No more class streaming system in Putrajaya schools

Special treat: Year One pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Putrajaya Presint 11 (1) being entertained by popular cartoon character Upin, who visited them specially to cheer them up on their first day of school.— Bernama

PUTRAJAYA: All schools here will no longer implement class streaming according to the academic ability of students this year, said Putra­jaya Federal Territ­ory Educa­tion director Roaini Jaafar.

According to Bernama, she said the move to combine students of mixed abilities in the same class was in line with 21st century learning and had been accepted by parents here.

“This will enable students who have mastered reading, calculating and writing to co-operate with and guide the less able pupils.

“We are no longer separating them as we do not want to emphasise academic achievements only.

“Education has many aspects such as cooperation, communication, collaboration and creativity that must be exposed to children and we want them to help each other,” she said when met at SK Putrajaya Presint 11 (1) here.

Education director-general Datuk Dr Amin Senin recently said the class streaming practice in accordance with the academic level of pupils and controlled schools had been stopped, while formal isolation methods such as the Year One Entrance Test also needed to be abolished from 2019.

He was reported as saying that the practice was not an education policy, but was done by the schools to improve academic grades.

Commenting further, Roaini said Form Four and Form Five students were separated due to subject selection and streaming was not based on academic achievements but on students’ inclinations.

SK Putrajaya Presint 11 (1) Parent Teacher Association president Mohd Shahizan Abdullah said parents agreed with and understood the positive steps in improving the effectiveness of learning.

“I hope the practice is successful and effective, and that excellent students can help the weak students,” he said.