March 02, 2004

From the papers...6
There's gonna be a change in the entry requirements for local universities. For one thing, Mother tongue is no longer a contributor in terms of points. You just need to pass (which is not a very difficult thing to do, honestly). Well, if you score really well, it would give you an additional edge in competing with those who just scraped through with a C6.

I'm not an educator or a education critic, for that matter. But having grown up in a family where first language is Chinese, written and spoken, and being someone who chose C.Lang as one of my majors in the Uni (thus showing how much I really care and love the language), I feel immense disappointment at the above decision. It's an ugly compromise on the already worryingly low standard of Chinese here in Little Red Dot.

My own tuition kids have already sworn many times that they are going to abolish the learning of mother tongue if they become the education minister one day. Secretly, I am hopeful that they will not go that far. My kids hate Chinese, which is why, btw, it's not an easy task being their Chinese tuition teacher. Often, they asked me in exasperation why they must learn Chinese. Often, I replied in equal exasperation that 'because you are a Chinese'. I don't know how convincing that is. But, I felt it was a right and honest answer.

Without trying to do injustice to other many great languages co-existing with my mother tongue, I feel Chinese is a lovely language. To really begin to understand this, one should first be informed by the history of the language. Chinese characters are iconic images of the things around us. At least, many of them started that way. Then, they evolved and went through various changes, various separations and pairings, various revolutions of different eras to become what they are today. And they are still evolving, as with all languages. Languages are not dead things merely for the use of the masses, ya. Each and every language is very alive. Language shapes our lives, our existence and our understanding of the world. Knowing different languages opens up new worlds, new ways of interpretating this world, adds colour to our living in this world. We have a dialectical relationship, our languages and us.

I'm disappointed that the government is so short sighted this time. A few of the logical assumptions or justifications for this is that
1. students have the freedom to choose what they really want to study and not be hindered from entry into Uni due to a lack of proficiency in mother tongue.
2. students do not have to undergo additional stress if they cannot cope with their mother tongue; and if they can cope really well, they would be rewarded as bonus points will be given.
3. Students who now do well in M.T will be those who really appreciate and love the language, and not cos they are forced to.

Now, my queries:
1. What makes the government think that by giving them more freedom and less stress, more students will learn to love Chinese (I'm more concerned about my M.T) for what it is? Esp since they are already living in a NATO environment for elevating the standard of Chinese?

2. How many of their parents will say, 'You must do well in Chinese 'cos you are a Chinese (goddamnit...)'? You think parents who send their kids to Chinese tuition class are really concerned that they do well in their M.T? Ha! They are only worried Chinese will drag their child's grades to that only fit for EM3! And is there any wonder that they need tuition, since their parents only speak to them in English - the widely perceived more valuable language. Oh, sorry. I forgot a lot of them actually can no longer make coherent sentences in Mandarin themselves.

3. How does the government plan to still emphasize on the importance of Chinese Language when what they are doing with their action is 'It's ok, we just need you to pass'? Proficiency in Chinese is indeed valuable in the big economic environment, esp since China is the rising economic power now. But, honestly, how many of us seriously give thoughts about making it big in China? Man, just look at how the Chinese nationals are being treated unwelcome-ly and unfairly in our land. And you think we'd appreciate them better in their land? maybe, out of no choice. The importance of mastering Chinese should not be a means to make it big in China. If you ask me why then do we have to equip ourselves with the language, I say what I said to my kids, 'cos you are a Chinese!'

4. Does the government really think that by giving this bit of freedom back to the students (and their parents since they no longer need worry about that A1 in M.T), they will get a more worthy education, pursuing what they really want in their academic paths? How many of those who graduated from Engr or Accountancy hate their own profession and wished too late that they had chosen another path? How many can say they truly enjoyed what they studied or what they are studying in university and that they got an education, not just a robotic absorbing and regurgitating of information? Freedom is not in choosing to 'just pass my M.T', freedom is in not choosing to do a market-able subject just so that I will get a better job easier.

5. How much lower can the morale of Chinese educators get? You think it's easy to explain to the children and the teenagers (and sometimes, their parents too) that in order to develop fully and well-rounded as a student, they got to balance all subjects of their schoolwork well, and not just aim for a pass? The government has already decreed by their action that 'it's ok. you need only to pass'. What else can the M.T educators say?

Now, I'm sure the government didn't make this decision with the intention of undermining the importance of M.T, neither compromising the standard of M.T. But, often, what is intended will not be delivered with the same intent to the masses. We will eat anything you feed to us. Come down and take a look at your confused, disillusioned but ignorant, blindly-chasing people. Get real. Get smart. Please.

For the students: If there are soooo many before you who can be effectively bilingual now (we were growing up in a Chinese environment, we had our own hurdles in picking up English too), is there any other reason you cannot cope with both 'cept the reason that you do not try hard enough? No language is inferior to any other. Only fools believe there is.


Posted by 杏 cy （Jancy） at 11:09