<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="" id="page-title">400,000 reasons to keep DLP</h1>
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Posted on 15 February 2016 - 07:51pm </div>
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<p><b>THE </b>Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) has since
2008 been seeking for the non-abolition of the mandatory policy of
teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English but thwarted
at every turn. We persevered and the policy was resurrected in the form
of the Soft Landing in 2011, which will end in 2020 allowing students
who started in English to finish in English. </p>
<p>Meantime this scientific English policy was replaced by a language
policy in 2011 called "Memartabatkan Bahasa Melayu, Memperkasakan Bahasa
Inggeris or MBMMBI (Uphold Bahasa Melayu, Strengthen the English
Language) which continues to be further expanded and developed.</p>
<p>In 2015, the prime minister with the Economic Council sought a
radical approach towards rectifying the appalling state of the English
language causing to date over 400,000 graduates to be unemployed. The
Education and SRI (Strategic Reform Initiatives) Human Capital
Development of Pemandu (Performance Management and Delivery Unit),
comprising analytical, dynamic and outstanding professionals carefully
hand-picked from the private sector, was tasked to explore and recommend
this radical solution.</p>
<p>Numerous stakeholders were invited including the Federation of
Manufacturers Malaysia, the Malaysian Employers Federation, the British
Council, advocates of English, think-tanks and scholarship foundations,
professors of IPTAs and IPTSs and most importantly, high-ranking
officials from the Ministry of Education and many more to brainstorm and
articulate an effective approach. </p>
<p>A lengthy and detailed process was undertaken which culminated into
three main recommendations as an expansion of MBMMBI programmes in
enhancing English as advocated in Wave 2 (2016-2020) of the Malaysia
Education Blueprint 2013-2025 namely: the High Immersion Programme for
all schools, Dual Language Programme (DLP) as a pilot project involving
300 schools or a mere 3% and Dual Language Programme Plus (DLP+). DLP+,
which would have been the closest we will ever get to the return of
English medium schools excluding the subjects of Pendidikan Islam/Moral
and History although endorsed by the prime minister, the education
minister and the Economic Council, was withdrawn by the Ministry of
Education from a lack of resources.</p>
<p>The philosophy behind DLP is: it is a parents' option (as stated by
the Education Act 1996 where "pupils are to be educated according to the
wishes of their parents") and not teachers nor critics to choose the
medium of instruction; students cannot achieve operational proficiency
through the 15-20% English hours offered in classrooms (as indicated by
international research) and therefore other subjects had to be explored;
and that the majority of science and mathematics teachers had a minor
in English unlike those of other possible non-core subjects and analysed
in great detail).</p>
<p>Parents will fill in a standard form providing consent for their
children to be taught in Bahasa Melayu or English for the four STEM
subjects. This was done at the start of the year for Primary One, Four
and Form One. A class will be provided where there is a minimum of 15
students in either language. There is no plan to have all the
approximately 10,000 schools nationwide offer DLP next year or at any
point in time as long as parents do not consent. </p>
<p>DLP is designed for students to immerse themselves in an environment
where the English language can be applied and practised beyond the
English classroom. For students who are already proficient they can
assist the teacher and mentor those who are not. Parents too have a role
to play alongside the teachers in providing support, encouragement and a
positive attitude. There is no magic formula. Children and
grandchildren of teachers, past, present and future will benefit
tremendously too.</p>
<p>To give up from the start without even trying would be a great
injustice to the innocent child who has infinite potential if they were
guided by visionary adults. Critics especially politicians who reject
DLP are selfish hypocrites who want only their own children to excel by
quietly enrolling their children in international schools where they get
to enjoy an English education.</p>
<p>Parents who are level-headed and thinking adults will not want their
children to add to the 400,000 unemployed graduates. Or do you?!</p>
<p><b><i>Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim</i></b><br>
<b><i>PAGE Malaysia</i></b></p><p><b><i><a href="http://www.thesundaily.my/node/350326">http://www.thesundaily.my/node/350326</a><br></i></b></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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