http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/10/22/imo-view-english-vs-mother-tongues.html
I was dumbstruck last week reading citation from several national newspapers of the Deputy Minister of Education and Cultural, Musliar Kasim’s statement that “it is haram (forbidden) to force kindergarten students to take English courses, and he pitied the kids.” I was further annoyed by the reason that English would be scrapped from public Elementary Schools because the students haven’t even learned to understand the Indonesian language yet. It is totally a setback and rather imprudent. It means the government has denied access of those in the lower-class population to the international language which play significant role in the globalized world. It’s like pointing a finger on foreign language for the degradation of Indonesian language for these children. Playing a blame game will never produce positive outcomes. Instead of blaming English, why doesn’t the Ministerial Office first conduct a thorough, systematic, and comprehensive research what has gone wrong within the national curriculum? Hence, the favorable solution can be formulated that will be beneficial nationwide.
Children will get a love of learning languages if they get the chance to learn them younger. My six year old nephew always enjoys English in his new elementary school. In fact, he rather takes greater interest in the subject. His Indonesian is also improving along. Now, he can speak better Indonesian with increased vocabulary and verbs. It’s not that he is taught complicated English sentences. He learns only basic nouns and verbs so far. He always tells me how his teacher sometimes use English to mention certain objects found in school such as “Zaki, please open the door!” So, lately when he asks a favor or say something, he will put into practice the simple vocabulary he learns at school. He doesn’t feel it burdensome. On the contrary, he loves English as much as Indonesian or science because his teachers are creative in creating fun approach in teaching him. He adores his teachers. For this reason, I envy him, lol J. I wish English was a compulsory subject when I was at elementary school so I didn’t have to struggle hard mastering it when I was already way in the next stage of child development, lol :-)
Also nowadays, when I go to the malls or Dufan, there are many children age 6-10 years old conversing English fluently. They enjoy the language. It’s hard to find any trace of fear of terror in their faces or any sign whatsoever of their being forced to learn the language. Surely, they come from the middle to upper class families. They have access and resources to speed up their English because they have money and brain. So, if the government omits English from public elementary schools, how come children from the less fortunate circumstance should cope up with those children in the future? They have the brain. What they lack is the access and the money. For this reason, incorporating English in the public elementary school is a prudent move to facilitate these children. They deserve access to better future as any kid can get.
In my personal view, it is how a subject is taught that makes children creative and enjoys the lessons. Teachers as well as parents should be able to stimulate a love for reading and curiosity of their children. It is the quality of the teachers, methods of study and curriculum that should be developed and improved rather than point a finger on another subject for the failure of other subject. Our children do not speak Indonesian poorly because they study English. Whether we like it or not, English is crucial for these children if they want to be able to compete in the globalized world.
I was dumbstruck last week reading citation from several national newspapers of the Deputy Minister of Education and Cultural, Musliar Kasim’s statement that “it is haram (forbidden) to force kindergarten students to take English courses, and he pitied the kids.” I was further annoyed by the reason that English would be scrapped from public Elementary Schools because the students haven’t even learned to understand the Indonesian language yet. It is totally a setback and rather imprudent. It means the government has denied access of those in the lower-class population to the international language which play significant role in the globalized world. It’s like pointing a finger on foreign language for the degradation of Indonesian language for these children. Playing a blame game will never produce positive outcomes. Instead of blaming English, why doesn’t the Ministerial Office first conduct a thorough, systematic, and comprehensive research what has gone wrong within the national curriculum? Hence, the favorable solution can be formulated that will be beneficial nationwide.
Children will get a love of learning languages if they get the chance to learn them younger. My six year old nephew always enjoys English in his new elementary school. In fact, he rather takes greater interest in the subject. His Indonesian is also improving along. Now, he can speak better Indonesian with increased vocabulary and verbs. It’s not that he is taught complicated English sentences. He learns only basic nouns and verbs so far. He always tells me how his teacher sometimes use English to mention certain objects found in school such as “Zaki, please open the door!” So, lately when he asks a favor or say something, he will put into practice the simple vocabulary he learns at school. He doesn’t feel it burdensome. On the contrary, he loves English as much as Indonesian or science because his teachers are creative in creating fun approach in teaching him. He adores his teachers. For this reason, I envy him, lol J. I wish English was a compulsory subject when I was at elementary school so I didn’t have to struggle hard mastering it when I was already way in the next stage of child development, lol :-)
Also nowadays, when I go to the malls or Dufan, there are many children age 6-10 years old conversing English fluently. They enjoy the language. It’s hard to find any trace of fear of terror in their faces or any sign whatsoever of their being forced to learn the language. Surely, they come from the middle to upper class families. They have access and resources to speed up their English because they have money and brain. So, if the government omits English from public elementary schools, how come children from the less fortunate circumstance should cope up with those children in the future? They have the brain. What they lack is the access and the money. For this reason, incorporating English in the public elementary school is a prudent move to facilitate these children. They deserve access to better future as any kid can get.
In my personal view, it is how a subject is taught that makes children creative and enjoys the lessons. Teachers as well as parents should be able to stimulate a love for reading and curiosity of their children. It is the quality of the teachers, methods of study and curriculum that should be developed and improved rather than point a finger on another subject for the failure of other subject. Our children do not speak Indonesian poorly because they study English. Whether we like it or not, English is crucial for these children if they want to be able to compete in the globalized world.
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