More walk, less talk

Let’s have a game of word association shall we? When I say classroom, what are the first words that come to mind?

The usual suspects run the gamut from noisy to uninspiring, chaos to disaster. When it comes to sharing our opinions about the state of our classrooms, Malaysians usually have plenty to say.

When the Education Ministry recently announced its search for language experts to improve students’ English proficiency, the Malaysians on the Internet performed a synchronised wave of virtual eyeballs.

When the ministry elaborated further – sharing plans on recruiting volunteers for this exercise – the very earth shook under the volume of a thousand groans.

What is “volunteering” but a day-long programme of picture-taking-mock-cheque-presenting ceremony for companies to report as their annual corporate social responsibility project, they say.

So you come into a school and read to a carefully curated group of children, you play a couple of games with them, you buy them a nice meal – what are these activities but a self-congratulatory pat on your own backs, they say.

These programs are clearly planned without forethought; are sporadic and lacks continuity; doomed to failure from the get go, they say.

And why stop there? The anecdotal evidence highlighting the glaring shortcomings in our education system are aplenty! Look at that teacher who can’t even string a decent sentence together!

Just look at her. Look at that writer who conjugates verbs with the accuracy of a mole rat swinging a sledge-hammer! Just look at him.

Oh yes – we can entirely rely on every Malaysian to point at what you think is being done wrong and howl at it until someone pays you attention.

If only that were enough.

We are often too quick to speak or comment about the education system, but we refuse to step in and help when asked. Our narrow worldview makes it easy for us to point out the shortcomings and suggest ways to do it better instead of actually going out there and doing it? We take pictures, we share, we like and we aim for virality.

We blame our teachers for not being proficient in English. We take pictures of exam papers with grammar mistakes and share it for the rest of the world to laugh at us. We play the blame game without once reflecting and asking ourselves what are we going to do for our country.

If you’re a language expert or if you’re good in English, then this is your call to help our students in school. This is your chance to do something – not for a day or a week – but as a commitment to help our children. If you’re a social media warrior – then this is your call as well.

Instead of being the ones who take time and trouble to leave a comment about the levels of our English in Malaysia, how about you be the one who is going to teach our students to be better?

I hope beyond hope that this volunteer programme will be carried out effectively and eventually, lead to the improved proficiency of the English language amongst our school children.

Research indicates that direct instruction of literacy skills benefits all learners, especially second language learners and students with learning disabilities. In a class of 30 to 35 students, many teachers struggle to provide the direct instruction students need to be able to read and write in English.

Therefore, the one way we can help is by going into schools and helping our students to learn to read.

When you see a problem and do nothing to rectify it, then I’m afraid you too are a part of said problem. – December 17, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.