| No Glaring Difference Between Rural And Urban Schools |
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KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Bernama) -- There is no glaring difference between the performance of students in urban and rural schools following the teaching and learning of mathematics and science in the English language (PPMSI), said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail.
He told the Dewan Negara sitting Tuesday that exam results would not be affected by the policy as it was implemented in the country's best interest and for an education system that needed change.
"The statistics for standard five pupils in the town and rural areas have shown little difference. For the science subject, the passing rate for those in the towns is 53.7 per cent and those in rural areas 47.8 per cent.
"For mathematics, 56.6 per cent of pupils in towns passed the subject while the percentage for rural areas was 46.8 per cent. Those in Chinese vernacular schools in towns fared 64.2 per cent and those in rural areas recorded a 58.2 per cent passing rate. Pupils in Tamil vernacular schools have recorded a 58.1 per cent passing rate for those in towns and 50.9 per cent in rural areas," he said, replying to Senator Datuk Azian Osman.
He said the difference in achievement between those in town and rural areas was not something the ministry did not expect.
Replying to a question from Senator Khoo Soo Seang regarding the effectiveness of teaching mathematics and science in English compared to increasing the duration of teaching English, Hamzah said that both factors were taken into consideration by the ministry.
"This is why a pioneer study under the programme, called the early intervention in mastering the English language, was carried out.
"It will help to improve the children's cognitive aspects, to think and to imagine using the English language," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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