Kuching: The Dual Language Programme (DLP) in Sarawak will be expanded to secondary schools beginning in 2026, the State Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said. He noted that with this expansion, all Form 1 students will enter the DLP stream and continue under the programme until Form 5. According to BERNAMA News Agency, at the upper secondary level, the initiative will take a significant step forward with core pure science subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, along with Additional Mathematics, being taught entirely in English. Sagah stated this while winding up the debate for his ministry at the Sarawak State Assembly. He added that the programme is one of the state's main strategies to uplift the standard of education in Sarawak by strengthening students' proficiency in English, Science, and Mathematics, to prepare the students to be more competitive and better equipped for the future. Sagah emphasized the importance of this initiative as the state works towards increasing enrolment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and producing high-quality graduates among anak Sarawak. Previously, the DLP Sarawak programme required all national primary schools in the state to teach Science and Mathematics in English, complemented by the Ujian Penilaian Dual Language Programme (UP-DLP), an assessment used to measure students' performance in Science, Mathematics, and English. On another note, Sagah mentioned that the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) is expected to be completed in October next year. The medical research centre, located in Samarahan, is currently 40 percent complete and is set to become a key hub for infectious disease surveillance and biomedical innovation once fully operational. SIDC's focus areas cover several diseases affecting both human and animal health, including tuberculosis (TB), malaria, dengue, African swine fever, rabies, and soil-transmitted parasitic infections. Regarding the Free Tertiary E ducation Scheme (FTES), Sagah said that 64 courses have been approved under the scheme across four Sarawak-owned institutions of higher learning, namely Swinburne University of Technology, Curtin University of Technology Sarawak, University of Technology Sarawak, and i-CATS University College. The detailed list will be announced by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg on Dec 18.