Dr.

Harbinder Singh

1
• Technological innovations
• Unity
• Multilingualism
• Strengthening of English in schools (MBI)
• Dual Language Programme (DLP)
• CEFR
• New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL)

2
 aspires to ensure universal access and full
enrolment of all children from preschool through to
upper secondary school level by 2020. 
  aspires for Malaysia to be in the top third of

countries in terms of performance in international

assessments, as measured by outcomes in the
Trends in International Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA) within
15 years. 

3
 aspires to halve the current urban-rural, socio-
economic and gender achievement gaps by
2020. 
  has identified 11 shifts that will need to occur to

deliver the step change in outcomes envisioned

by all Malaysians, which each shift to address at
least one of the five system outcomes of access,
quality, equity, unity and efficiency. 

4
 is to increase compulsory schooling from six to 11 years,
starting at the age of six years supported by targeted
retention programmes.  
  is to launch the Secondary School Standard Curriculum or
Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah (KSSM) and revised
Primary School Standard Curriculum or Kurikulum Standard
Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) in 2017 to embed a balanced set of
knowledge and skills such as creative thinking, innovation,
problem-solving and leadership. 
 from 2016, is to ensure that English is made a compulsory
subject to pass for SPM.  (But has not been implemented
yet)

5
 by 2025, is to ensure that every student is
encouraged to learn an additional language in the
move to equip them well for entering the
workforce in a globalising world. 
   will focus on building up its cadre of Chinese,

Tamil and Arabic language teachers to ensure

that the supply of teachers matches student
demand, besides expanding the provision of other
important languages such as Spanish, French and
Japanese. 

6
  from 2013, is to ensure that the entry bar
for teachers is raised to be amongst the
top 30 per cent of graduates. 
 

7
 Level 2011

Pre-school 94 %

Primary 87%

Secondary 78%

8
Preliminary-Blueprint-Eng.pdf
Two international standards are used:
1) Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA)
2) Trends in International Mathematics
and Science Study (TIMSS)

9
 The results from PISA 2009+ (the first time Malaysia
participated in this assessment) were also
discouraging, with Malaysia ranking in the bottom
third of 74 participating countries, below the
international and ECD average (Exhibit 3). Almost 60%
of the 15-year-old Malaysian students who
participated in PISA failed to meet the minimum
proficiency level in Mathematics, while 44% and 43%
did not meet the minimum proficiency levels in
Reading and Science respectively.
A difference of 38 points on the PISA scale is
equivalent to one year of schooling. A comparison of
scores shows that 15-year-olds in Singapore, South
Korea, Hong Kong, and Shanghai are performing as
though they have had 3 or more years of schooling
than 15-year-olds in Malaysia.
(Source: Malaysia Education Blue Print -2013-2015, p.
E4)

10
 Is this form of literacy
enough? What does it
mean to be literate in the
21st Century?
What other forms of literacy
should we take into
account to be the 21st
century teacher?

11
12
• From “3 Rs” to other forms of literacy
and also the changing term to “3Cs”
(communication, calculation and
computer competence)

13
 Students outcomes remain uneven –
E.g. Gap between urban and rural in
terms of academic achievement
particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.
 In the UPSR examinations, the gap
between urban and rural schools is 4
percentage points in favour of urban
schools.
 Malaysian Certificate of Education or
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), the gap
has
 grown to 8 percentage points.

14
 Overthe past 5 years, SJK(T)
have more than halved the
gap between SKs and SJK(C)s,
and are now less than 4
percentage points.

15
 Girls consistently outperform boys at
every level; the gap in performance is
already evident at UPSR level and
increases over to university level, where
females comprise approximately 70% of
the cohort. While this phenomenon is
not unique to Malaysia, it does require
attention to ensure that the country
does not have a cohort of “lost boys”
who either leave school early or with
low attainment levels.
16
A 2010 Ministry study found that
approx. 80% of teachers spend
less than one hour a week using
ICT
 The use of technology is so

pervasive, so how do we teachers

adapt to embrace the ever
changing world?
17
 Make the lesson more engaging and interactive
 Teachers can access more materials and
resources to be used in teaching
 Teachers can view videos of “Guru Cemerlang”
teaching
 For 10000 schools to be equipped with ICT
 Maximise use of ICT for distance and self-
paced learning to expand access to high-
quality teaching regardless of location or
student skill level.
HE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY
 The knowledge economy and society depends for its growth
on the combination of four independent factors:
production of knowledge
transmissions of knowledge
dissemination of knowledge
use of knowledge in technological innovation

 Education system especially universities play an important

role in these areas.
 10,000 schools in Malaysia are
provided with Internet access and
virtual learning environments via
1BestariNet by 2013.

