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2010年5月9日

华语, cool ... ...

在新加坡，教育的意义或许是 “培养新生一代准备从事社会生活的过程”。学校的章程似乎都围绕着提供能够符合现代社会需求的知识和技术。因此，在我的印象中，学校的方向存在着一种不确定性。在新教坡，教育的前提仿佛时时刻刻都有可能随着世界、社会的变化而更动。变来变去，到现在，连最根本的东西都好像有可能改变。

一直以来，我相信的教育是一种推动学习、引发思考的过程；而这个过程是不间断的。教育和学习是一辈子都在进行的自我提升，不仅是进入社会之前的实习过程。所以，教育是教导知识、培育修养。

从来没有人告诉过我，教育的意义是让学习的人在求学的路途中，能够走得更加顺心。我也没有想过，原来教育有可能以这种 “因为很多人做不到，所以他们可以选择不做或者不用心去做” 的形式进行。原来，这种形式甚至可以用在具有深层含意的语言上。

语言是 “人类所特有的用来表达意思、交流思想的工具，是一种特殊的社会现象”。进一步延伸，语言亦是一种特殊的文化产物，有的时候甚至能够赋予一种特殊的文化身份。至少对我而言，它绝对不仅是一张文凭上的一个英文字母。

现实中，并不是每一个人都有精通双语的 “天赋”。这我能够理解。但是，缺乏语言 “天分” 应该不足以构成对语言的消除或者轻视。是，现今社会，仅凭一口流利的英语便足以到世界各地发展。可是，正因为英语如此国际化，所以如果要保留一点自我身份、一点自我文化认同，那么语言（母语）便非常重要。

的确，目前好像也没有人说 “母语不重要”。但是，难道我们会天真的认为，做出某些政策上的调整之后，那些原本不喜欢学习母语的人会对自己的语言、文化产生更浓厚的兴趣吗？ 本来，一个人要被逼接受并且尊重自己的文化、自己的根，已经是一件相当可悲的事情。如果，在这个时候，还做出 “鼓励” 他们放下母语 “包袱” 的决定，是否更加可悲？

对我来说，调整小六会考母语比重的想法本身是一种对文化的不敬、对文化的贬低、亦是对教育意义的扭曲。


(For the people who are not Mandarin speakers or users of the Chinese language)

The meaning of education in Singapore is probably "a process that develops new generations and prepare them for life in their society". The curriculum comprises of the knowledge and skills that are relevant to the world that we live in. Thus, I am under the impression that the direction of schools contain an element of uncertainty. The premise of education in Singapore seems to be constantly ready to be changed according to the changes in the world and our society. In such a constantly changing environment, even the fundamentals may give way.

I have always held the meaning of education to be a continuous process that encourages learning and provokes thinking. Teaching and learning constitutes a life-long development of the self rather than a mere experiment of life in the society. Hence, education is to inculcate knowledge and nurture character.

I was never taught that the meaning of education is to make the path of learning easier and smoother for the learners. It has similarly never occurred to me that it was actually possible for education to materialise based on the premise that "for those who can't, they can choose to opt out", less so for this premise to be applied to something as fundamental as one's mother tongue.

Language "is a system of communication by written or spoken words, which is a distinctive phenomena of human society". Language is also a distinctive cultural product, which is sometimes equipped to define a unique cultural identity. To me, language is definitely not equivalent to an English letter on a certificate.

In reality, not everyone is blessed with the "gift" of being effectively bilingual. However, a lack of "talent" for a particular language should not be sufficient to amount to the abolishment of or disrespect for that language. Indeed, in current times, it is enough for one to travel the world with a fluent command of English. However, it is precisely due to this universality of English that our Mother Tongue languages become vital in our bid to protect our identity, as well as our identification to our culture.

Yes, nobody has said anything (so far) about our Mother Tongue languages being unimportant. But are we going to be naive enough to believe that the kinds of adjustments we make to the system will not affect the people's mindsets? Are we going to hold on to the belief that after these adjustments are made, the people who originally disliked learning their Mother Tongue languages will begin to appreciate them?

It is already disheartening that some of us have to be forced into respecting our culture, our roots. Would it not be even more so if they are "encouraged" to release the "burden" of their Mother Tongue languages?

In my opinion, to reduce the weightage of Mother Tongue languages in the Primary School Leaving Examinations is fundamentally to disrespect and diminish the importance of culture, as well as to distort the meaning of education.


韓雪梅  

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