Ministry of Education Boosts Plans to Increase Third Language Proficiency

Photo from The Star

According to MOE, the aim is to ensure that by 2025 at least 90 percent of students would secure a minimum credit in Bahasa Malaysia, 70 percent would pass in English language at SPM level, and at least 30 percent would have gained independent proficiency in a third language such as Arabic, Chinese or French.

The plans underway by MOE include the Literacy and Numeracy Screening (Linus) program initiated at all primary schools in Malaysia. The ambition of this program is to make sure that after three years of primary education, students are able to at least attain basic language and numeracy skills.

The Dual Language Program is also part of the Ministry's initiatives to promote the use of Bahasa Malaysia along with the English language. This program is currently being offered in 296 primary and secondary schools, who upon agreement with the Ministry, can opt to conduct Science and Mathematics classes in English or Bahasa Malaysia to students in Year One to Year Four.

Moreover, the Highly Immersive Program (HIP), adopted by 98 schools in six states, seeks to amplify the use of English for activities carried out by the school. According to Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim, Executive Director, Education Performance and Delivery Unit, the program is set for expansion with 1,200 schools incorporating it by end of this year, 5,000 by 2017, and the entire nation by 2018. MOE has also developed several other programs to standardize and enhance the use of Bahasa Malaysia in Malaysian schools. - Sidra Ayub