The day the Government decided to implement the free textbook scheme to students was one of the better policies that has affected education in Malaysia. Free textbooks meant that students regardless of their family background and income levels were entitled to free books. Of course, the parental income was taken into consideration on who deserves the books but where I was teaching, there was more than enough for everyone.

Teachers were very much relieved that we no longer had to wait until every student had a book or that they had to share books because some of them were yet to purchase the books. Students were known to have told teachers that they had to wait until the next harvest for them to get their books, because their parents were in the agricultural sector. These seemingly funny statements were the source of great frustrations to teachers who found it difficult to conduct a proper lesson when the material was not there.

On the part of the parent, the benefit is pretty obvious. Books are expensive and when the Government provides free textbooks, parents have a huge burden removed from their shoulders. In families with five or six children, buying a textbook can create a big dent in the family’s income. With the free textbooks, the money saved could now be spent on other essentials.

As for the children, they now have textbooks in their bags. There was no longer any excuse not to focus on learning or completing the assigned homework. When students had books with them, parents could also monitor and motivate them to study. Even the poorest student had something that he/she could remove from their bag and study at home. This definitely was the best outcome of the scheme.

On the downside, the scheme has its problems. Some of the students were careless and books kept getting lost. Students were also not taking care of the books that were lent to them and it was difficult to pass on these torn books to a new set of students the following year. Schools had to have extra manpower to monitor the books. We had a set of teachers who were in charge of the Book Loan Scheme. We even had a society in school and its members were called the Book Loan Scheme Prefects and they wore purple uniforms. It was as if the school needed a brigade to keep the scheme in order. Students had to cover the books as soon as they received their sets. They also had to write their names, class and year of borrowing to keep track of the books. At the end of the year the whole process works in reverse. Students are required to check all the books that they have borrowed. Students have to buy new books to replace those that they have lost. All books need to be wrapped neatly and all writings especially doodles and answers have to be erased. Phew! What a process.

On the perspective of the teachers, there were different views in regards of the day-to-day use of the textbooks. Some used them religiously and simply loved them. Some used them sometimes, while others like me, simply hated them. I know, I sound so bad but I was one of those who always went against the grain. I felt that the textbooks tied my hands and forced me to do things I felt was not suitable for my kids. Granted, the textbooks provided an excellent guide to the syllabus and all aspects to be covered were there in the textbook. To me, it served as a guide and allowed me to complete the necessary topics but beyond that I had little use of the textbook.

My problem usually arose when I wanted to do different things with my different classes. I felt that the textbook usually hit the level of the average student and therefore was not working with all my students. My weakest class is a group of students in Form Five whose proficiency level was at the Form One or even the primary grade. What am I going to do with the textbook? My top class on the other hand had very little issues with grammar and vocabulary and were up to more challenging tasks. In fact they loved to write essays and do tasks that required high order thinking.

The textbooks were also old. Many of the comprehension texts were not the type that was of interest to the students. I was teaching in Kuala Lumpur and my students would love to read comprehension texts on the latest gadgets or mobile phones. They knew so much and have so much to say on these issues. The reading material had to be real and meaningful to them to stimulate them to use the language in a meaningful manner. I ended up using photocopied materials and workbooks to supplement the textbook. The students were hungry for more and I had to look outside for new material. As for the weak students, their language acquisition was so bad that I had to focus more on their communication skills. For them the needs of the SPM was one but the needs for survival in the outside world after SPM was another. Many told me that they were going to work after the exams and they wanted to be able to communicate in English. Their lessons were often a blend of both their needs.

So, back to the issue of the day; textbooks. For me it definitely has its merits but teachers must never get too obsessive about rigidly following it. The textbook is a guide and at the end of the day, it is the students who matter the most. Their needs must be addressed.

– Kalai Lingam

Sample Year 1 Textbooks