DLP policy gets more confusing and convoluted

PETALING JAYA: Parents wanting to put their children into Dual Language Programme (DLP) classes in some schools have been told they cannot do it.

The reason given by the schools is that they need to be in a non-DLP class as schools are now required to have at least one non-DLP class for each year.

A similar situation had happened in March, when The Star reported that hundreds of pupils from five Tamil schools in Johor are in limbo after they were told that DLP would only be available in one class for each school starting this year.

In previous years, DLP – where pupils are taught Science and Mathematics in English – was available for all pupils in the five schools. These are SJK(T) Taman Tun Aminah, SJK(T) Ladang Rini, SJK(T) Jalan Yahya Awal and SJK(T) Masai here, as well as SJK(T) Jalan Haji Manan in Kluang.

DLP, which was announced in Budget 2016, allows selected schools to teach Mathematics and Science in English.

Anis*, a parent affected by the sudden change in policy, said that when she attended orientation day (in January) for her Year One daughter at an all-DLP primary school, she was assured by the school that all classes are 100% DLP, with no indication that anything would change.

In fact, she told The Star, the school, located in Kuala Lumpur, gave the parents a complete set of DLP textbooks.

Then in March, she said they were only informed through the school’s WhatsApp group that the students would be split into DLP and non-DLP classes using a Bahasa Malaysia proficiency assessment.

In April, the official segregation list was released.

When parents asked why their child had been placed in the non-DLP class, they were told it was because their command of Bahasa Malaysia was weaker compared to their English proficiency.

“Shouldn’t the DLP be designed for those with a stronger command of English, making it easier for them to adapt to an English-medium curriculum encompassing subjects such as Mathematics and Science?” said Anis.

The parents had signed a petition and submitted it to the Education Ministry, but there has been no response so far.

Anna*, another parent whose daughter is in the same affected class, wants her child to be in the DLP class so that she is able to keep up and perform in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects in her secondary years.

“It will be a challenge if she learns it in BM first and then changes to English for the IGCSEs (International General Certificate of Secondary Education),” she said.

(*names have been changed)