Decision up to schools
THE Dual Language Programme (DLP) is not a “bad thing” and would not change the nature of Chinese vernacular schools, said Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn.
“Teaching the selected subjects in English is an international trend.
“Schools in China are using English to teach Mathematics, too,” he said.
Dr Fong was speaking to reporters after presenting a talk at the Faculty of Economics and Administration at Universiti Malaya (FEAUM).
“In my opinion, the DLP would not affect the curriculum of Chinese primary schools,” he said.
Nonetheless, he said the schools should be left to decide for themselves if they want to take up the programme.
Under DLP, schools would be given the option to teach Science, Mathematics, Information Technology and Communication, and Design and Technology in English or Bahasa Malaysia.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when tabling Budget 2016 announced that the DLP would be offered in 300 pilot schools.
On Wednesday, the United School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) submitted a memorandum to Deputy Education Minister Chong Sin Woon opposing the use of the DLP in Chinese vernacular schools.
Dong Zong chairman Temenggong Datuk Vincent Lau Lee Ming had said it was not suitable for Chinese vernacular schools to carry out the DLP programme on the basis that the usage of the schools’ mother tongue should be maintained.
Education director-general Tan Sri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said last year the DLP would only be offered to national schools that meet three criteria – proper resources, teachers who can teach in English and Bahasa Malaysia, and parents who are supportive of the programme.
Dr Khair said vernacular schools could take part in the programme as long as they met the Bahasa Malaysia mastery levels set by the Education Ministry.
Meanwhile, Dr Fong, in his talk titled “The Chinese Primary School: A Tale of its Adaption to Multi-Ethnic Environment”, noted that many non-Chinese parents recognise the Chinese vernacular schools.
In 2014, the Chinese schools had 15% or 87,000 of non-Chinese students out of the population of 580,000.
Dr Fong, who is Enterprise Asia chairman, an NGO that develops entrepreneurship in Asia, spent 10 months last year visiting 150 Chinese schools in the country with his camera for his photo book titled “The Malaysian Chinese Primary School – A Century Of Toil And Dedication”. By THO XIN YI