20
 Public policies must ensure all students have
access to technology based opportunities
software and the Internet
Technology is integrated into teaching and
learning
Technology transforms education practice by
empowering students and individualizing learning
Increase resources for teacher training as a
critical component to ensure technology is
appropriately and effectively integrated into the
curriculum.
AIMS
 Students to have leadership skills,

strong
universal values such as integrity,
compassion, justice, and altruism, to
guide them in making ethical decisions.
It is important to balance the
development
of global citizenship with a strong
national identity
 Range of schooling options are creating
ethnically homogeneous environments
 The enrolment proportion of Chinese

students in SJK(C )s increased from 92%

to 96% in 2011 in comparison to
enrolment 10 years ago.
 The increase of Indian students

enrolment in SJK(T) was even more

dramatic - from 47% to 56%.
 As such, 90% of students in SKs are

now ethnically Bumiputera

23
 1. Vision schools
 2. Student Integration Plan for

Unity or Rancangan Integrasi

Murid Untuk Perpaduan (RIMUP)

24
 Learning to live together: to expose
individuals to the values implicit within
human rights, democratic principles,
intercultural understanding and respect
and peace at all levels of society and
human relationships to enable
individuals and societies to live in peace
and harmony
 Two types of schools provided
 1. Special Schools (Sekolah Khas) for

students with vision and hearing disabilities

 2. Special Education Integration Program

(Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi) is

provided for children with learning, hearing
and vision disabilities. This program is
carried out in normal primary and
secondary schools, as well as in
technical/vocational secondary schools

26
 Thisprogram is managed by the
State Department of Education
(JPN) while the Special Education
Dept. (Jab. Pendidikan Khas) is in
charge of issues pertaining to
policies and content.

27
 Inclusive education means all children
and young people with and without
disabilities or other special needs,
learning together in ordinary
mainstream schools, with appropriate
networks of support.
(Profexcel, 2001)
 Only a small fraction of students with special
needs are currently in inclusive programmes
(~6%). Most attend integrated programmes
(~89%), and the rest attend special education
schools (~5%).
 Our schools are not very special needs
children friendly. Many cases where dyslexic
children are left alone to their fate with labels
such as ‘lazy’ and ‘stupid.
 Teachers in normal schools are not trained to

deal with special needs children

 Schools are too grade conscious to take in

special needs children fearing a drop in

school grades and an added expense of
teachers and training

30
 Late in identifying children with special needs
 More pre-schools need to be set up to help

parents with their special needs children and

not just in urban areas e.g. Kits4Kids
Foundation offers early intervention
programs for children with special needs,
catering to their individual development and
growth. 

31
 While students do have access to these different schooling options, the
quality of the education provided across all options have several
shortcomings.
 Firstly, there has been a shortage of qualified teachers and professional
support such as audiologists and occupational therapists.
 Secondly, while a tailored curriculum for certain special needs groups have
been developed (for example, Kemahiran Asas Individu Masalah Penglihatan
for blind students, Bahasa Isyarat Komunikasi for deaf students), there is less
support for students with learning disabilities such as autism). There are also
concerns that these students may be better suited to a more applied and
vocational curriculum that better prepares them with life skills than the
mainstream academic curricula currently available.
 Finally, there is a general lack of facilities in mainstream schools such as
disabled friendly facilities, and assistive technology.
Why the emphasis on
multilingualism as stated in
the Malaysian Blueprint?

33
 Multilingualism is the natural potential available
to every normal human being rather than an
unusual exception: “Given the appropriate
environment, two languages are as normal as two
lungs” (Cook 2002:23).

 Multilingualism is the ability of an individual 

speaker or a community of speakers to
communicate competently in three or more 
languages . Contrast with monolingualism, the
ability to use only one language.
 A person who can speak multiple languages is

known as a polyglot or a multilingual.

34
 The original language a person grows up
speaking is known as their first language or
mother tongue. Someone who is raised speaking
two first languages or mother tongues is called a
simultaneous bilingual. If they learn a second
language later, they are called a sequential
bilingual.
 Benefits of being multilingual

 Multilingualism provides an insight into the

understanding of different cultures and
experiences hence a multilingual becomes
multicultural in nature.

