KUCHING: The Sarawak Government will begin implementing a standardised assessment for the Dual Language Programme (DLP) based on international standards of Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUP&A) for Year Six students in October.
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced that the Education Ministry has granted approval for the Sarawak education, innovation and talent development ministry (MEITD) to collaborate with Cambridge University to roll out the initiative.
“This DLP programme will be reviewed and validated by Cambridge University Press and Assessment to ensure its implementation aligns with international standards,” he said in a statement issued by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit yesterday.
The announcement follows the signing of a service contract between CUP&A and Swinburne Innovation Malaysia (SWIM) in Cambridge on Wednesday.
The event was part of the premier’s working visit to the United Kingdom, which began on Tuesday.
Jane Mann, managing director of Partnerships for Education at CUP&A, represented the Cambridge side, while SWIM was represented by its chief executive officer George Ngui, Bernama reported.
According to Abang Johari, the programme would follow the national curriculum utilising Bahasa Malaysia as the primary medium, while English would serve as the secondary medium for assessment based on Cambridge’s international syllabus.
Swinburne University, a strategic partner in the initiative, would work alongside Cambridge to implement the assessments in Sarawak.
“This initiative aims to produce students proficient in both languages, thereby equipping them to pursue higher education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” he added.
The premier also noted that MEITD is collaborating with Cambridge University to develop a range of high-quality bilingual programmes and scholarship opportunities to allow Sarawakian students to pursue studies in emerging strategic economic sectors.
He added that both parties had agreed to facilitate the placement of qualified Sarawakian students from international school systems in world-renowned institutions, including the University of Cambridge, Oxford and the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom, as well as Harvard University in the United States.
“Sarawak is targeting a special quota of 10 placements for outstanding students in selected fields,” Abang Johari added.
