‘Revoke DLP approval for Tamil schools’

Urgent message: Arumugam (right) handing over the memorandum to Education Ministry corporate communications officer Mohd Amir Khusairi Harun.

PUTRAJAYA: The approval for 47 Tamil schools to implement the Dual Language Programme (DLP) should be revoked, says a group of NGOs.

The Coalition of Malaysian Indian NGOs said the Education Ministry should review the decision, claiming the schools did not have teachers who could teach Mathematics and Science in English.

“We fully understand that it is not a compulsory programme and parents have a choice. What we are saying is that parents themselves do not understand the complexity of the issue,” said the group’s coordinator Arumugam Kalimuthu.

He had earlier handed over a memorandum to Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, which was received by a ministry official.

“The students come from the B40 community. They speak Tamil at home and when they go to school, they are (expected) to learn Mathematics and Science fully in English,” he said.

Arumugam said the students must understand the concept of maths and science and not learn English through these subjects.

“Instead of pushing or giving flexibility to Tamil schools to implement DLP, we suggest that the Government improve the students’ English proficiency through subjects such as Moral Education, Civics and Physical Education,” he added.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan said last month that the DLP was not being forced upon any student or school.

He said parents must give their written consent and the school must ensure there are enough qualified teachers and classrooms for the programme before they can apply for the DLP.

Schools that are under DLP will be given the option to teach Science, Mathematics, Information and Communications Technology, as well as Design and Technology in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Tamil or Chinese.