KUALA LUMPUR – The Education Ministry’s (MoE) data on the increased number of schools implementing dual language programmes (DLPs) is an illusion, says Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) Malaysia.
This follows the ministry’s parliamentary written response to Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong (Ayer Hitam-BN) yesterday, which stated that 2,501 schools had implemented the DLP system as of February 16, with 1,663 of them being primary schools.
Putting a different perspective on the figures, PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said most of the schools with DLP programmes are from Sarawak.
“Sarawak has 1,265 primary DLP schools (equivalent to 100% of the schools in the state). Sabah and the peninsula only have 408 primary DLP schools, approximately 5% (of the total in the areas).
“In most cases, (there is) only one DLP class per school at each level. It is an illusion,” she said in a statement to Scoop.
Azimah said it is more accurate to calculate the number of classes and students enrolled in DLP instead of counting the schools over the years.
She also lamented that all DLP schools have been directed to sacrifice one class in their systems to be turned into a non-DLP class, a move that “no one wants”, citing SK Convent Bukit Nanas (1), SK Bukit Damansara, and Tamil schools.
“Parental consent, which is pivotal in DLP, has been blatantly disregarded,” she said.
“Parents have been ignored, and now school leaders will assess students – where no methods have been put forward – and put them in respective DLP or non-DLP classes.”
Earlier today, Wee posted on Facebook that the MoE responded to his question about the maintenance of DLP guidelines and the number of schools implementing them.
In response, MoE said it is working on improving the current DLP’s implementation guidelines to coordinate the programme’s operation.
The total number of schools implementing the DLP programme has been gradually increasing since 2016, with 377 schools in 2016, 1,190 (2017), 1,342 (2018), 1,357 (2019), 2,259 (2020), 2,298 (2021), and 2,366 (2022). – March 13, 2024