Education Ministry to continue with dual language programe in schools

SEREMBAN: A total of 296 schools across the country have implemented the Dual Language Programme (DLP) since last January and will continue to do so, Education Director-General Datuk Seri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said today.
He said the programme was implemented at national primary and secondary schools which met the four main conditions for the programme.
He said the four conditions included the need for schools to have adequate resources such as reference material, and infrastructure; the requirement for school heads and teachers to agree, as well as capable and want to implement the programme.
The schools are also required to get written consent from parents and guardians of students to implement the programme and the need for the schools to obtain higher than the National Average Grade in Bahasa Melayu in the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations, he added.
Of the 296 schools, 122 were primary schools with 70% of them urban schools, he added.
He said for this year, the programme was implemented for Year One and Year Four students in primary schools, while in secondary schools, it involved the Form One students.
"Since the programme was implemented, the response I received from the teachers was to get continuous support from us on how they can get the desired pedagogy, especially in English Language as the programme is conducted in that language.
"As such we have set up the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC) online to help teachers," he told a media conference on the DLP here today.
Khair said the department had received about 30 applications from Tamil National Type Schools to carry out the programme, but approval could not be given as the schools did meet all of the four conditions.
"We will continue this programme with the second wave next year. However, it will not be mandatory, but subject to the application from schools," he added.
Under DLP, the English Language is used fully in the teaching and learning of Science, Mathematics and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. — Bernama