KUCHING: A trial Dual Language Programme Assessment Test (UP-DLP) is giving 187 Year-Six pupils in the Satok constituency an early opportunity to prepare for the actual assessment in Science, Mathematics and English.
Deputy Utility (Sarawak Energy and PETROS) Minister, Datuk Ibrahim Baki, said the initiative would help pupils familiarise themselves with the examination while allowing their academic performance in the three subjects to be assessed.
He said the UP-DLP assessment was important for Sarawak as high-performing pupils could potentially gain opportunities to further their education at Yayasan Sarawak International Secondary Schools (YSISS).
“The UP-DLP is very important for us. In Sarawak, it is compulsory for pupils to sit for the assessment, but it is not a requirement for them to enter Form One.
“Pass or fail does not matter. What is important is that they have an assessment to gauge their performance.
“For those who excel, they will have the opportunity to be offered places at international schools owned by the Sarawak Government through Yayasan Sarawak,” he said.
He said this when visiting the 2026 Trial UP-DLP Examination at the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Merpati Jepang school hall here today.
Ibrahim, who is also Satok assemblyman, said the state-owned international schools provided another education pathway for high-performing Sarawakian pupils, including those whose families may not be able to afford private international education.
He said this was also part of Sarawak’s efforts to develop the human capital needed as the state moves towards a high-value economy driven by areas such as the digital economy, hydrogen and renewable energy.
“We have a low population. The only way is for us to go into a high-end economy, but we need good brains, scientific brains, and those who can calculate.
“That is why Mathematics is also very important and, of course, English, because English is an international language,” he added.
He also thanked the teachers and former educators involved in the trial examination, saying their commitment would help pupils better prepare for the actual UP-DLP assessment.
The two-day trial examination, organised by the Satok Education Bureau, involves 74 pupils from SK Merpati Jepang, 64 from SK Rakyat Haji Bolhassan, and 49 from SK Combined.
The pilot initiative is aimed at assessing pupils’ academic performance in Science, Mathematics and English while building their confidence in sitting for the actual UP-DLP examination.
It will also serve as a benchmark for the Satok Education Bureau and participating schools to plan follow-up programmes, particularly for pupils requiring additional support in the three subjects.
The trial examination papers were prepared with the involvement of headmasters, subject specialists and experienced teachers familiar with setting and marking examination papers.
The UP-DLP, introduced in Sarawak last year, assesses Year Six pupils in Science, Mathematics and English under the state’s Dual Language Programme.
