The Education Ministry today rejected the suggestion by Chinese-based Barisan Nasional component parties that Science and Mathematics be taught in English for Chinese primary students after school hours.

Its director-general Abdul Rafie Mahat said the language switch must be incorporated into the formal learning hours for all schools.

"It is in the timetable, these (two subjects) are in the curriculum," he told reporters after an hour-long post-cabinet meeting at the ministry's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.