WHEN Nor Azman Amat Kalam first learnt of the government’s initiative to get schoolchildren to master English last year, he, like many other parents in rural Beranang, Selangor, was sceptical, even hostile to the idea.

The parents could still recall how divisive the last English policy was and how hard it was for their children to adapt to the government’s attempt to teach maths and science in English, or PPSMI,
as the moribund policy is known.

It did not help that the new dual-language programme (DLP) has echoes of PPSMI. Selected classes in selected schools would voluntarily learn maths, science, and technical design in English.

“It was like the government was going back and forth like a yo-yo and they were treating our kids like guinea pigs,” said Nor Azman, who heads the SK Bandar Tasek Kesuma Parent-Teacher Association.

“So when we first heard of the DLP, almost everyone got negative vibes,” he said.

Eighteen months later, many parents have changed their minds, so much so that SK Bandar Tasek Kesuma is now unable to meet the demand for DLP classes, said Nor Azman.

The school’s DLP experience is typical of many schools nationwide which had initially showed resistance to the the initiative.

Tamil, Mandarin and Malay language activists claimed that the DLP was an attempt to resurrect the unpopular PPSMI or to reintroduce colonial-era English-medium schools.

Despite this, the DLP is becoming more popular with the schools and parents.

“The response from schools and parents has been overwhelming,” Deputy Education Minister Chong Sin Woon told The Malaysian Insight.

When it commenced last year, only 300 day schools held DLP classes. That number has since grown by four times; as of June, 629 secondary and 585 primary schools offer DLP classes, or about 10% of schools nationwide.

Sarawak has the most number of DLP schools at 187, followed by Perak (161), Selangor (147), Negri Sembilan (98), and Kelantan (95)

No compulsion

Although similar to PPSMI, the DLP has one notable difference which its supporters say is the reason for its popularity: it is strictly voluntary.

The deputy minister of education said the DLP was neither an attempt to reintroduce the PPSMI, which was mandatory, nor to bring back English-medium schools.

DLP classes were only held in schools where the administrators, teachers and parents were ready and willing, said Chong.

“There is no element of force. Children are offered places in DLP classes but their parents must sign a letter of consent.”

The number of DLP classes are also limited and access is restricted to Years One, Two, and Five pupils in primary school. Last year, it was available only to Years One and Four pupils.

At secondary level, DLP is only offered to Form One students. 

For instance, in SK Bandar Tasek Kesuma, only128 out of a total 2,267 pupils are on the DLP.

The rest learn Math and Science in Bahasa.

The school must also have scored high marks in Bahasa Malaysia to qualify for DLP.

SK Bandar Tasek Kesuma is able to adopt the DLP because it scored above 95% in the BM examination, has enough English-proficient teachers, and has the PTA’s support, said its principal Noridah Abdul Aziz.

Last year, the rural school and PTA agreed to be one out of eight schools in the Hulu Langat district to implement the DLP. The district has 89 schools.

The school’s pioneer DLP batch comprised 84 pupils. 

Although there are parents who are still unconvinced, more of them  now wish to enrol their children on the programme, said Nor Azman.

“It was new last year so parents were unsure and critical. But after a year, they want their kids in.”

Noridah said the school lacked the resources to accommodate them all.

“Parents will even come personally to meet me and the teachers to lobby for more classes. But I have to tell them we are not able to do so.”

Chong said the ministry was taking a measured and cautious approach. It does not want to approve more DLP classes without first ensuring that the schools had enough resources to maintain quality.

“We are training more teachers to be proficient in English. Because we have teacher transfers, we do not want schools with DLP to have a shortage.”

To increase the number of DLP-capable teachers it is providing more courses on how to teach Science and Math in English and online programmes to boost the proficiency og DLP teachers.

There are no plans to extend the DLP to other subjects. – August 18, 2017.