SPM 2023: Four inmates get straight As

PUTRAJAYA: For the first time in the history of the Prisons Department, four candidates from the integrity schools (SI) and Henry Gurney school (SHG) have achieved outstanding results in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, obtaining A+, A and A- grades in all their subjects.

Inmate Management director Commissioner Hafidz Osman said three of them scored eight As, while one achieved six As.

He said all four candidates comprising three males and one female, aged between 17 and 21, are from SI Marang, Terengganu; SI Kluang, Johor; SI Puncak Alam, Selangor and SHG Telok Mas, Melaka.

"This year, we had 74 SPM candidates from seven SI and three SHG schools. We achieved the best results within these five years, with all candidates who sat for the SPM last year passing or qualifying for the certificate," he told a press conference after the announcement of the 2023 SPM results here on Monday (May 27).

Hafidz attributed this success to the initiative and close cooperation between the department and the Education Ministry, which provided trained teachers to the schools nationwide.

"Inmates at the SI and SHG received direct guidance from qualified teachers provided by the ministry.

"Most of the 2023 SPM candidates from SI and SHG are male and have been placed in these schools due to various juvenile offences and drug abuse," he said.

When asked about the future of these outstanding candidates, Hafidz said that they would be encouraged to pursue higher education through partnerships with several universities and colleges.

"We understand that these young individuals may have strayed from the right path, and we aim to help them get back on track," he added. - Bernama