Representatives of 11 Chinese secondary schools in Penang have opposed a new directive from the Education Ministry about the Dual Language Programme (DLP).
The school board chairperson Koay Hean Eng, speaking on behalf of the representatives who include board members and parent-teacher association (PTA) members at a press conference yesterday, cited a circular dated April 15 on the matter.
According to The Star, the group is against the directive mandating at least one class must teach Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia for any school wanting to implement the DLP as they are no takers for it.
One such school is SMJK Chung Ling in George Town, where all its 400 Form One students want to learn Science and Maths in English.
"The implementation of this non-DLP class using BM as a medium of instruction has resulted in confusion and psychologically affected the pupils.
"The DLP in Science and Mathematics not only ensures continuity for students when they pursue their tertiary education but also enhances their competitiveness in the international arena.
"If the intention of the Education Ministry is to improve students’ proficiency in Malay, then it should improve the language’s syllabus and review its teaching methods, rather than using it as a medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics,” Koay was quoted as saying.
He further claimed that the ministry's latest directive had ignored the will of the parents and went against the original intention of the DLP, which was to strengthen and better equip the students in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Majority not in favour
SMJK Jit Sin PTA chairperson Laeu Boon Hui voiced similar concerns, saying about 99.5 percent of parents to the 1,100 students in the school was not in favour of the two subjects being taught in BM.
Last December, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek claimed that field visits found that some students in schools that implement the DLP are not mastering basic Malay or their mother tongues.
The current DLP guidelines for implementation are that schools are equipped with sufficient teaching resources, preparation is made by the principal and teachers, parental consent is obtained, and the school’s performance in the Malay language meets the national average standard.
However, schools that implement DLP are being made to provide at least one non-DLP class for students who want to study science and mathematics in Malay or their mother tongues.
The Education Ministry has permitted the full implementation of the DLP only in five Kuala Lumpur schools - SK Convent Bukit Nanas (1), SK Bukit Damansara, SJKT Vivekananda, SJKT Segambut and SJKT Ladang Edinburgh.
The Star contacted the ministry, which said the implementation of the DLP is based on guidelines stated in a March circular.
The guidelines stipulate that schools must ensure that there is at least one class in each Year or Form that conducts the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics using BM or their mother tongue as the medium of instruction, starting from Year One and Form One for new academic sessions beginning from the year 2024/2025.
“Schools implementing the DLP must ensure that opportunities are also provided to students who apply to study Science and Mathematics subjects in their national language or mother tongue,” the ministry added. - Mkini
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