It was brought to our attention and concern about the recent few issues on the implementation of the Dual Language Programme (DLP), including:

1) Parents of school-going children already enjoying DLP classes have been told to switch to non-DLP in January 2024 under duress in certain schools.

2) Schools have been forced to open a non-DLP class in a full DLP school in the new academic year. As it is, there are already very few full DLP schools that have met all criteria;

3) Principals are not objective in abiding by the DLP guidelines but instead interpret them to suit their understanding of verbal instructions given to them by JPN and MOE; 

4) Ignoring parental choice clearly contradicts the spirit of the Economic Council's establishment of DLP in 2015.

We, the undersigned, representing the following groups and individuals, urge the Ministry of Education to withdraw its directive that all schools, including those which have fully implemented the DLP for all its Mathematics and Science classes, to mandatorily commence at least one non-DLP class for the teaching of Mathematics and Science.

Instead, we urge the Ministry of Education to retain the current practices for DLP in the existing guidelines. Since its inception, schools must meet four criteria to enable the implementation of the DLP. They are:
1) sufficient teaching resources, 
2) preparation by the principal and teachers, 
3) parental requirement and consent, and, 
4) the school’s performance in the Bahasa Melayu subject to meet the national average standard.

To abruptly compel the opening of one non-DLP class would translate to the victimisation of a school-going child for the following reasons.

1) Where a child has been exposed to DLP throughout primary school, the child should not be made to switch to BM at secondary school. This should include Mathematics and general Science and for those opting for the Arts stream at Form 4.

2) The selection criteria to be placed in a BM class has not been made clear. What criteria will the school deploy to select which students will switch to learning mathematics and science in BM?

3) Parents have reported that they were given a ‘take it or leave it’ scenario, i.e. if they insist that their child continues the DLP in English, they have no option but to transfer their child out of the school.

DLP, is a more targeted approach towards STEM, TVET and NIMP (New Industrial Master Plan) 2030 – areas which our government has been encouraging students to take up. Its objectives are three-pronged:

1) To give students the opportunity to enhance their English language proficiency through the teaching and learning of science and mathematics;

2) To give students the opportunity to further access and explore numerous fields of scientific knowledge in order to compete on the global stage; and

3) To enhance the marketability of students in the job market.

At this juncture, we see there is no concrete need to impose a new additional guideline on the compulsory at least one non-DLP class in all current DLP schools. Besides, there are no clear guidelines issued by the ministry pertaining to this nor any communication or town hall being carried out before listening to the parents’ and students’ opinions.

Moreover, the Ministry of Education should not mix up the Uphold-BM policy with the current DLP. Students who appear to be weak in BM should be immersed in programmes under the Uphold BM policy instead of making them study STEM subjects under BM.

Make teachers who teach in BM or the mother tongue language responsible for them. Let those students whose parents have opted for them to do DLP continue to pursue their education in peace.

我们呼吁教育部回归当初推出双语课程计划（DLP）时的精神，尊重家长的意愿，维持这项计划下现有的4个条件，让所有符合条件的学校都能继续在这项计划下落实100%的英文教数理。

根据媒体报导，近几个月以来双语课程计划（DLP）的落实显然已出现各种变化和疑问，包括部分目前正在双语课程计划下落实英文教数理的国淡小，从明年1月起无法继续落实有关计划，而必须转为马来文教数理，此外，在双语课程计划下100%以英文教数理的学校，在新学年必须开设一班马来文教数理班。

事实上，经济理事会于2015年推出双语课程计划时，其核心的宗旨是希望加强学生在科学、工艺、工程和数学（STEM）、技职教育（TVET）的学习，同时作为贯彻《2030年新工业大蓝图》目标的一部分，而这些都是政府多年以来鼓励更多学生专攻的领域。

同时，双语课程计划让学生有机会进一步接触和探索科学领域的更多知识，除了提高学生日后的市场就业能力，也让他们具备在全球舞台上竞争的更强大实力。

自从双语课程计划推出以来，学校必须满足的条件从来只有4项，即：足够的教学资源、校长及教师的准备、家长要求和同意，同时马来文成绩不能低于全国平均水平。

然而，根据近期的发展，也就是上述提到的案例，教育部似乎在毫无预警也未经过任何咨询和协商的情况下，为这项计划增添一项新的条件，也就是必须开设至少一班马来文教数理班。

尽管教育部部长以及前任副部长一再否认这项计划出现变化，也强调学校只要符合4项条件，就能继续落实有关计划。但无可否认的事实是，不少学校已正式接获州教育局的公函，白纸黑字指示学校必须满足至少开办一班马来文教数理班的条件，才能继续落实双语课程计划。

我们认为，这项新增的条件不只是毫无必要，还将造成各种疑问和争议，而最终让学生沦为最大受害者。

其中最关键的问题在于，在100%落实英文教数理的学校，请问学校要如何筛选学生进入这一班马来文教数理的班级？如果家长的意愿都是希望孩子进入英语教学班级，学校应该牺牲谁？难道是用抽签的方式来决定学生的未来？这岂不是在学生之间、在家长之间制造对立，在校园内制造分歧和矛盾吗？教育部让学校陷入这种两难的困境，根本是在为校方制造问题！

此外，教育部若要提升学生国语掌握能力应该直接从语文课下手，而不是通过强制学生以马来文学数理的方式。用数理科来提升国语水平，这是本末倒置、两头不到岸的做法。

因此，我们促请教育部厘清双语课程计划的现状，撤回部分学校接获的必须开设至少一班马来文教数理的指示，尊重家长的意愿和学校自主权，维持这项计划现有的4项条件，并由教育部根据4项条件统一处理和审批全国各州学校的申请。