to offer a Bicultural Studies (BSP) for the other Mother Tongue Languages, akin to the one for Chinese.

23. Malay is a significant language, particularly in our part of the world. It is the official language of our neighbours - Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Malay Language will continue to play an important role not just as a conduit for cultural transmission, but also for the purpose of trade and commerce and in strengthening ties with our Southeast Asian neighbours.

24. Singapore's future will always be interwoven with the region. Therefore, it is important to develop a group of students who have a strong grasp of the Malay Language and culture, and who will be able to know our neighbours, and engage and relate to them. We encourage Malay students to take Higher Malay if they have the ability to do so, besides their taking Malay Language. We are also nurturing a Malay bilingual elite through the Elective Programme in Malay Language for Secondary Schools (EMAS) and Language Elective Programme (Malay) at JC level. Mr Zainuddin also had earlier suggested about having immersion programmes for students studying the Malay Language. The LEP (Malay) students receive MOE scholarships and go for immersion in Malaysia. MOE will continue to enhance these special programmes and electives where appropriate.

25. We are open to the idea of extending the Bicultural Studies Programme to other Mother Tongue Languages, where there is sufficient demand. However, as Singapore is at the heart of Southeast Asia, our students from primary schools to universities are already exposed to the study of the region at many levels.

OFFERING OF CL BY NON-CL STUDENTS

26. Both Dr Ong Seh Hong and Ms Braema Mathi had earlier asked about non-CL students being allowed to take CL.

27. We encourage all our students to study their respective Mother Tongue Languages. As Dr Ong has also pointed out, our Mother Tongue Languages are rich repositories of culture. Having said that, it is always useful to be able to know another Mother Tongue Language since it will help young Singaporeans of all races to operate effectively in the region and beyond. It would also help increase interaction among the ethnic communities and facilitate inter-racial understanding.

28. Therefore, besides seeking MOE's approval to offer the Chinese Language as a Mother Tongue Language, non-Chinese students can also offer the Chinese Language a third language. As announced in September this year, Sec 1 students will be allowed to offer another Mother Tongue Language as a third language in addition to their native Mother Tongue, as long as they have the interest and inclination. The lifting of the previous eligibility criteria serves to allow and encourage more students to offer a non-native MTL as a third language.

MTLS AND IMPACT ON RACIAL HARMONY AND MULTI-CULTURALISM

29. Ms Irene Ng expressed concerns that the increased use of Mother Tongue Languages in schools will impact racial harmony. She spoke of the need to build up a Singaporean identity. Mdm Halimah also said that while studying one's Mother Tongue Language well is important, she also emphasised the importance of multiculturalism and that our students must also have an understanding of other races and cultures.

30. MOE fully agrees that while it is important that Singaporeans take pride in their own ethnic language and culture, this must be within the context of a multiracial society. While we wish our children to retain their culture and values, we must also build a sense of shared identity among all Singaporeans. While each community keeps its own links with its past and its language, we must also steadily widen the common space, which we all share as Singaporeans.

31. With this in mind, the encouragement to use Mother Tongue Languages more effectively and frequently among our young will not be at the expense of racial harmony and social cohesiveness. Our schools are aware that it is their responsibility to educate our students to be steeped in our national values in a multi-racial Singapore.

32. There are many ways where schools promote multiculturalism and a better understanding of other ethnic groups. The formal and informal curriculum in schools emphasise the value of ethnic integration. We are also confident that schools will be sensitive in promoting the use of Mother Tongue Languages. For activities, enrichment programmes and Co-Curricula Activities where Mother Tongue Languages is the medium of instruction, schools will encourage pupils of all races to participate in them. This is also an opportune time for students to translate and explain the activities or instructions to their peers of other races.

33. Another way which some schools try to expose their students to other culture is to encourage their students to learn other Mother Tongue Languages. For example, Nan Hua Primary has prepared a simple booklet on basic Malay vocabulary and conversational usage that all students will go through every Friday morning for about 10-15 minnutes during morning assembly. Once every two weeks, students at Seng Kang Secondary learn about other Mother Tongue Languages during the weekly assembly.

DYSLEXIA IN CHINESE

34. Finally, let me touch on the issue of Chinese dyslexia. We will consider Mr Ang Mong Seng's suggestion to conduct research and develop programmes to help children with dyslexia in Chinese.

35. MOE has been looking into the needs of students with dyslexia in English. In particular, dyslexic children who come from non-English speaking homes have unique problems. MOE educational psychologists are in the process of developing a teaching approach for these children in collaboration with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore. The study of dyslexia in Chinese is a possible extension of this work. However, as rightly noted by Mr Ang, research in this area is still limited, and we will need to study this carefully.

36. Thank you.