35
 It is estimated that over a billion people in the
world speak more than one language fluently.
 Knowledge of more than two languages allows us

to communicate with many people in both

personal and professional contexts.
 Thus, it is pointed out that not only do

multilinguals have larger overall linguistic

repertoires, but the range of the language
situations in which multilinguals can participate,
making appropriate language choices, is more
extensive.

36
 Multilingualism provides a competitive edge in
today’s job market. Besides the academic and
professional credentials, employers also look for
fluency in the desired languages as an added
advantage.
 Multilingualism helps in national unity especially

if people learn national languages besides their

indigenous languages and lingua franca. In the
process, the people concerned will automatically
embrace the value of togetherness

37
 Since its establishment on May 2, 2002, the English
Language Teaching Centre (ELTC), under the purview of the
Education Ministry, continues to strengthen and support the
aspirations of the government to enhance, build, develop and
sustain the quality of English language education.

 The need for English proficiency has become increasingly

crucial. English has become the operating system for
worldwide conversation, and education is no exception with
the infusion of technology in the teaching and learning
process, which has brought rapid changes in teaching
methodologies.

38
 Recognising the burgeoning role of the English language in
daily communications and the areas of science, information
technology, business, entertainment as well as politics, ELTC
steadfastly provides professional development and continuous
support to all in-service English language teachers.

 The role of ELTC in improving the standards of English

language are both recognised and acknowledged in the
Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) 2013-2025.

 ELTC is actively and directly involved in the implementation of

major English language initiatives outlined in the blueprint,
such as the Highly Immersive Programme (HIP), the
Professional Upskilling of English Language Teachers (Pro-
ELT), the English Language Enhancement in Schools
Programme (PPKBIS) and the Dual Language Programme
(DLP). 39
 Developed under the MBMMBI policy (upholding the Malay
Language and Strengthening Command of English), HIP aims
to create a language-rich environment in schools to support
students’ learning of the English language. With support from
various divisions of the MoE, as well as the State Education
Departments and District Education Offices, the programme
was rolled out to all states in stages.

 To date the HIP has been implemented in 10,000 schools

under the MoE and 125 institutions that include teacher
training campuses, vocational colleges and Form Six colleges.
A marked improvement is seen in students’ involvement and
participation in English language activities as well as their
confident use of the language as a result of HIP.

40
 The programme encourages schools to engage community
partners, retired teachers, lecturers and parents to share their
knowledge and expertise in helping schools to create a fun and
non-threatening environment for a more effective and efficient
acquisition of English.

 In 2019, ELTC launched the HIP Mentor programme. Retired

school teachers have been mobilised to spend some time in
schools of their choice to improve English proficiency.

 Pro-ELT aims to strengthen the proficiency of English language

option teachers to meet international standards based on the
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
(CEFR). It is stipulated in the MEB 2013-2025 and the English
Language Education Reform in Malaysia Roadmap 2015-2025
that all English language option teachers should achieve a
minimum proficiency level of C1 whilst officers and lecturers
must achieve CEFR Level C2. 41
 ELTC takes charge in upskilling the proficiency levels of more
than 41,000 English language option teachers serving under
the MoE. Currently 62 per cent of the teachers who have
taken proficiency tests are at CEFR level C1 and C2. To
ensure continuous delivery of quality English language
education in the classroom, ELTC also provides continuous
support in proficiency to both option and non-option teachers
of English.

 Dual Language Programme (DLP) was introduced in 2016

under the Upholding Bahasa Malaysia and Strengthening
English Language (MBMMBI) policy after the abolishment of
the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in
English (PPSMI) policy by the Malaysian Cabinet in the year
2012.

42
 DLP is an English reinforcement program based on the school
choice, where students are given the option to choose either
English or Malay for teaching and learning Science,
Mathematics, Information Technology and Communication,
and Design and Technology subjects

 The main purpose of DLP is to have more English-proficient

students. English as the second most important language in
Malaysia plays the main factor in teaching and learning to
acquire knowledge in science, technology as well as other
academic fields.

 To achieve the government’s aspiration to make Malaysia a

developed nation, firstly, Malaysians need to be proficient in
the English language.
43
 As such, Malaysians have no choice but to start to accept to
learn Science and Mathematics in English as it’s a
fundamental step to be able to compete in the international
arena. All in all, through the implementation of DLP, it provides
students the opportunity to improve their English proficiency
skills as well as explore various knowledges.

