THE Education Ministry will continue the dual language programme (DLP) as it does not intend to reintroduce the teaching of science and mathematics in English (PPSMI), said Deputy Education Minister Mah Hang Soon. 

“The Education Ministry does not intend to reintroduce the teaching of science and mathematics in English.

“In efforts to step up proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia and English, the DLP was introduced in 2016, whereby schools were allowed to choose their preferred medium of instruction for the teaching and learning of science and maths,” the senator told parliament today. 

The number of schools on the DLP has increased to 2,291 this year compared to 377 during the pilot run in 2016, he said. 

He was responding to Hasan Arifin (Rompin-BN) who quoted studies showing that the teaching of mathematics and science in English (PPSMI) has been ineffective.

Mah said the government was indeed sticking with the DLP programme and that schools were allowed to go ahead with it. 

He said this in response to Hasan’s supplementary questions on whether students would be able to understand the subjects better if they were taught in their mother tongue and whether the government was aware that there were schools in urban areas which are still conducting the lessons in English and if action would be taken against them. – August 3, 2020.