"WE DO NOT HAVE MANY OR ENOUGH CAPABLE ENGLISH TEACHERS IN SABAH” - MASIDI

"We cannot master English just by learning it through Maths and Science, because these are totally different learning environments I propose we introduce the English Literature subject at all levels to enable our students to master this widely-spoken language,"

"Our observation shows that the main problem in the implementation of the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English in Sabah is because there are not enough English teachers for the purpose and it is not because the parents or students are not interested in it,"

"We do not have many or enough capable English teachers in Sabah. Many of those assigned for the job are those from other (teaching) options who are then trained to take over the task (teaching English) because the school does not have a teacher truly specialised in teaching English,"

"Firstly many of them are not interested because English is not their option, and secondly their skills do not reach the satisfactory level because they are not specifically trained for it,"

"That's why we have such an issue where the students are helping the teacher in translating from Malay to English. This is also prevalent in the rural schools like Ranau, where I have received numerous complaints from the public,"

was agreeable to English being continued to be used as a medium in teaching these subjects but on condition that a reasonable period of time is given to enable it to be implemented in phases.

"Meaning it should only be made compulsory once the government or the Education Ministry has reached that level where they have sufficient number of English teachers for its implementation in all the schools,"

Datuk Masidi Manjun, Sabah Minister-In-Charge of Education