EDUCATION MINISTRY TO FORGE COOPERATION WITH EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY

From R. Ravichandran

PERTH, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Education Ministry and the Edith
Cowan University have agreed to forge long-term cooperation in the teaching and
learning of the English language in Malaysian schools and the training of
English language teachers, Muhyiddin Yassin said Friday.

In this context, the deputy prime minister and education minister said, the
ministry had proposed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
the Western Australian university.

He said one of the possibilities would be on how the university could assist
in the preparation of a suitable curriculum for English language learning,
including on the aspect of grammar, in schools.

"In principle, we agreed (to cooperate)...just need to spell out the areas
and work out the details. Australia is one of the sources that we can use to
train teachers according to conditions suited to use. That's why we want to
cooperate with this university.

"And we hope (to sign the MoU) as soon as possile. The need is quite urgent
as far as we are concerned. And we need to develop this collaboration and make
it effective as soon as possible. And of course there are certain formalities to
go through," he said.

Muhyiddin was speaking to Malaysian reporters after an hour-long discussion
with a group of Edith Cowan University members led by its Vice-Chancellor and
President, Professor Kerry O.Cox, at the Mount Lawley Conference Room here.

Present were Deputy Director-General of Education Datin Asariah Mior
Shaharudin and Principal Assistant Director (Sports, Arts and Co-curricular
Division) Dr Zubir Hassan.

Muhyiddin said that when it came to the English language, the situation was
different in Malaysia and Australia, as the global language was not a main
subject in Malaysian schools, whereas it was the main and spoken language for a
vast majority of Australians.

Besides this, in Australia the government ran intensive English language
centres for those facing problems in the language, mainly the foreigners,
immigrants and their children.

"So, (in Malaysia) the schools must be the intensive learning centres. When
you start teaching English you must be very intensive in the curriculum...in the
way you teach. You have to get qualified teachers," he said.

"So what I'm trying to say is not adopting the Australian module but looking
at how they teach English at these intensive centres which would be quite
relevant to our own curriculum," he said.

Professor Cox said that the university had much to learn from working
closely with Malaysia's Education Ministry.

"You have come to the right university (on) how to improve the teaching of
English," he said.

With a history dating back to 1902, the Edith Cowan University is Western
Australia's second largest university.
-- BERNAMA