We’re lost without UPSR, say Sarawak teachers

PETALING JAYA: Teachers in Sarawak are looking forward to having an assessment exam akin to the now defunct Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), says Sarawak Native Teachers’ Association president Zulkiflee Sebli.

The union, which has more than 5,000 members teaching in national schools in Sarawak, said that the absence of such an assessment exam made it difficult to assess students or analyse the academic performance of pupils at the primary level.

He was commenting on the proposal by Sarawak Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister Datuk Seri Roland Sagah to let the state hold its own assessment system for Year Six pupils.

Zulkiflee said should such an assessment be a success for Year Six pupils, there should also be an assessment exam for Form Three students to replace the now abolished PT3.

“Primary national schools currently are only able to have classroom-based assessments and this has been found not to give accurate results and forces teachers to come up with many different analyses.

“When we had the UPSR, the assessment to decide who gets into boarding schools was easily made. Excellent UPSR results and a good co-curriculum track record in school guaranteed primary school pupils got a place.

“Currently, after the abolition of the UPSR, schools find it difficult to choose the truly excellent pupils to be admitted to boarding schools as the assessment is only at the school level,” he added.

Admissions to boarding schools in Sarawak are in demand after the completion of primary schools, due to the logistics in the state.

Many in the interiors face transport difficulties and many schoolchildren drop out in their secondary years due to poverty.

Zulkiflee said besides the problems faced by teachers, pupils’ focus on academic studies had waned and they were not motivated to study with no exams to prepare for.

“Should the proposal by the Sarawak government be realised, there would definitely be a new awakening of spirit among teachers and pupils in Sarawak to perform better academically.

“This assessment exam for Year Six pupils in Sarawak must be held as soon as possible,” he said.