STREAMING SYSTEM, CONTROL SCHOOL TO BE ABOLISHED
Education Ministry aims for pupils to get solid primary education
THE Education Ministry has called for class streaming according to students’ academic achievement levels, as well as control school, to be abolished.
Education Ministry directorgeneral Datuk Dr Amin Senin said the streaming, like the Year One admission test to group the pupils based on their abilities and academic level, which was being carried out at certain schools, should be ceased.
“Such a test is not the ministry’s policy, but efforts taken by these schools to improve its academic achievement in order to get a good school average grade (GPS), which is the main key performance indicator (KPI),” he said at Institute Aminuddin Baki here.
He said as the Primary School Assessment Report (PPSR) had been implemented beginning this year, and schools no longer had to pursue GPS, the ministry hoped that the pupils would get a solid and holistic primary education.
“In this 21st century, class streaming has no place as we want the students to be taught in more holistic manner and to not have the focus be on education achievement alone.
“To us, it is better for students with mixed abilities to be put in the same class so that they can improve their collaborative skills as well as help one another in their studies.”
He said Terengganu had implemented a non-streaming system in schools.
“The state education director has directed schools to abolish the practice of grouping the students based on their abilities and academic levels.”
Amin called for the state Education Department to stop the practice of control school, where students are chosen to enrol in certain schools based on their academic and sports achievements, as well as good discipline.
“Many schools have implemented class streaming and control school for a long time, thus we will monitor this matter and hope it will be stopped in 2019.
“We know this socalled cultural change is not easy and must be done in stages, but we hope that school administrators will take heed of this call and work together with the ministry, with all the changes implemented in line with our National Education Policy.”
Asked if the ministry would issue a circular, calling for the schools to stop class streaming or control school, Amin said it was not necessary.
“There is no need for a circular because it was never the ministry’s policy (of class streaming and control school) to begin with.”