Skip SPM trials, schools told

PETALING JAYA: Schools that have not conducted the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) trials or have only completed half of the papers should not carry out the trials, says the Education Ministry.

The decision was made to allow students to concentrate on their SPM examination, the ministry told The Star.

On Monday, the ministry, in its updated frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the operations of educational institutions, stated that schools do not need to conduct SPM trials after schools reopen today.

Several students have since contacted The Star and taken to social media to say that their schools will be going ahead with the trials as planned despite the ministry stating that schools no longer have to do so.

SPM trials were earlier postponed because many schools came under the conditional movement control order that included Sabah, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

The schools were initially required to hold such exams when they reopened.

In the FAQs, the ministry assured students who did not sit for the trials that their chances of entering public higher education institutions (IPTAs) would not be jeopardised.

“The ministry has discussed with IPTA student admission divisions to ensure their opportunity to further their studies at IPTAs are not affected, ” it said.

SPM 2020 candidate Nurul Diana said she had trial papers for four subjects left to complete and her school was planning to go ahead with the exams.

“Schools in Selangor, including mine, are supposed to resume their remaining trial papers from Jan 21 until Feb 4, followed by one week of discussions on the trial results and then a week gap before the SPM exams start.

“My friends from other schools that were planning to proceed with SPM trials voiced their objection to their principals who then accepted their decision.

“So my friends and I are planning to do the same with our school, ” she said.

Echoing this was V. Komalah, another SPM 2020 candidate from a secondary school in Kuala Lumpur, who said her school had planned to complete trial papers as well.

“We only have one subject left but those taking language subjects will have an additional paper to sit for. I’m okay with it because I’m curious to know where I stand, ” she said.

Some schools, however, are complying with the ministry’s instructions.

A student, who only wants to be known as Janani, said her school would adhere to the ministry’s decision and scrap the remaining trial papers.

If her school decided to push ahead, it would have left the students with “no room to breathe”, she said.

“Before the ministry updated the FAQs, our trials were also supposed to end on Feb 4, leaving us just a few weeks to cram our revision for the actual SPM examination, ” she said.