Ministry: Schools must fulfil criteria to offer DLP

PETALING JAYA: While the availability of the Dual Language Programme (DLP) continues to be expanded, new schools must also fulfil the criteria set to offer it, says the Education Ministry.

“Every year, the Education Ministry implements the expansion of DLP in primary and secondary schools based on applications from schools that meet the set criteria,” said the ministry’s Daily School Management Division and English Language Teaching Centre.

It was responding to an exclusive story in The Star where stakeholders claimed the programme was being subtly reduced in what may be an attempt to remove it.

The ministry said the criteria include schools having enough resources, the school heads having a plan to make sure the programme is sustainable, parents’ consent being obtained, and schools meeting the minimum Bahasa Malaysia requirement.

It also said the programme’s implementation at the school must not affect the mastery of students in the Bahasa Malaysia subject as the national language, and must comply with the ministry’s Expert Circular Letter Number 3 of 2020: Improvement of the Education Ministry’s DLP Implementation Guidelines for 2021, which is still being used.It added that the opening of DLP classes cannot affect other students’ opportunities to follow Science and Mathematics subjects in their national language or mother tongue.

It also said primary schools need to take into account the students’ ability to continue DLP classes in secondary schools.

“The implementation of DLP should not conflict with existing legislation and the National Education Policy. Section 17 of the Education Act 1996 (Act 550) states that the National Language shall be the main language of instruction in all educational institutions in the National Education System except for national-type schools established under Section 28 or any other educational institutions exempted by the minister.

“In order to ensure the sustainability of the DLP implementation, the Education Ministry, through the state education departments and district education offices, has implemented various support efforts and visits to help DLP teachers and students in schools,” the ministry said.

There were 2,291 schools – 737 primary schools and 1,554 secondary schools – running the programme in 2020.

As of June 30, there were 1,613 primary schools and 815 secondary schools offering DLP.

A total of 8,704 classes with 206,710 pupils are in the programme in primary schools, while there are 9,398 classes with 255,316 students in secondary schools.

“The list of schools that offer DLP classes can be obtained from the district education office and the nearest state education department,” the ministry added.

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.

It offers schools the choice to conduct Science and Mathematics subjects in English.