My country is currently having people who demonstrates against the use of English as a medium in teaching Science and English and it comes to the point of irritating. After doing a bit of digging and research (thank you Internet), here are some points I've stumbled upon.

Those going for the use of English

• Almost every reference book that students use in their higher education would be in English, the transition from mother tongue to English would be problematic as students would have to adapt to a whole new collection of terms and definitions. (Tell me bout it).

• English is the lingua fraca. Nuff' said.
  

• The Europeans studied Arab (no I don't know if this is true, go read up and tell me if I'm wrong, I'll post if I find proof) when knowledge was predominantly done by Muslims. This was when the Islam civilization was at its peak. Then this civilization collapsed and Renaissance began, the reverse then happened.
  

• We will lag behind, by the time we translate current findings to our language, there will be a lot more new researches or findings popping up. We will never be on par with those using English
  

• We have spent so much money and time in this policy (which I think is not properly planned), reverting back will cause great losses for students (mind you, future academicians in their respective fields) and teachers. The only people who will gain from this? Those in the textbook industry
  

• Translating most of the English terms into our language, it's merely spelling change, otherwise they're the same in pronunciation

• Those demonstrating are afraid of their postition being jeopardized because the younger generation are not into studying their mother tongue thus reducing the numbers of future experts in the literature of the languages. A case of fighting for own cause and not everyone's.

• More students answered in English in the last national tests, a sign of students being more confident in English.

• Being proficient in English doesn't make you less Asian or whatever race you are, you can be eloquent with English but your culture will not be tarnished.

Those against (some taken and translated from a memorandum)

• The younger generations will lose touch with their own culture and heritage, thus devaluating *insert whatever race/culture name here*

• If Germany and Japan can do it, why not us?

• It was proven (UNESCO did a research on this, from what I've read, haven't seen the real report) that students who study a subject in their mother tongue will absorb and understand the subject better. They took the Nobel prize recipient for 2008 who was a Japanese who did the research in the Japanese language as an example
  

• Apparently, there were more than 2000 Masters thesis written in the national language thus proving that studying in your own mother tongue can still get you further

• Those in rural areas will lose out to those in the urban areas. Lack of facilities, good teachers, etc, etc
  

• Current teachers are having problems with English themselves. This will create a destructive cycle because students will learn bad English and in turn, use bad English.

• To be good in English, you study English, not study it through Science and Maths. So focus more on the English subject, give more resources to it not changing the medium of two subjects into English.

• The mother tongue won't be a global language if we use a foreign language to master a certain field

• Students who are not good in English will falter in these two subjects and in turn, lose interest in the

Now for my opinion.

• First of all, I believe that students should learn and be exposed to English in Science and Mathematics NOT to improve their proficiency in English but rather, to learn the definitions and terms found in those two fields in English.

• When I first started university, it was quite a task for me to interpret the terms in English which differs very much from the one I've learned in high school which used the national language as the medium for teaching. And I thought I had a good command of English.

• Apparently English in Science and Mathematics is very different than the English language itself.

• I don't know what it's like for students currently studying these two subjects in English and how the teachers are with the use of English. I'm guessing around 30% to 50% of the teachers don't really have a good command of the language.

• I think (I have no proof again) that the policy was rushed, they did not prepare at least 50% of the teachers properly for this change in policy.

• Having a good command of language verbally requires a person 6 months and this rate is only achieved if this person is in an environment where only the target language is used on a daily basis. (Ask any exchange student and they'll say the same)

• A three month course will not magically transform a group of people into having at least a good command of the language verbally. Don't talk about grammar yet, that takes years and *coughs* maturity to understand them. (I didn't understand grammar when I was in primary school, only when I was 16 did it hit me like an epiphany)

• I've seen essays and the use of English of students taking TESL at my place and I have a very low opinion of them after seeing their work. But do they work to improve themselves? I doubt many of them do.

• But I've seen an increase in urban students who are very good in English taking up TESL, which might be both good and bad. People in my country know how the general view on teaching is, it's your last choice as a career if all else fails. I won't elaborate more.

• Will rural people lose out to the urbanites? My dad, who literally lived in a jungle when he was young, grew to a person who I believe speaks and writes in English very well. And his friends, who came from the same background as him, turned out to be very good English speakers and writers. This isn't a case of facilities, it's a case of mindsets. Facilities are what they are, to assist you, not to transform you.

• Though this might be the case because English was taught by native speakers during his time.

• Out of topic: More funds should be directed to schools in rural areas, especially for labs, computers and libraries and the human resources needed for these facilities. You don't build a computer lab expecting the teachers to fix whatever problem it might have right?

• The boarding school system is failing, they're taking the best teachers to teach the already bright students. I don't believe in this system, great teachers should help poor or rural students, not giving the privileged more handouts. This type of schools is becoming more of schools for "rich kids who are bright" schools. Gone the system where "students who are bright and above average from rural areas" are accepted into a boarding school.

• The reason Germany, France or Japan can excel even though they used their own language is because they started earlier than us and they actually do real thesis which changed or gave new light to the respective fields. NOT half-baked thesis which serves only to get a Masters or PhD.

• Taking examples like Brunei, Philippines, South African countries who use English as a medium but not excelling in science and technology proves my point further. These are all countries that achieved independence late and you don't turn into America or Germany within 50 or even 100 years of independence.

• In the 1800s scientists discovered cilia, an organelle (umm, it's like a cell's organ), that is at a microscopic level. What were we doing at that time? Being colonised and polarised (and we still maintain that system *coughs* verna *coughs* I should stop)

• Mother tongues should be taught by parents if they want to keep that culture alive and I would like to emphasise on why it's called heritage. You inherit it. The intricacies of the language? Entirely up to the person to delve deeper or to let it be
  

• I believe the conservation of cultural and traditional heritage is not the responsibility of the school but the parents'. If you want to argue that making another language as a medium in a lot of things will make your children less of whatever race they are, then it's your fault for not teaching or emphasising it to them. I can't speak my mother tongue, which only a small population of 100, 000 people practice it. Do I blame the school for this?

• If the students lose confidence in English then it's their fault for not being motivated to improve themselves. Teachers and parents can only assist and motivate so much but in the end, it depends on self-realization and self-initiative of the student.

• So, should the policy be stripped? That is a question that needs to be analyzed, dissected and debated openly, not discussed by a group of people who we don't even know who they are. I am in no position to give a verdict as it would be without any manner of professionalism in it.

• But in my humble opinion, train the future teachers fully; make sure they have at least a good command of English. If they are not good in English and they don't work to improve themselves, fail them. Set a high standard, we want the best even if it means failing 90% of the students, this is our future we're talking about. Great and above average teachers should willingly offer themselves to go to rural areas, they need you more there. As a university student, I wished that I had the chance to learn Science and Mathematics in English when I was in high school.