 The much-debated Dual Language Programme (DLP) isn't

really that new though. It was first introduced in stages by the
Government in 2016 and continued to strengthen throughout
2017.

 The road to English proficiency in Malaysia has been a

colourful and bumpy one.
 The government, in the effort to boost the population's English
proficiency, has naturally started with the education system.

44
 To this end, the Teaching and Learning of Science and
Mathematics in English (PPSMI) programme was introduced in
2003. But for the next nine years, the programme became the
subject of constant debate among academics, politicians and
the public alike, ultimately culminating in its cancellation in
2012.

 The government, deciding that a good command of English is

pivotal to students' future, gave it another go. Today, we have
the DLP. So far, 1,593 schools have opted to implement the
programme.

 But like its predecessor, the DLP has not been without
controversy or debate. However, many feedbacks and
criticisms from various perspectives rose against this
programme. Individuals and non-government organisations
(NGOs) have expressed their dissatisfaction towards the
government over the implementation of DLP. 45
 Some claimed that DLP resembles the Teaching and Learning
of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) policy which
had proven to be unsuccessful due to the students’ poor
examination performance in 2007.

 Moreover, NGOs has urged the government to reject the DLP

and prioritize the mother tongue education.

 Also, the United Chinese School Committees Association (Dong

Zong) has opposed the Dual language programme: The
perceptions and challenges of teachers and students in Klang,
Selangor 37 implementation of the DLP to protect the
characteristics of Chinese primary schools.

 They believed that mother tongue language in education has

played an essential role in national development. A person with
a strong mother tongue foundation can master the curriculum
well. 46
 Furthermore, people assumed that using English to teach
Science and Mathematics to improve students' English
language skills is a wrong and ineffective approach as it has
been proven in PPSMI.

 Professor Datuk Ir. Dr. Wan Ramli Wan Daud from Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) disagreed with the stand to use
English as the medium of instruction for teaching Science and
Mathematics to master the English language as it is a different
subject.

47
 CEFR
 The Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages (CEFR) represents the prevailing international
standard for the teaching and learning of languages.

 It is a globally recognised framework for describing language

learning, teaching and assessment. CEFR provides detailed
descriptions of what foreign or second language learners can
do in terms of listening, speaking, reading and writing at six
levels of proficiency.

 Language learners have traditionally been described rather

vaguely as beginners, intermediate learners or advanced
learners. They are given letter grades (e.g., A-, B+ or D) or
numerical scores in reports or transcripts, but these grades
and numbers do not say much about what a learner is able to
do in the target language.
48
 CEFR, however, is a little different. It also identifies three
broad levels of language proficiency: Basic (A1 and A2),
Independent (B1 and B2), and Proficient (C1 and C2), but it
goes further and provides “can do” statements at each level to
describe a learner’s ability in some detail and in a positive
manner. In this way, we are given a clearer idea of what the
levels actually mean.

49
CS issues part 2/ Fazlinah Said 50
 CEFR gives teachers, test developers, parents, the learners
themselves, and eventually employers, a much clearer picture
of what someone at a given level is capable of doing. In
addition, the description of language proficiency can be
understood and interpreted in the same way by users
everywhere. A B1 learner in one school should in principle be
able to do basically the same things as a B1 learner in another
school or even in another country that also uses CEFR.

 CEFR is a suitable and credible benchmark for English

standards in Malaysia. It is the outcome of more than 30 years
of research on language teaching, learning and assessment.
Although it originated in Europe, CEFR is recognised in more
than 40 countries and is now used in countries far beyond
Europe, including Mexico, Canada, Japan, China and
Vietnam.

51
 Many international high-stakes tests such as IELTS, TOEFL
and TOEIC are aligned to CEFR. For these reasons, CEFR
features prominently in the reform of English language
education in Malaysia, as laid out in English Language
Education Reform in Malaysia: The Roadmap (2015-2025).

 There have been several misconceptions and seriously false

ideas about CEFR and its relationship with the roadmap,
which need to be set right.

52
 Misconception #1: CEFR is the reform plan
 CEFR and the reform plan (the roadmap) are, most
emphatically, not the same thing. The roadmap is an entire
reform plan covering all aspects of English language education
and all stages of education from preschool to university. CEFR
plays a big part in the reform, but it is not the reform plan itself,
nor is it any kind of plan. It is a framework of reference from
which the roadmap draws the best available ideas about
language teaching and learning.

