Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik Dalam Bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI, Malay for the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English) is a government policy aimed at improving the command of the English language among pupils at primary and secondary schools in Malaysia. In accordance to this policy, the Science and Mathematics subjects are taught in the English medium as opposed to the Malay medium used before. This policy was introduced in 2003 by the then-Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad.
The programme has been a highly controversial subject of debate among academics, politicians and the public alike due to questions of competence and English fluency levels among appointed teachers. A working paper from the World Bank later concluded such issues within the programme had negatively affected students' retention and aptitude of taught mathematic and science lessons regardless of whether their native languages are Malay or otherwise.[1] This culminated to the announcement of the policy's reversal in 2012 by the Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin.
See main article: Education in Malaysia. Educational institutions in British colonies that eventually formed Malaya and later Malaysia had been long stratified by the language of teaching. The British had provided infrastructure of secondary schools which taught primarily in English which disadvantaged rural Malay populations who were only able to afford Malay-medium primary schools designed "to make the son of the fisherman or peasant a more intelligent fisherman or peasant than his father had been".[2] English medium schools were also more equipped with better facilities and trained workforce which were supported by families with higher incomes than those attending Malay ones.[3]
PPSMI's inception as a Malaysian Government policy was the result of the Cabinet meeting on 19 July 2002 under the administration of the fourth prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad. According to the Malaysian Ministry of Education, the policy would be run in stages, starting with the 2003 school session, pioneered by the all students of Year 1 in primary education level, and Form 1 of the secondary education level. PPSMI was then fully implemented to all secondary students in 2007, and to all primary students in 2008.[4]
According to the statement regarding PPSMI in the Ministry of Education's website:[5]
When proposing the policy, Mahathir Mohamad was in the opinion that Malaysia's progress is declining in the age of globalisation, and he had hoped that this policy gives a competitive edge to the nation, following the footsteps of Singapore and India which are moving forward because of their utilisation of the English language.
PPSMI was implemented for the 2003 school session students enrolling in Year 1 and Form 1 in primary and secondary schools respectively. Students of other grades are not affected, and continued to study Mathematics and Science in the mother tongue. PPSMI learning materials were offered in the form of packages consisting of these components:
As for the implementation in Chinese schools, after a protest was made by the nation's union of Chinese schools Dong Jiao Zong, a compromise was reached where the teaching of Science and Mathematics was made done both in English and Mandarin.[6]