WE must change our culture that focuses so much on exams and is obsessed with getting As. The government should take the bold step to remove the examinations in our education system and replace them with more suitable and appropriate methods of assessment for the modern world.

With the abolishment of the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) in 2021 and the Form Three Assessment (PT3) in 2022, there remains the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia or Malaysian Certificate of Education, taken by fifth-form students, and the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia or Malaysian Higher School Certificate, a pre-university exam.

In April 2021, the Education Ministry (MOE) announced that the UPSR exam for Standard 6 students was abolished. Former education minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said there would be no replacement exam. In June 2022, the MOE decided to do away with the PT3 exam. Radzi said the ministry would introduce summative assessment and better school-based and classroom-based assessments. 

We can no longer rely on exams to assess our students. We need other methods to effectively evaluate them. There are many things students need to learn and master besides theory and academics. In today’s world, students need to learn skills to compete and survive in a modern, complex, and interconnected world. These skills include social and communication skills, proficiency in new technologies, critical thinking, and more. These skills cannot be learnt through theoretical and academic processes in a classroom, nor can they be assessed with exams. Every student needs to be assessed based on their capability and ability to learn and master skills, rather than their memorisation of theory and academic subjects.

Doing away with exams could reduce the stress on students, who are under pressure to get As in all subjects. Students who do not do well in exams often feel stupid and have no hope of succeeding in the world. 

There are many examples of people who have succeeded in life without scoring As in exams.

Abolishing exams can also reduce stress and pressure among parents. Without exams, parents would be able to relax and not push their children to get high marks. This would prevent conflict between parents and children. Additionally, parents would no longer need to compare their children’s academic achievements with others.

The time has come for Malaysians to change their mindset. Malaysians should not see getting As in exams as the only way to measure an person. 

The MOE could establish a special committee to study this proposal. The committee should consist of education experts, teachers, and non-governmental organisations. – June 2, 2024.

* Assoc Prof Muzaffar Syah Mallow reads The Malaysian Insight.