Enforce compliance with DLP guidelines

WE refer to the letter “Disappointed with entry requirements of DLP” (The Star, Feb 19).

We echo the writer’s concerns over schools imposing Bahasa Melayu (BM) proficiency tests on seven-year-old pupils as a precondition for Dual Language Programme (DLP) eligibility. This blatantly contradicts the Education Ministry’s statement that there is no provision within the DLP that requires schools to conduct assessments to determine if students qualify for the classes, as reported in “Ministry: No student assessments needed for DLP programme” (The Star, Feb 14, 2024).

The BM proficiency criterion applies solely to schools seeking DLP status, not to students. Testing young children who are still mastering basic literacy is not only counterproductive but also undermines the spirit of equitable access to STEM education in English, the global lingua franca.

The DLP guidelines mandate that schools with 15 or more interested students must open a DLP class. Yet, principals routinely disregard this directive, inventing arbitrary barriers such as “selection criteria” or con­veniently claiming resource constraints. The latter contradicts the Education Minister’s assurance of sufficient qualified ­teachers, “‘We have enough ­qualified teachers’” (The Star, May 14, 2023).

Such gate-keeping forces ­parents into a toxic cycle of confusion and coercion.

Those who are unaware of their rights are arm-twisted into accepting non-DLP placements, while others face hostility from peers whose children are excluded. This fractures community trust and reduces DLP to a “premium” commodity, a far cry from its goal of democratising STEM learning.

Imagine subjecting a child who has just entered Year 1 to a language proficiency test. This absurdity and other related practices prioritise administrative convenience over pedagogy, ­jeopardising Malaysia’s ambition to cultivate a globally competitive generation.

By weaponising BM against English, we reduce languages to rivals rather than complementary tools. STEM subjects demand clarity and accessibility; denying students the chance to learn in English stifles their potential and isolates Malaysia from international academic and industrial collaboration.

We urge the Education Ministry, and the ELTC (English Language Teaching Centre) overseeing DLP, to:

1. Enforce compliance with DLP guidelines and penalise schools that impose unlawful student assessments;

2. Mandate transparency by requiring schools to publicly disclose DLP enrolment processes and quotas;

3. Empower parents by ­disseminating clear, accessible information on their rights under the DLP framework; and

4. Audit resources to ensure all qualified schools have the ­teachers and infrastructure to support DLP.

The success of the programme hinges on its execution. Let us stop failing our children with needless bureaucracy and instead equip them with the tools to thrive. The world is racing forward in STEM education, and Malaysia’s students deserve ­nothing less.

TUNKU MUNAWIRAH PUTRA

Honorary secretary

PAGE Malaysia