Lately, there have been repeated calls by parents and educators to reinstate the centralised UPSR (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah) and the PT3 (Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga), which had been replaced by school-based assessments.
These stakeholders have questioned the validity and reliability of the current school-based examinations. As an educator for 38 years, let me share my two cents’ worth on the matter. The UPSR, which was scrapped in 2021, should remain buried while the PT3, which was abolished last year, should be revived but with 60% centralised examinations and 40% school-based assessments.
The word “examination” conjures fear, anxiety and pressure even among adult learners, what more schoolchildren. For the latter, examinations take the fun and joy out of learning.
Prior to its abolishment, the UPSR was the first public examination faced by pupils and it was given much attention by teachers and parents alike.
Apart from measuring the academic performance and competencies of children, UPSR results were the key performance indicator (KPI) of schools and teachers.
Because of this, schools and teachers made pupils attend extra classes during the holidays and at night, while bombarding them with workshops, tuitions and countless trial examinations.
Twelve-year-olds in national schools sat for six papers, while pupils in vernacular schools sat for eight papers during the span of the examination, which took four to five days to complete.
Even university students do not sit for so many papers in their examinations. Imagine the children having to do it!
A school-based assessment is a more comprehensive assessment of a child’s full potential than a written examination as the latter can only test one’s mental intelligence.
We need to move away from placing too much importance on academic excellence. There have been cases of pupils harming themselves over disappointing examination results. We are responsible for this scenario. School-based assessments are the solution.
But if parents and educators are adamant on having centralised examinations at the primary level, then testing should only be done in three core areas: reading, writing and arithmetic.
And we can look at having 50% centralised examinations and 50% school-based assessments.
We need to do away with an education system that is 100% grounded in centralised examinations. Life should not be so stressful for children.
SAMUEL YESUIAH
Seremban
