KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry says the discontent over the Dual Language Programme (DLP) implementation at several schools was due to their failure to adhere to set guidelines.
The ministry said insufficient engagement sessions caused a communication breakdown between schools and parents, ultimately resulting in the lack of understanding on the purpose and direction of the DLP.
"The regulations outlined in the guidelines for opening DLP classes were not clearly communicated to parents," the ministry told the New Sunday Times (NST).
It was commenting on the changes at some schools concerning the programme, which resulted in students having to switch to learning Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia after almost half a year of doing so in English.
The ministry said BM remained the primary language of instruction in all education institutions within the National Education System, adding that the implementation of DLP should stay aligned with the national education plan.
The ministry also clarified that there was no stipulation for a language proficiency test in selecting students for DLP.
"However, this matter is left to the school principals' discretion and autonomy to fulfil the DLP's implementation and continuity in planning."
The ongoing DLP implementation in schools is contingent on schools meeting four criteria:
l Possessing sufficient resources, proper planning for DLP implementation by the principal;
l Receiving applications from parents or guardians;
l Attaining a minimum proficiency level in BM based on the previous year's Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia results; and,
l Meeting set standards, or demonstrating improvements over three consecutive years.
Countering claims by Parent Action Group for Education that the inclusion of the BM proficiency criteria had reduced the opportunity of schools in the country in applying for the DLP by half, the ministry said on the contrary, there had been an uptick in participation in schools offering DLP to students.
"In 2016, only 132 primary and 245 secondary schools were involved in the DLP rollout.
"Until Aug 31 this year, there are 1,612 primary schools and 814 participating secondary schools offering DLP classes.
"To ensure students' opportunity in continuing the programme until Form Five, adequate new secondary schools, in line with feeder primary schools, were established to facilitate the transition of feeder school students into DLP at the secondary level."
The ministry added that it had been actively addressing the shortage of Science and Mathematics teachers since the inception of the DLP programme.
"The ministry also offers diverse support and training for Science and Mathematics teachers, specifically focusing on enhancing their English proficiency and teaching pedagogy since 2019."
As part of its proactive measures, the ministry also carries out the "Selia Bantu" initiative, where officers inspect the DLP implementation in schools, to ensure the programme's smooth execution.
The NST has sighted documents on the Selia Bantu initiative conducted in at least three Perak schools and four in Kuala Lumpur, on Nov 7 and Nov 11, respectively.