Malaysian politicians and our sorry state of education

 

Our education ministers and politicians rush to do repair works of dilapidated school buildings. But they don't have time to respond to emails suggesting how to reduce illiteracy.

Over the years I have written several emails to a number of our education and deputy education  ministers who do not even respond to emails. I visited Jennifer Lasimbang and gifted her my book Shut Down Kids. LINK.  I have written to Teo Nie Ching, Maszlee Malik LINK and lately to Fadlina Sidek to no avail. LINK

I recently wrote to Datuk Andi Suryady who also does not reply to emails sent.

I wrote an email to the MP Datuk Andi Suryady on 10.7.2023. This was followed by another email on 15.7.2023 to another email address of his. Not receiving a reply, I wrote a message on Facebook Messenger on 16.7.2023. On Monday 18.7.2023 he replied and asked me to send the email via the Facebook messenger which I did. There has been no acknowledgment from him to this day.

Is there any politician who really cares about improving education?

Comment on my post on Emily Hanford and APM

Malaysians and Singaporeans are just as bad as the Whites.

A long-time friend of mine had commented on my post this morning about the Naïve Whites who sweep, anything they have not experienced, under the carpet.

 He commented: “Americans only listen to their OWN voices bro,,,,”

My emails to our ministers on Astro programme

The more appropriate title may be 'Rancangan Tergendala'. I am taking a short break from my continuation of articles on Stephen Krashen. This is a result of a challenge by some opposition members asking me why I had not written to ministers complaining about matters.

I have written several emails to Dr. Maszlee Malik and to Ms Teo Nie Ching and they do not even have the courtesy to respond. 

Similarly I also wrote to Mr.Gobind Sindh Deo to no avail.

Here are my emails to these ministers who probably do not understand what I am writing about. Now. let us eee if the opposition party members will act on this complaint.

They've got it all wrong - NOD Malaysia/ Star Online

In an article on Star Online on 4.10.2018; The National Organisation for Dyslexia Malaysia had said the following:

It has also been training teachers to teach language through the phonetic approach, assessing and teaching children who are dyslexic, and counselling parents.

“Dyslexia is a state in which one finds it extremely challenging to bring a sound to the written letter. One has difficulty in reading, writing and spelling.

“Therefore, sounds of the language or phonics are taught and not the letter names as in the traditional method.

“Where phonics does not work all the way, as in teaching English, the whole word approach is used,” said NOD president Dr Mullai A. Ramaiah.

Dr Mullai said dyslexia was often diagnosed as a disorder.

Why is illiteracy as high as it is?

In 2010 after having taught more than 20 children, most of whom were classified as dyslexic, I did not agree with the more than 35 year old theory that children could not read because of ‘phonological awareness deficit’ (PAD). PAD simply means ‘unable to listen to spoken sounds’.