 Misconception #2: CEFR is an exam

 CEFR is not an exam, but a framework which provides the
basis for measuring and describing language proficiency at
different stages of education, and which we are adopting for
our schools and universities. Beyond school, a number of
major international exams, such as TOEFL and IELTS, are
already linked to CEFR, which means that scores from those
exams correspond to CEFR levels. 53
 Misconception #3: CEFR is a type of English
 There are several “Englishes” in the world such as British
English, American English, Jamaican English and Malaysian
English which may differ in accent, pronunciation, vocabulary
and spelling. But there is no such thing as “CEFR English”,
“European English” or “International English”. CEFR merely
describes what learners can do with a language.

 Misconception #4: Malaysian children’s proficiency will be

evaluated against native-speaker proficiency
 Absolutely not. The “can do” statements describe a learner’s ability to
communicate in a foreign or second language. We want our children
to use English grammar correctly, acquire a good working
vocabulary, speak fluently, interact appropriately and produce
comprehensible and intelligible English. But they are NOT being
measured against some native speaker or “European” standard,
which does not even exist. They are not expected to sound like
native speakers of English or achieve the same level of mastery,
especially in school. 54
 The roadmap sets aspirational targets based on CEFR, as follows:

55
 The target for graduates is B2 as this is the level at which they
can expect to get a job and function adequately in English.
Graduates from TESL, English language teacher education
and English-related programmes are expected to reach C1 by
the time of graduation.

 CEFR makes it possible to track student progress along a

continuum from preschool to university. It enables learners to
compare their own development along the CEFR scale, rather
than against the performance of other students. CEFR is also
a guide for curriculum development, selecting appropriate
learning materials and developing assessments at the right
level for each stage of education.

56
 The target for Form 5 school leavers is B1. At this level, they
should be able to understand the main points of input on
familiar matters, cope with likely situations as a tourist where
English is spoken, produce simple connected text on topics
which are familiar or of personal interest, give a simple
description of experiences and events, talk about hopes and
ambitions, and briefly explain their opinions.

 The target for university graduates is B2. At this level, they

should be able to understand more complex text, handle more
abstract topics and technical discussions, and interact
comfortably with native speakers. The higher level C1 is a
requirement only for those who will go into specific careers,
such as English language teachers. These are minimum
expectations. There will of course be learners who excel and
progress beyond the targets.

57
New Pedagogies For Deep Learning (NPDL)

New pedagogies, means really new learning relationships

between and among students, teachers and family. So, it's
transformation of teaching and learning, basically. And then the
deep learning is about deeper learning outcomes for students.
And the formal way of saying that, or at least the succinct way of
saying it, is that deep learning is about understanding and using
the six Cs in order to be able to flourish as a learner in a
complex world.

The
six Cs are: Character education, Citizenship, Collaboration,
Communication, Creativity and Critical thinking.

58
 The six Cs are: Character education, Citizenship,
Collaboration, Communication, Creativity and Critical thinking.
The latter four of those Cs are often called the "Twenty-first
century learning skills;" they're the so-called cognitive skills,
and they're in the curriculum. We have added character
education and citizenship, and it's a very powerful combination
when you take the six. So six Cs, going deep with all students
with teachers and systems, is what this work is about.

59
 The Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013 – 2025)
hopes to transform the education system to make
its outcomes comparable to outcomes set by
other high performing education systems.
 How does this Blueprint intend to deal with the
following: literacy, access, equity &
multilingualism?

Provide supporting examples from an English Language

context. (textbooks, teacher-prepared materials, etc.)

60
 Do you have what it takes to be the 21st
century teacher?
 How are you going to prepare yourself?
 Study the Malaysian Education blue print

(2013-2025) and evaluate how far does the

school that you had been (Currently or
Before) adopted the 11 shifts in the
blueprint? State relevant examples.

61
 Cook, Vivian J. (2001). Requirements for a
multilingual model of language production .
Retrieved from
homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c/Writings/Pap
ers/RequirementsForMultilingualModel.htm
 Male, B (2012). The Primary Curriculum Design
Handbook: preparing our children for the 21 st
century. London: Continuum International
Publishing Group.
 Marsh, C. J. & Willis, G.(2007). Curriculum:
alternative approaches, ongoing issues. New
Jersey:Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
 Stern, B. S. & Kysilka, M. L. (2008).
Contemporary readings in curriculum.
Thousand Oaks,CA: Sage Publications.
 Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia. Malaysia
Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
62