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-Criticism to the launching of bilingual program for high school-
By: Muhammad Mufti Azis

Bilingualism in mathematics and science is too early for high school students. As we might know today, government launches new education system called bilingual program for high school grade. In this program, several subjects will be given partially in English as well as in Bahasa Indonesia. According to the program, core subjects such as Mathematics and Sciences becomes the main target besides of English itself. For this purpose, several favorite schools are pointed to be the pilot project.

In line with the government, the school institutions aggressively promotes the benefits and importances of the bilingual program in front of new student parents. No wonder, many parents flocked to send their children into this program. They believe if the program can give extra value and knowledge regardless higher tuition fee. For parents, a success of sending their children into bilingual program will boost their prestige in society.

Basically, the phenomenon is triggered by English deification. Indonesians feel more confident and smart-looked when using English. This faulty perception has led education policy-maker to release a reckless policy (bilingual program). In the realization, sadly, it is not supported by satisfying English competence of all education elements. As a result, non-English teacher and students have to attend extra English course outside their school time. In one side, yes it is beneficial for them, however still it is time consuming and costly during their hectic schedule.

For Mathematics and Sciences teaching, the success of transfer knowledge becomes an unbargained-price. If the delivery process is still burdened by language barrier, it will cause partial and miss-understanding among the pupils. In the future, it will lead them to a wrong concept and it can be damaging (catastrophic) for them if not immediately corrected.

All by all, we realize if the English competence is badly needed in this modern era. English competence of students can be increased by any kind of up-to-date method in English teaching. Even so, the bilingual program in which teaching non-English subjects into English is still not relevant for high school grade in Indonesia.