PETALING JAYA: A group of parents of students at SJK(T) Vivekananda here are appealing to the Education Ministry to continue with the Dual Language Programme (DLP) for the good of students.
A. Vijayesvaran, 39, who spoke on behalf of some 160 parents, said the DLP was carried out in the school this year, but would be scrapped for the new batch when school reopens on Jan 2 next year.
“The first batch of Year One and Year Four DLP students have achieved wonderful results.
“This year’s top scorers came from DLP classes but because of a legal suit against the ex-headmistress and ministry, the next batch of students won’t benefit from the programme.
“The ministry has issued a letter stating that the programme would be put on hold from 2018 onwards.
“We don’t know how long the legal suit will drag on but until then, the students’ interest must be given priority,” he said, adding that the lawsuit was initiated by those who were not in favour of the DLP.
He said the minimum requirement of 15 students per class for next year’s DLP intake had been met, so there was no reason to halt the programme.
He said parents who had enrolled their children in the school because of the DLP programme were now left disappointed.
Some parents had even moved there just for their children to be in the DLP school. “Because the DLP won’t be offered to the 2018 batch, many will be transferring out of the school,” he added.
He said parents were frustrated because they have been denied the right to decide what’s best for their child.
In a letter published in The Star today, Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim called on the Government to consider the positive long-term impact of DLP, endorse more DLP schools, and give assistance where necessary.
