KUALA LUMPUR: Some 8,076 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination students were reportedly absent from all of their written papers as of Feb 6, 2025, says Fadhlina Sidek.
The Education Minister said her ministry viewed the issue of absenteeism among candidates for the SPM examination seriously.
"Based on the ministry's data up to Feb 6, 2025, 8,076 candidates were reported absent for all written examination papers, of which 6,231 were from schools under the Education Ministry.
"The official attendance data for the 2024 SPM examination will only be released on the day the results are announced," she said in reply to a question from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat).
Dr Ahmad Yunus had asked the Education Ministry to explain the main reasons identified for more than 10,000 candidates being absent from the Bahasa Malaysia paper in the 2024 SPM examination
He also wanted to know what is their current status, and what intervention measures have been taken and will be implemented to address this issue.
Fadhlina said for the 2024 SPM examination, a total of 386,739 new candidates registered for at least six subjects, with 345,129 of them being students from schools under the Education Ministry.
"According to an analysis from the School Attendance Management Application, the main reasons for students not attending the 2024 SPM examination include working, family issues, health problems, death, and relocation abroad," she revealed.
To address this issue, the Education Ministry has implemented several intervention measures, including monitoring the student's attendance daily through the Student Attendance System (eKehadiran) within the Student Database Application (APDM) to facilitate intervention at the school level, she said.
A taskforce has also been activated at all levels, with monitoring through a dashboard system to ensure student attendance in the SPM examination and optimise intervention strategies, added the Education Minister.
Aside from that, she said the National Performance Dialogues have been held to discuss issues related to SPM attendance and report on targeted interventions carried out at the state education departments, district education offices, and schools.
"This effort has contributed to an improvement in SPM candidate attendance," she argued.
The Education Ministry had also conducted various activities such as the Ziarah Cakna Programme, parental consultation sessions, partnerships with Parent-Teacher Associations and collaborations with parents, the community, and the private sector, she added.
"These collective efforts reflect the commitment of all parties involved. "Furthermore, reminders have been issued to JPN, PPD, and schools to monitor student attendance for both school sessions and the SPM examination," she said.
Fadhlina assured that the Education Ministry also worked closely with various agencies, including the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), the Armed Forces, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Civil Defense Force, the Meteorological Department, the Welfare Department, the Health Ministry, and state education departments to ensure the smooth administration of public examinations, particularly during the monsoon season or flood disasters.
"To ensure continuous improvement in student attendance during SPM examinations, the ministry has taken early steps to identify at-risk students among Form 4 students, ensuring they attend the SPM 2025 examination.
"This early detection allows schools to plan and implement intervention measures in advance," she said.
She stressed that while the Education Ministry implemented various initiatives and interventions to improve student attendance, especially during the SPM examination, the issue was also a shared responsibility.
"Parents play a crucial role in ensuring their children attend the examination, while the wider community also has a duty to raise awareness among youth about the importance of the SPM certificate for their future," said Fadhlina.
