PARENTS’ and teachers’ associations welcomed the government’s move to abolish the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) examinations completely, as they felt the examination focused more on testing a child’s intelligence than educating them.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Harry Tan told The Malaysian Insight the union has been fighting for the abolishment of UPSR as public exam for primary pupils five years ago.

“We wholeheartedly welcome this development as it augurs well for our primary education,” he said.

Tan said the public examination is bent on producing “As” that it neglects wholesome education.

“The whole education system is geared towards achieving excellence in UPSR and nothing else. Physical education takes a backseat, arts, music are non-existent,” he said.

“Taking a leaf from countries successful in implementing PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), they have dropped public exams for their elementary pupils. One such country is Singapore,” he said.

Tan said wholesome education is everything from a child’s social, emotional and physical development, besides their academic achievement.

He added that the thrust of primary education is the mastery of the 3Rs, which are reading, writing and arithmetic so they (the pupils) should not have a problem advancing to Form 1.

“We are only against UPSR as a public exam where there is grading and comparison but at the end of the day, there is very little to be gained by the pupils,” he said.

“Monthly tests, year-end exams, mid-year exams, course work, quizzes and all kinds of evaluation instruments will still be used by teachers to see how far their pupils have achieved in their studies.”

Education Minister Radzi Jidin yesterday announced that Putrajaya was scrapping the UPSR from this year with no replacement examination. 

Radzi said the main focus of the ministry at this time is to strengthen the Special School Admission Assessment (PKSK).

He also said that the Form Three Assessment Examination (PT3) will be cancelled for this year.

The minister said the decision to cancel PT3 exams for this year was made after taking into account the time constraints for students to make preparations, especially in face-to-face learning with teachers at school.

Meanwhile, Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim of the Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) also welcomed the move but said there needs to be a form of assessment.

“A continuous form of assessment throughout the academic year may be more meaningful as it is currently being conducted for school-based assessments at all levels, save for Form 5,” she said.

She said as a reference, the government could consider The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMSS) grades four and eight benchmark levels, or PISA as an assessment to ensure international standards where pupils are continually assessed by the foundation to prepare them for secondary education.

However, she highlighted a concern that this abolishment may be a recipe for a widening income gap.

She said the more affluent community will take mitigating measures to ensure that their children are educated properly, leaving the B40 community behind.

“All the necessary assessments will be pushed to SPM/STPM, provided they don’t get rid of them too,” she said.

Shaza Farid, 31, whose 12-year-old daughter was supposed to sit for UPSR this year, told The Malaysian Insight it was about time the government abolished the public examination.

“I honestly feel the UPSR is an irrelevant stress to the kids. Instead I think the government should focus on improving their syllabus first before fussing over kids not getting straight As in minor exams,” she said.

Another parent to a 12-year-old, Kevin Foo, 47, said the government should maintain the public examinations as individual school exams may not be sufficient.

“It will only widen the gap and pupils from the less informed or connected schools are the ones who will pay the price for being oblivious,” he said.

Foo said the public examination is a good way to get a sense of each pupil’s grade.

“Country-wide standardised exams used to serve a purpose; it was to determine the pupil’s understanding of the syllabus, which could then be based on for applying into secondary school,” he said.

“Now that the tests are at the end of Year 6. By the time results are out, the next school placement has already been decided,” Foo said.

He said UPSR would also provide more time for students to catch up academically as compared to waiting until Form 3 or Form 5.

Meanwhile, Nur Reza Zurien Onn, 41, whose daughter is supposed to sit for PT3 this year, said it was a good move for the government to cancel the examinations this year as it relieves students of a burden especially with the learning condition that they’ve had to adapt to for the past year.

“I’m fine with it being cancelled since it won’t affect the continuation of her education to Form 4 and 5,” she said.

“In terms of assessment on how to proceed with regard to science or accounts or arts stream next year, I believe the school’s exams will be adequate,” Nur Reza said.

“So it’s a good move for the sake of the kids.” – April 29, 2021.