KUCHING: Chinese national-type primary schools (SJKC) in the state have not ruled out the possibility of voluntarily participating in the Sarawak Dual Language Programme (DLP), despite not currently being part of the programme’s official implementation.
President of the Association of Aided Chinese Primary Schools in Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian Divisions, Datuk Jonathan Chai Voon Tok, said the school management is currently studying the possibility as a means to assess students’ proficiency in Science and Mathematics taught in English.
“SJKCs are not currently included in the DLP. However, we hope our students will be able to participate in this assessment.
“Of course, approval from the federal Ministry of Education is required before this can be implemented,” he said.
He said this when met by reporters after a visit to the construction site of SJKC Chung Hua Batu 11, Matang, together with Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, and Tupong Assemblyman, Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman, today.
Chai explained that if permitted, the participation would be conducted internally at the school level and would not involve national-level assessments.
Nonetheless, he said the results could still serve as a useful indicator to evaluate students’ academic performance.
According to Chai, SJKCs still maintain the use of Mandarin as the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics subjects, as the majority of students are Chinese.
“However, recent developments show a significant increase in the number of non-Chinese students enrolling in SJKCs.
“Currently, almost 40 per cent of SJKC students are from other ethnic groups.
“Therefore, we are seriously considering whether participation in the DLP should be explored in the future,” he added.
He stressed that any decision regarding participation in the DLP would only be made after thorough discussions with parents, students, and other stakeholders.
Commenting on the previous national implementation of DLP which did not achieve its intended outcomes, he said this should serve as an important lesson when planning the future direction of education.
“We cannot repeat past mistakes. The previous implementation did not meet its goals.
“Therefore, it is crucial for us to first evaluate the outcomes of the DLP in national schools before making any decisions,” he said.
Chai also emphasised that language proficiency does not solely depend on the use of a language as the medium of instruction but rather on the teacher’s ability to deliver the subject effectively.
He said a few weeks of training is insufficient, adding that teachers must be truly proficient in English and capable of teaching technical subjects like Science and Mathematics effectively.
He stated that the results of the upcoming DLP assessment will serve as a key reference for SJKCs to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme’s implementation.
“We are very interested to see the results of this assessment.
“If it shows positive outcomes, it is not impossible that we will consider more active participation in the programme in the future,” he said.
The DLP programme is a Sarawak Government initiative to measure the effectiveness of teaching and learning Science and Mathematics in English at primary schools across the state.
It will be expanded to Form 3 students starting in 2028.
The assessment for Primary Six students will be held on October 15 and 16 this year, with exam papers prepared by local subject experts and validated by Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUPA).
President of the Association of Aided Chinese Primary Schools in Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian Divisions, Datuk Jonathan Chai Voon Tok, said the school management is currently studying the possibility as a means to assess students’ proficiency in Science and Mathematics taught in English.
“SJKCs are not currently included in the DLP. However, we hope our students will be able to participate in this assessment.
“Of course, approval from the federal Ministry of Education is required before this can be implemented,” he said.
He said this when met by reporters after a visit to the construction site of SJKC Chung Hua Batu 11, Matang, together with Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, and Tupong Assemblyman, Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman, today.
Chai explained that if permitted, the participation would be conducted internally at the school level and would not involve national-level assessments.
Nonetheless, he said the results could still serve as a useful indicator to evaluate students’ academic performance.
According to Chai, SJKCs still maintain the use of Mandarin as the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics subjects, as the majority of students are Chinese.
“However, recent developments show a significant increase in the number of non-Chinese students enrolling in SJKCs.
“Currently, almost 40 per cent of SJKC students are from other ethnic groups.
“Therefore, we are seriously considering whether participation in the DLP should be explored in the future,” he added.
He stressed that any decision regarding participation in the DLP would only be made after thorough discussions with parents, students, and other stakeholders.
Commenting on the previous national implementation of DLP which did not achieve its intended outcomes, he said this should serve as an important lesson when planning the future direction of education.
“We cannot repeat past mistakes. The previous implementation did not meet its goals.
“Therefore, it is crucial for us to first evaluate the outcomes of the DLP in national schools before making any decisions,” he said.
Chai also emphasised that language proficiency does not solely depend on the use of a language as the medium of instruction but rather on the teacher’s ability to deliver the subject effectively.
He said a few weeks of training is insufficient, adding that teachers must be truly proficient in English and capable of teaching technical subjects like Science and Mathematics effectively.
He stated that the results of the upcoming DLP assessment will serve as a key reference for SJKCs to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme’s implementation.
“We are very interested to see the results of this assessment.
“If it shows positive outcomes, it is not impossible that we will consider more active participation in the programme in the future,” he said.
The DLP programme is a Sarawak Government initiative to measure the effectiveness of teaching and learning Science and Mathematics in English at primary schools across the state.
It will be expanded to Form 3 students starting in 2028.
The assessment for Primary Six students will be held on October 15 and 16 this year, with exam papers prepared by local subject experts and validated by Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUPA).