[UPDATE] DidikTV video sparks online debate

Original title: “Need to get married before having kids” DidikTV video sparks online debate

Updated on Feb 20, 12:16 am: The video and the Facebook post mentioned in this article have been removed on social media.

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On February 17, NTV7 was closed down to make way for DidikTV following Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement of the launch of a TV Pendidikan channel to benefit students who are currently having home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) classes. However, things haven’t exactly been going according to plan.

JJ, a well-known Malaysian radio DJ, shared a video of DidikTV’s educational programme which was broadcasted on its first day on air. The video shows a teacher giving a Year 2 Science lesson on the topic of ‘Reproduction and Growth in Humans’.

“Look, if you’re learning English then this is good because you’re trying. But if you’re suppose[d] to be an educator, a teacher, then this is unacceptable. The fault here is in the hands of the producers who were laxed in their duties.”

As you can see from the video, the teacher’s English proficiency is not quite up to standard as there were multiple grammatical errors and her body language clearly showed that she was very uncomfortable presenting in front of the camera.

While most were willing let those pass, the teacher made the following remark: “A male and female adults {sic] will need to get married before having a child.” This inevitably drew scorn and disbelief from viewers, who pointed out that marriage is not necessary to have children.

JJ emphasized that he did not post the video with the motive of blaming or attacking the teacher, but to voice out his disappointment over the production team’s handling of the lesson.

The video has caused a stir among netizens who said certain parties were to be blamed for such poor educational lessons. Some said that it was the producer’s fault while some bashed the teacher with cutting remarks saying that she shouldn’t attempt to teach at all if her English proficiency was poor.

Following the video’s release on social media, Facebook user Rachel JW Lim, who happened to be involved in the programme, shared her opinion on the issue in a lengthy post which has garnered 1,500 reactions and 1,300 shares at the time of writing.

Rachel defended the teacher, urging the public not to throw harsh comments towards her. While she did not deny the fact that the language and contents could have been better, she was nonetheless brokenhearted to see unkind comments being directed towards the teacher who tried her best to teach the lesson.

“If someone makes a mistake, correct them with the heart of seeing improvement, NOT to make them feel small.”

She also addressed the debate and anger over the teacher’s English proficiency.

“What do you mean by “Good English”? How do you define it or measure it? We’re living in the age of World Englishes, excuse me. There’s no one who’s more superior than someone else.”

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and is a compilation of public opinions on the subject matter. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of WeirdKaya.

Source: Instagram/ jj_on_air, Facebook/Rachel JW Lim
Editor: Raymond Chen
Proofreader: Sarah Yeoh