PUTRAJAYA: The primary school public examination, UPSR, and the Form Three assessment, PT3, could make a comeback, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
She revealed that the National Education Advisory Council (MPPK) will be reviewing the potential return of the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah for Year Six and Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga examinations.
Fadhlina said the council has been tasked to determine if these exams should continue, be reinstated, or if alternative forms of evaluation are needed.
“Findings from the review will then be submitted to the Cabinet for final consideration and decision,” she said during her New Year’s address yesterday.
“Any examinations under public scrutiny will be thoroughly studied, with input from research teams and advisory panels.”
Both the UPSR and the PT3 were cancelled in 2020 in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Comeback mulled: Fadhlina and Wong at the New Year address in Putrajaya. — SAMUEL ONG/The Star
UPSR was then abolished in 2021 while the PT3 was cancelled the same year (and officially abolished in 2022) by the then Education minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin.
In August 2022, Radzi said abolishing the two exams was to ensure that School-Based Assessment (SBA) could be implemented effectively and for teachers to implement teaching and learning in a more creative and innovative way.
In October, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh told the Dewan Rakyat that an analysis of the 2023 and 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results showed that student performance remained stable despite the abolition of UPSR and PT3.
He added that the replacement assessment, Ujian Akhir Sesi Akademik (UASA) continues to follow Examination Board standards, enabling teachers to evaluate students effectively.
Fadhlina also said that the ministry’s Child Protection Policy will come into force nationwide when schools reopen next week.
She said the policy will involve all parties responsible for student safety, including schools, parents, communities and enforcement agencies.
“We have finalised the Child Protection Policy, which will be implemented in all schools and involves all parties responsible for student safety,” she said.
Fadhlina also said that a nationwide student and hostel safety audit by the Inspectorate, conducted in 2025, covering 850 schools, showed that only 28.94% had fully functioning closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems.
“Beyond the numbers and statistics, the audit’s findings provide us with a roadmap for action in 2026,” she said, adding that 333 new CCTV units would be installed at selected schools in 2026.
She noted that the deaths of students Zara Qairina Mahathir and Yap Shing Xuen have underscored the need for reform to enhance security across schools nationwide.
Zara Qairina, 13, was confirmed dead after she was brought to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17 last year, a day after she was found unconscious near her school hostel.
On Oct 22 last year, a male student was charged with stabbing 16-year-old Shing Xuen to death at a secondary school in Bandar Utama.
Separately, she also reaffirmed that the ministry will distribute the Early Schooling Aid (BAP) earlier in 2027, following complaints from parents that the aid was distributed late.
“Since the school session began in January this year, we did receive some complaints.
“Starting next year, we will make improvements, and we are taking this recommendation seriously.”
The minister also addressed concerns about student transfers and confidentiality.
She said mental health and disciplinary records of students transferring schools would accompany them to ensure the receiving school can provide appropriate support.
“We have implemented immediate reforms to provide support for all students with disciplinary or mental health challenges.
“This ensures they not only continue their education but also receive psychosocial support,” she said.
