DAP has called for the Education Ministry to follow the previous practice adopted by the previous Perikatan Nasional (PN)-Barisan Nasional (BN) government of respecting parents’ choice when it comes to the implementation of the dual language programme (DLP).
Its chairman Lim Guan Eng said respecting and honouring parental choice will help democratise education to serve the wishes of the parents in the best interests of the students.
“Democratising education is one important reform of an open and progressive education system. It would be ironic if the previous PN/BN government is seen as more progressive or reformist by respecting parental choice,” he said in a statement on Friday (June 7).
“DAP hopes Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek can resolve the issues raised by the School Boards and Parent-Teacher Associations of 11 Chinese secondary schools in Penang who wants parents to continue being given the choice to decide whether their children should be taught Science and Mathematics in English under the DLP.”
Lim further called for Bersatu information chief Datuk Razali Idris to “stop politicising or putting a racial slant” on the request by the schools in question when Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, during his tenure as prime minister, had previously supported the parental choice of students being taught Science and Maths in English without any conditions or restrictions.
“No one is objecting to Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction in these secondary schools as claimed by Razali,” Lim stressed.
“Instead, these schools in Penang have reiterated that they do not oppose Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction.
“The pertinent issue is continuing the previous PN/BN government’s implementation of DLP without any conditions or restrictions, which Razali supported and did not object to when it was implemented by his government.”
Lim said similarly, UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh should also stop trying to “play the hero and politicise the controversy when none exists”.
“Further, why didn’t Akmal protest the practice of respecting parental choice (in the DLP issue when PN/BN were in government)? He should stop being opportunistic and oppose a similar practice of honouring parental choice now,” he stated.
“Let us stop politicising education but democratise education to serve our students’ needs, to produce the best and brightest out of our education system.”
At a press conference yesterday (June 6), Lim said many Malay parents are asking for the right to decide for themselves whether their children will be taught science and mathematics in English or Bahasa Malaysia without the Education Ministry’s condition that one class be taught in Bahasa Malaysia.
He had also addressed a report by Buletin TV3 yesterday, which has since been taken down, that he said gave the impression some schools in Penang are opposing Bahasa Malaysia as a medium of instruction in itself.
Responding to the matter, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the Penang State Education Department has initiated an engagement session with all relevant parties to address concerns raised by Parent-Teacher Associations about the DLP in the 11Penang schools.
Fadhlina said in a statement that the implementation of the DLP is based on the guidelines outlined in “Specialised Circular No.5 Year 2024: Guidelines for the Implementation of the DLP” dated March 19.
The guidelines stipulate that schools must ensure that there is at least one class in each Year or Form that conducts the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics using BM or their mother tongue as the medium of instruction, starting from Year One and Form One for new academic sessions beginning from the year 2024/2025. – June 7, 2024
Main pic credit: Bernama
