Good feedback on DLP from Penang schools at Edu Dept meet - Fadhlina

The Penang Education Department received very good feedback in an engagement session with all parties involved regarding the issue of operating the Dual Language Programme (DLP) in some of the state’s schools.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the engagement session was aimed at understanding the needs of all parties to comply with the guidelines and reaffirming the policy of elevating the Malay language and strengthening the English language.

“We want to emphasise that the guidelines must be complied with. That is why the engagement session is very important.

“Following the issue, the Penang Education Department has once again come down and provided an explanation and the engagement session is also an ongoing process.

“Feedback from the engagement session conducted by the Penang department with the parties involved after the issue arose was very good,” she told reporters after opening the Penang Mutiara Media Club Family Day at a water theme park in Bertam.

She was commenting on developments regarding the issue raised by school boards and the parent-teacher associations of 11 SMJK and Chinese secondary schools in Penang asking the ministry to respect the wishes of parents and return to the original intention of DLP in Science and Mathematics.

READ MORE: Penang Chinese school reps oppose Education Ministry's DLP circular

In other developments, Fadhlina said the department is undertaking its own probe as per the ministry’s standard operating procedures against a school and teachers over an incident where a student was made to stand under the hot sun for almost three hours.

“We have submitted the matter to the authorities and the investigation was carried out by the police, as there was already a police report. We leave it to them to take further action,” she said.

She was commenting on a plea by a pressure group for the Hulu Langat District Education Office to be firm and take immediate action against the school and teachers who are believed to be punishing students.

It was reported that the mother of the student involved claimed that her son suffered from heat stroke and neurological problems and was given a referral letter to be assessed as a disabled person due to the health problems he experienced after the incident.

- Bernama

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