Language Education Symposium (SELES) 2017, witnessed by, from left, Dr. Annuar Rapaee, Dato Sri Michael Manyin
Jawong and Prof. Charles Hopkins. PHOTO: RAMIDI SUBARI
KUCHING: Approximately 840 participants turned up for the inaugural three-day Sarawak English Language Education Symposium (SELES) here yesterday.
Its objective is bridge the curriculum, classroom practice and the community to encourage the growth of the English language without threatening the survival of the indigenous languages.
It was of f iciated by Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Johari Tun Openg who pointed out that the symposium was an example of what the state could do to assist the Ministry of Education and State Education Department to improve the standard of English among the people.
“Despite the many initiatives of the Ministry of Education to improve the standard of English among our students in schools, the general consensus of the public, especially employers, is that it is declining.
“I understand that one of the constraints faced by the State Education Department is that the budget allocated is often insufficient because of the wide geographical distribution of the schools ,” he said.
