PUTRAJAYA: The inclusion of Body Mass Index (BMI) component in the Primary School Assessment Report (PPSR) has brought to the fore a point of concern - statistics have revealed that more than 50,000 Year Six pupils are obese nationwide.
“We need to tackle this issue and the participation of various parties including parents, ministries and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are crucial. It is a societal problem, not a school problem,” Education director-general Datuk Dr Amin Senin said at a press conference, today.
He said student BMI and the Physical Fitness Standard (SEGAK) were important components to assess the fitness and health of Year Six students.
“It is one of the efforts to create a healthier society especially among the younger generation.”
He said while the ministry was satisfied with the overall PPSR results, there was still room for improvement.
In the BMI assessment, 268,314 (63.4 per cent) students recorded normal BMI; 56,584 (13.4) students are at risk of being obese; 58,294 (13.8 per cent) students are obese; and 40,347 (9.5 per cent) students underweight.
Amin said the parents can use the Physical Activities, Sports and Co-curricular Assessment (PAJSK), SEGAK and BMI components as a reference to ensure their children were healthy and physically active.
When asked on overall student outcome, Amin said it was difficult to place it at a certain level.
“We need to look at results individually as every student is unique. It is not like academic achievement where we can see the average percentage,” he said.
Reports by: HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN, FAIRUZ MOHD SHAHAR and AINA NASA