KUALA LUMPUR: Keep to the existing guidelines instead of forcing unwritten terms onto schools – that’s the appeal parents are directing to the Education Ministry regarding the implementation of the Dual Language Programme (DLP).
Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said school heads had been given verbal instructions about the additional terms that are in contradiction to the existing guidelines.
In addition to the specified criteria, an unwritten requirement now subjects six-year-olds to a language assessment that will determine their placement in a DLP or non-DLP class.
Another unwritten requirement is the compulsory opening of a non-DLP class in full DLP schools starting from the 2024 academic session in March.
“When a school applies for the DLP, the existing guidelines state that it must meet the Subject Grade Point Average (GPMP) for Bahasa Melayu (BM) in Form Five and its equivalent in Year Six.
“However, the current practice by the ministry involves assessing the proficiency of six-year-olds in BM. Consequently, schools are given the autonomy to decide based on the students’ BM proficiency, ignoring their parents’ choice,” Noor Azimah told a press conference here yesterday.
She said the ministry must observe the existing guidelines without adding unnecessary restrictions, or risk demotivating students and affecting their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“The compulsory implementation of non-DLP classes not supported by parents creates segregation and is deemed discriminatory,” she said.
“It subjects students who choose the DLP to victimisation when they are forced into non-DLP classes seen for weaker students.”
Noor Azimah added that this will not only hurt a child’s academic performance in the long term, but also ignores the right of a parent to choose the best education for their children, further contradicting the spirit of the DLP.
“Don’t fix what is not broken. These schools have met the BM criteria anyway, so why impose further instructions on these students?
“We are only seeking for the ministry to adhere to the guidelines. We don’t want the assessments to carry on. It is just cruel to impose this on six-year-olds who can barely read and write,” she said.
Earlier, PAGE, with the support of 36 other groups, submitted a memorandum to 31 Cabinet ministers appealing for their support for the continuation and expansion of DLP schools and classes that meet the specified criteria.
She urged the Cabinet to table the memorandum during their retreat tomorrow and Thursday, and for Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek to address the intricacies and gather feedback on the matter from her colleagues and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Currently, to qualify for the DLP, schools must fulfil criteria set by the ministry, which include having enough resources, a plan to ensure the programme is sustainable, parents’ consent, and meeting the minimum BM requirement.
“Give autonomy to school heads to accommodate the wishes of parents for their children’s education. There must not be any form of threat put upon school heads,” Noor Azimah said.
On Nov 28, Fadhlina, in response to a question raised by Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong in Parliament, said there were no changes to the DLP guidelines and requirements as claimed.
However, she said that all schools must have at least one non-DLP class in 2024, in a bid to uphold the importance of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language.
On Dec 19, MCA Youth secretary-general Saw Yee Fung revealed that full-DLP school officials had been told verbally to include a mandatory non-DLP class in the next academic year.
In response, Fadhlina emphasised the need for schools implementing the DLP to fulfil all criteria, including students’ mastery of BM.
In 2016, some 300 schools joined the DLP pilot project and were given the option to teach Science and Mathematics in English, with parents free to enrol their children in the programme or not.
Aimed at improving students’ employability and ability to compete globally, the programme is one of the initiatives under the Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening the English Language (better known by its Malay abbreviation MBMMBI) policy.
There are currently 2,428 DLP schools – 1,613 primary and 815 secondary – in the country.
The Star has reached out to the Education Ministry for comment.
