'Pupils in DLP classes not mastering basic Malay, mother tongue'

'Pupils in DLP classes not mastering basic Malay, mother tongue'


Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek claimed that field visits found that some students in schools that implement the Dual Language Programme (DLP) are not mastering basic Malay or their mother tongues.

She said this while addressing pushback against changes to the DLP implementation guidelines.

"Schools that agreed to implement DLP must ensure all criteria are met, including the mastery of Malay.

"At the same time, mastery of mother tongue languages must also be protected as a core to the legitimacy of the implementation of mother tongue learning in vernacular schools," she said in a statement today.

Fadhlina also said the ministry was committed to both strengthen the mastery of Malay and raising the quality of English education.

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.

Fadhlina said today that management of DLP implementation lies with each state's education department, and that schools are allowed to open more than one new DLP class based on their evaluated readiness by the state education department and district education office.