Group urges Education Ministry to expand DLP to more schools

 

The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (Page) has urged the Education Ministry to expand the Dual Language Programme (DLP) to more schools across the country.

Page, with the support of 36 other groups, said it has submitted a memorandum to 31 ministers, asking for their support to expand the programme.

Its chairperson Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the memorandum also asked the ministry to reverse a previous directive issued to participating schools to establish at least one non-DLP class, saying it is against the guidelines.

“Adding a non-DLP class is not in the guidelines. We are fine with the guidelines. We are merely seeking for the existing guidelines on DLP to be adhered to and not add further restrictions to undermine its success.

“The government wants student proficiency in English improved while mastering Bahasa Malaysia. The DLP is exactly that and more,” she told reporters today.

The lack of proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia, said Noor Azimah, should not be used as an excuse to deprive students from attending DLP classes. Students should, instead, immerse themselves in Bahasa Malaysia programmes without taking away their choice of DLP.

The memorandum, she said, is also seeking the number of existing full DLP schools to remain, at the same time encouraging and supporting partial DLP schools to become full-fledged ones by expanding DLP schools, classes, and pupils.

She said there are 1,600 DLP schools in the country, with 1,200 in Sarawak alone.

Previously, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry has no issue with schools that have fully implemented the DLP, with guidelines on the DLP remaining unchanged until today.

However, Fadhlina said ministry will begin with one non-DLP class, starting from the 2024/25 session. - Mkini