In support of abolishing primary exams

I REFER to the report “Feedback sought on abolishing exams” ( The Star, Aug 18) where it was stated that the Education Ministry is seeking public views on abolishing examinations in Years One to Three.

The survey should also seek the opinion of parents about totally abolishing public examinations in primary school. If one were to ask the Education Minister why a massive public examination, the UPSR, is conducted at the end of primary education, he would find it difficult to provide a convincing answer.

Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim has rightly asked whether teachers in Malaysia are prepared for a system with no examinations in primary and lower secondary schools like in Finland.

There is what I call a “crisis of confidence” in Malaysia. Why? Because parents are not confident that teachers will do their work properly if there are no examinations. Teachers prefer the approach of “teaching to the test” because it is simpler and not as demanding as teaching to develop skills.

Happiness, love and respect, the three elements mentioned by Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik as the core of the Malaysian education system, do not have any place in our exam-oriented primary school education.

This is because learning in a fun-filled environment involves a lot of hands-on activities and free-flowing communication inside and outside the classroom between the learners and facilitators and also between their peers.

These avenues are often sacrificed when preparing for examinations is the main emphasis in learning, doing a great disservice to the children in terms of their mental, emotional and social development.

How can children effectively learn these skills when examinations are looming ahead for them in Years Four, Five and Six?

Having said that, educationists clearly understand that learning is synonymous with assessment. At one time, teachers were reminded that there is no teaching if there is no learning. This amplifies the fact that teachers who are engaged in delivering lessons should not be satisfied with just their output like spending lots of time talking or even drilling their pupils. There must be outcomes to the output of teachers that can be assessed by looking at such aspects as change in behaviour of the students and their ability to express themselves.

The assessment process can be in any form, including monthly tests and even quizzes. What’s important is that it must be conducted throughout the whole curriculum and not just at the end of the school year or, worse, at the very end of primary education.

Hence, the argument for abolishing examinations for primary education is valid. If that happens, teachers will need to be retrained to be able to provide the necessary learning environment of fun and creativity and also the diagnostic measurement of progress (assessment) in the classroom.

ALLEN TENG Batu Pahat, Johor