PETALING JAYA: The possible return of the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga (PT3) examinations has found support among parents who say the absence of major exams have left students without a sense of urgency and motivation in studies.
Father of two, Ezwan Ramli, said exams give students something to work towards.
“Exams push students to actually work hard on their studies.
“Some may argue that exams may result in students memorising and then forgetting, but the current system causes students to be too laid-back,” said the 40-year-old.
He said the reintroduction of the UPSR and PT3 exams must be done strategically.
“It must not disrupt those in their current school sessions,” he said.
Parent K. Shanti, 35, said major examinations set a clear pathway and prepare students for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
“The current evaluation system is rather vague and teachers do not seem to have a clear idea of how it works,” said the mother of three.
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Shanti said the current evaluation system also presents the possibility of more outgoing students having favourable results compared to others.
This comes as Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the UPSR and PT3 exams could be back on the cards soon.
She added that the national advisory council would review the matter following feedback on the abolition of the two national exams.
Procurement manager Wee Chong Wei, 33, said bringing back the UPSR and PT3 examinations can keep children better occupied.
“It is better for them to balance their time studying rather than playing endlessly with their friends,” said Wee, who has a daughter enrolling in primary school next year.
“Even the corporate sector has yearly appraisal for their staff,” he added.
A mother of four who wanted to be known as Farhana, 38, said the current assessment of a student’s year-long performance in class is already a step in the right direction.
The problem, however, is in its execution and feedback, said the consultant who has two children currently in school.
“The initial aim of the assessments is being sidelined by other issues – teachers are unable to justify the reason for grades for a variety of reasons like overpopulated classes, paperwork and more,” she said.
She added that having exams takes the guesswork out of parents and teachers when it comes to evaluations.
“If the ministry can make improvements to the current system without implementing exams, then it would work too,” she said.
Meanwhile, a secondary school student who wished to be identified as HK, 15, said bringing back the PT3 can establish better preparedness for SPM examinations.
“Exams also encourage us to cultivate good revision habits.”
Another student, Nat, said the re-introduction of the exam would cause unnecessary stress for students, and may not accurately demonstrate student potential.
“This will create pressure for students to perform well, and this may lead some students to cram everything right before it,” said the 13-year-old.
She was of the view that mid-year and year-end examinations are more useful in consolidating knowledge.
A primary school pupil said exams at a young age prove to be challenging.
“We may be caught off guard and will have to readjust to the new formats,” the pupil said.
