ALTHOUGH Malaysia has recorded improvements in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), it is still far from reaching its target, said Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim.

“The results have improved albeit marginally but we are far from the 2020 target of achieving the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) average and thus becoming among the top third by 2025,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

These targets are stated in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, she said.

The blueprint envisions the education system to be in the top third position in international assessments, such as PISA and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 15 years.

“Stick to the plan and ensure interventions are carried out at every point of deviation in order for targets to be achieved,” she said when asked on what more can be done to improve Malaysia’s standing.

Noor Azimah said pupils are slowly being exposed to higher order thinking skills (HOTS) questions to inculcate a thinking culture.

This means teachers need help and training to tackle such questions and to familiarise pupils with modules so that they can answer questions within the time frame.

New policies, such as abolishing exams for lower primary, can be a step in the right direction for the future of the education sector, she said.

“By abolishing exams, teachers will refrain from teaching to the test, pupils will be stress-free, there is more time for reflection, being inquisitive, thinking critically, learning through role play and feeling the enjoyment of seeking knowledge, rather than regurgitating facts and figures to ace exams,” she said.

Malaysia recorded improvements in its PISA rankings for 2018, in all three domains of science, mathematics and reading after a poor show in 2012 and 2015 where it achieved below average scores.

Director-general of education Dr Amin Senin said Malaysia jumped to the middle one-third countries from the bottom one-third.

According to the OECD, Malaysia scored 440 in mathematics, 415 in reading and 438 in scientific literacy in PISA 2018.

This marks an improvement from the 2015 and 2012 scores where Malaysian pupils scored 446 and 421 in mathematics for each year respectively, 443 and 420 in science, and 398 and 431 in reading.

Meanwhile, National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Harry Tan said more work has to be done for Malaysia to be on a par with advanced countries.

“Although there is an improvement, much more work needs to be put in to be on a par with the more advanced countries. In this aspect, the Education Ministry must constantly get feedback and tweak policies for us to be more relevant.”

PISA measures the ability of 15-year-olds to use their reading, mathematics and scientific knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges. The assessment is released triennially. – December 8, 2019.