Exams rate progress of learners
I WRITE in response to the recent statement by the Malaysian Examination Board that UPSR is not an examination at a certification level but a mere checkpoint in assessing pupils’ performance in literacy, numeracy and reasoning at primary level.
I know from experience that parents, school administrators and teachers are putting in a lot effort to prepare the pupils for this examination which is now being taken by 440,743 pupils throughout the country.
Most of these pupils are from the middle class or lower who cannot afford the numerous private schools in the country, some of which follow an international syllabus and do not even need to hold the UPSR let alone PT3/SPM.
There has been a lot of discussions on how the quality of education in our country may not be at the level it should be and needs improvement. This has led to parents who can afford it to send their children to international schools and across the causeway.
One way to improve the level of education and make our Malaysian students as good as those in other countries is to ensure involvement of parents, students and teachers at an optimum level.
Like it or not, examinations are a way to ensure that students learn and understand what they have learned. If we create upon them the impression that the UPSR is not an examination, they may have difficulty and suffer from culture shock when they face PT3, SPM, STPM and university examinations. Most top universities and high demand courses are decided by examination results and grades in addition to participation in sports and extra curricular activities.
It is more important to have programmes to find out the real aptitude, interests and skills the students may possess and help nurture them. For instance, if a student is more academically inclined, it would be frustrating for him or her if he/she is required to focus on sports, and vice versa.
If a student has a natural talent in the arts or wants to be a chef, then it would be good if the Education Ministry has programmes to help parents and teachers identify these skills and talent.
Being a developing country with aspirations to become a developed nation, Malaysia needs to be competitive and ensure that its talented young ones are properly nurtured to hone their abilities. Doing away with or making examinations less important may not be the way forward. A more balanced yet competitive approach should be the focus.