By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Nov 21: The inaugural assessment results for the Dual Language Programme Sarawak (UP-DLPS 6) 2025 show that Year 6 pupils performed strongly in English with the highest passing rate statewide, but recorded only average achievements in Mathematics and Science, with just 1,734 students scoring an A in Mathematics and only 199 achieving an A in Science.
While expressing satisfaction with the overall outcomes, Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn acknowledged the need for urgent and targeted interventions to enhance pupils’ performance, particularly in Mathematics and Science.
The UP-DLPS 6 assessment, conducted on Oct 15 and 16 across Sarawak, evaluated 29,002 Year 6 pupils in English and Mathematics, with a similar number sitting for the Science paper. A total of 1,050 schools, comprising government, government-aided and private, participated in this year’s assessment exercise.
Announcing the results at a press conference at the ministry’s office today, Sagah said English recorded the highest passing rate at 90.97 per cent, with 5,241 pupils achieving an A.
“Science achieved a passing rate of 84.71 per cent, but the number of top scorers remained low, with only 199 obtaining an A. Mathematics saw the weakest performance with a passing rate of 61.01 per cent and only 1,734 A-scorers,” he said.
Sagah added that Mathematics remains the most challenging subject for pupils statewide, especially in rural schools and low student population (SKM) schools, and called for immediate and focused intervention to strengthen the teaching and learning of the subject.
“Science performance, while encouraging overall, still showed gaps in conceptual understanding and inquiry-based learning, as reflected in the low number of high achievers.
“In contrast, English remained the most consistent subject, demonstrating the positive outcomes of Sarawak’s English proficiency and immersion programmes,” he noted.
While participation was wide-ranging across all school categories, the findings indicated that urban schools continued to outperform rural and remote schools, highlighting a persistent urban-rural gap the ministry is determined to narrow.
Sarawak also recorded an impressive attendance rate of 99.46 per cent, which Sagah credited to the dedication of teachers, school administrators and parents in ensuring their children took part.
Sagah emphasised that UP-DLPS 6 is not intended to compare results among students, schools or district education offices, but rather to serve as a diagnostic tool to evaluate the effectiveness of DLP Sarawak and pinpoint areas for improvement.
He also reiterated that DLP Sarawak differs from the national Dual Language Programme, as Science and Mathematics are compulsory subjects taught fully in English in all Sarawak government schools, unlike the optional implementation allowed in other states in Malaysia.
Looking ahead, Sagah said the ministry accepts the results “with an open and constructive attitude”, recognising both the achievements and shortcomings revealed.
“We celebrate the positive achievements, especially in English, but we recognise the urgent need to strengthen Science and especially Mathematics performance,” he said.
He reaffirmed that MEITD will continue working closely with the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Sarawak Education Department (JPNS) and other agencies to implement targeted support strategies to improve student outcomes, particularly in rural communities.
“We look forward to the continued success of UP-DLPS 6 in 2026 as we strive towards achieving Sarawak’s vision under the Post-Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 to develop a digitally competent, innovative and globally competitive generation,” he added.
Deputy Minister of Talent Development Datuk Francis Harden Hollis and Sarawak Education director Omar Mahli were present. — DayakDaily
