A WHOPPING 60.2% of respondents in the latest UCSI Poll Research Centre survey want the return of some form of national-level exams.
Of these, 29.3% of parents favoured reinstating both the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) and the Form Three Assessment (PT3); 21.6% supported the reinstatement of PT3 only; while the remaining 9.3% preferred the revival of UPSR alone.
Only 11.4% of parents preferred keeping the school-based assessment system, while 28.4% were ambivalent on the matter.
Parents made up almost 40% of the 1,512 people surveyed nationwide.
The survey drew from a mostly urban demographic – 73.9% of respondents were urbanites; 10.6% came from suburban communities; while 15.5% were from rural areas.
Overall, 55.2% of respondents believed that standardised exams would maintain education standards, while 18.1% disagreed.
While 49.7% agreed that national exams identified learning gaps early and served as an objective benchmark of assessment, 20.4% disagreed.
Meanwhile, 35.1% of respondents disagreed that school-based assessment was a better alternative to national exams, compared with 31.6% who agreed.
UCSI Poll Research Centre director Prof Dr Eugene Aw Cheng Xi said the results reflect continued public concern regarding the development of a more structured and credible national education assessment system.
“Parents’ support for reinstating exams reflects a lack of confidence in the current assessment system,” he said, adding that the key question is why the public doubts the rigour, fairness and transparency of the existing system.
If school-based assessment is perceived as weak, inconsistent or prone to bias, the relevant authorities must first address these structural issues, he offered.
Greater emphasis should be placed on strengthening teacher training, moderation processes and assessment standards to ensure that assessments serve learning, rather than dominate it, he said in a March 30 press release.
