SUNGAI PETANI: The Education Ministry today urged parents to look at the long-term benefits of the new Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) format which aims to transform the country's education system to be at par with those of developed nations.
Its minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said while the ministry acknowledges the grouses raised by many parents over the sharp decline in the number of straight A students, all parties need to look at the larger picture.
"We hope parents will understand the transition of our education system to a higher level – from an academic-based to school-based assessment system, which is designed to strike a balance between the pupils' academic and non-academic performances.
"This system has long been in place in developed countries such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States," Mahdzir told a press conference on the sidelines of the Kedah Umno Convention here today.
The one-day convention, attended by Umno divisional and grassroots leaders, was opened by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, who is also Kedah Umno liaison committee chairman.
On concerns raised over qualification requirements for boarding schools next year in view of the sharp fall in the number of straight A achievers, Mahdzir said the ministry has decided to relax the criteria.
"For this year, we have some 4,800 pupils who scored 6As and I have checked that for overall results, the number of pupils who scored the minimum requirement of 3As and 2Bs, and 4As and 2Bs, have exceeded 40,000," he said.
As such, Mahdzir stressed that the requirement for boarding schools for next year will take into account aspects of the pupils’ psychometric, sports and co-curriculum performances and attitude.
"So it does not mean that all straight A pupils will get automatic enrolment into boarding school, because from this year onwards, we are using the new selection mechanism," he added.
Mahdzir also denied claims that the integration of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) into the new UPSR format was carried out hastily.
"The truth is, consultations on the need to change the UPSR examination format for national schools, SJKCs and SJKTs was held in 2010 between the ministry and the teachers' union, Parent-Teacher Associations, non-governmental organisations and academicians.
"All the stake holders had agreed on the need to change the format from objective-based questions to writing and comprehension-based questions.
"Following that, the new format was implemented for Standard One pupils in 2011, which means pupils who sat for the UPSR examination in 2016 are the first cohort of the new system," he said.