Date:           12 November 2016 (Saturday)

Time:          4.00pm

Venue:        A401 Conference Room, Dong Zong

 

A very good afternoon to friends of the media.

Today is the Press Conference for the MoU Signing Ceremony of “The Project for MICSS English Teacher Education Programme” between HELP University and United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong); and by making a concerted effort between both of our organisations, I am convinced that we will be able to positively nurture English teachers of high educational calibre and professional competence for the Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (MICSS) in future. Therefore, today’s Signing Ceremony embarks on a meaningful project of special and far-reaching impact on the development of an educational team of professional English teachers for our Chinese Independent Secondary Schools.

Furthermore, Dong Zong would like to earnestly encourage our MICSS graduates to enroll themselves at HELP University for the Bachelor of Education in TESL (Hons) programme.  For the prospective and suitably qualified graduates, they will be eligible for the application of Full Scholarships and after their graduation, they will have to fulfil their obligation of teaching English in the MICSS for three years.

We are convinced that in collaboration with HELP University, we can alleviate the problem of the short supply of English teachers in MICSS, promote the development of professionalism for the English teachers in order to upgrade their quality in teaching and learning as a whole.

In order to improve progressively the shortage of English teachers as well as to promote the development of professionalism in English teaching for MICSS in the next 5 years, we would positively encourage and enroll “recommended UEC holders for admission in taking the elective course inclusively for English teaching, so as to facilitate the English teachers’ reserve for MICSS, thus leading to the wholesome and professional development of MICSS English Teachers’ programme. So today, Dong Zong and HELP University’s MICSS English Teacher Education Programme is one of the projects of improvement. Apart from promoting the standard of English teaching & learning, we should seek more of the qualified English teachers to teach in Chinese Independent High Schools. At the same time, we should also improve teachers’ remunerations, motivate them with their team spirit and enhance them with the good ‘feeling of belonging’ for the Chinese schools.

We all know that there are many factors attributing to English teaching in Chinese High Schools, they involve curriculum, examinations, teacher resources, students, parents, schools’ facilities, community resources and etc., every factor is affected by the objective influences of internal and external conditions. We all notice that, although  subjectively, the teaching periods for respective subjects shown in the time-tables of MICSS are quite similar, and attempt is also made in the teaching of the three languages – Chinese, Malay and English which requires equal emphasis, however, the actual  results of effective teaching & learning demonstrate that the mastery of languages by the students respectively shows  that Chinese language is better than Malay language,  Malay language is better than English language; simultaneously, in the literacy aspects of the Malay and English languages, the  phenomenon of the mastery of  reading and writing skills shows  better results than the listening and speaking skills bilingually.

I think we all agree that we need the particular language environment to motivate better learning of that particular language by the learners. Lack of this is the result which leads to the development of imbalance in literacies of the 3 languages, reading and writing of a language learning attribute their ineffectiveness not solely on the teaching and learning factors;  as teachers are unable to acquire the specific language methodologies to teach English as the second language, and as well as the idealistic Chinese educational principle based on the philosophy of teaching students according to their individual aptitude and natural ability which contribute to the main factors of ineffective teaching and learning, leading to such phenomenon.

To counter the present educational situation on how to improve the English teaching and learning, Dong Jiao Zongs’ Teachers’ Education Committee of MICSS Working Committee plans to use the strategies of ‘optimising the resources of English teaching staff and the principle of teachers enjoy teaching’ to move forward the following projects of improvements:

1)      Refine the training programmes for English teachers, pertaining to strengthening their acquisition of English as second language to teach with effective skills and methodologies;

2)      Encourage the progression of the schools’ and Regional Teacher-trainings, so as to satisfy the requirements of individual school’s English teaching modules or various needs;

3)      Organise Seminars/Conferences for Schools’ English teachers, to provide them with a platform each time for exchanging their views and feedbacks on teaching and learning pedagogies so as to amalgamate the resources of refined lesson plans and methodologies for fulfilling the aims of sharing and utilization of their  views and materials;

4)      Encourage and recommend MICSS students for admission to undergo elective English Teaching Training to strengthen the Teacher Resource team.

Where the fundamental safeguarding the education of our mother tongue language is concerned, MICSS should make full use of the great advantage of acquiring their own teaching and learning skills because the respective Chinese Independent Secondary School has the autonomy to employ good teachers of their own choices and select the best teaching modules to suit their school’s teaching mode and environment. They are not obstructed or limited by the government’s requirement in these aspects. Under the circumstance of the standard of our nationals’ English which has dropped tremendously, Chinese Independent Secondary Schools should upgrade and reform their teaching and learning skills in order to promote their English standard and quality so as to enhance our students’ competitiveness and the advantage of furthering their higher education.

Last but not least, I, on behalf of Dong Zong, would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to HELP University for your support and cooperation of our project. Wishing everybody good health and everything goes well with your work.

Thank you.