- Newsdesk, The Sun
Go ahead for DLP
PETALING JAYA: Education Ministry will go ahead with its decision to implement the Dual Language Programme (DLP) in the 300 selected government schools despite strong objections from certain quarters.
Its deputy minister Chong Sin Woon (pix) said the ministry's top officials including the director-general, department heads and himself had met with the stakeholders and protesters to explain the DLP in detail.
"During the meeting, we explained that DLP is nothing similar to the PPSMI (the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English) policy introduced a few years ago by then Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin," he said.
Chong told theSun that DLP was not a policy but a programme under the MBMMBI initiative, an initiative that upholds the Malay language while empowering the English language.
The DLP programme allows students the option of studying several subjects in either English or Bahasa Malaysia.
Chong said they also explained that it was not a blanket policy where all schools were obliged to follow, it is a flexible programme with the schools and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) deciding whether or not to pursue DLP.
"Furthermore, there are strict requirements that the participating schools must fulfil and the green light is only given to intended schools when we feel they are ready for it."
Chong stressed that it had always been the ministry's effort to enhance the students' English proficiency and welcomed any individuals or groups or even non-governmental bodies who shared similar thoughts.
"The ministry has always wanted to do that to ensure that there will be more students who can speak English fluently and have the added advantage of being competitive both locally and globally."
The DLP announcement was made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak last year during the tabling of Budget 2016 which aimed at increasing the fluency of English among students.
The programme allows for the teaching of Science, Mathematics, Information Technology and Communication, and Design and Technology in English or Bahasa Malaysia.
