THE lack of physical textbooks for the English-focused dual-language programme (DLP) has turned into a “blessing in disguise” for some parents and pupils in schools which offer DLP.

Education group Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) said it has received positive feedback because the delay has meant that affected schools are now using DVDs and digital downloads of the DLP textbooks provided by the Education Ministry.

Parents have told PAGE that their children are happier as it has lightened backpacks – a perennial complaint in Malaysian schools – as they have to carry two fewer textbooks – maths and science in English.

Teachers, in the roughly 620 secondary schools with DLP are also using digital screens and copies in classrooms which they said have enhanced engagement, said PAGE chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim.

But commentators on the Education Ministry’s Facebook page are complaining that the delays are unacceptable as by the time their children get hold of these books in March, there is only six months to study for the national PT3 exam.

“What poor planning KPM!! The textbooks in Bahasa were available for most subjects as early as November 2018. What’s with the procurement system that has delayed the printing and distribution of the textbooks in English?” wrote a Facebook user by the name of Juliza Jalil.

“Form 3 pupils this year are the lab rats for KPM ever since they started standard one!!

“Come on KPM, give them a break. PT3 is in October and textbooks will only available in March?? This is totally unacceptable!”

The ministry said on January 8 that the supply for DLP textbooks for maths and science has been delayed until March due to a change in the government’s procurement process.

Schools offering DLP have been told that they can download the first four chapters of these books from special links. The ministry has also distributed DVDs with the soft copy of these books to affected schools.

Blessings for teachers, pupils

The DLP is a voluntary programme to teach maths, science and technical design in English and is being implemented for form three classes this year in selected schools.

As of August 2017, there are an estimated 629 secondary and 585 primary schools running DLP classes. This is from a total of 2,408 secondary and 7,772 primary schools nationwide.

Due to its voluntary nature, only schools which have the support of parents, teachers and the ministry are allowed to run the DLP.

After taking over in May last year, the Pakatan Harapan administration said it is changing the way the government chooses suppliers and contractors from a system based on direct negotiations to one that uses open tenders.

In statement yesterday, the Ministry of Finance said it gave special dispensation for the Education Ministry to use direct negotiations to print DLP text books on September 18 last year, so as to ensure schools running the DLP would get the books on time.

Azimah said they have not received any complaint from parents and educators they work with about the delay because it has resulted in lighter backpacks and the chance to use digital equipment in class.

“Digital learning was introduced during PPSMI,” she said referring to the unpopular compulsory programme to teach science and maths in English abandoned in 2009.

“So, it’s just a matter of using the same techniques. Pupils like it because this generation grew up learning from digital screens, unlike the previous generation. Teachers are happy, pupils are happy. What was first a mishap has turned into a blessing.”

She added that the absence of textbooks should not be an excuse not to teach or learn as in the past, teachers relied on their notes instead of books.

“This is an opportunity for teachers to shine.” – January 14, 2019.