He said this was part of government efforts to restructure the learning system which was seen as too examination oriented and failed to provide a holistic education.
"We are mulling whether to retain the examinations or abolish them leaving only the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)," he said after opening the Pagoh Umno division delegates meeting here on Sunday.
Muhyiddin who is also Education Minister said UPSR and PMR might be retained but only as school based assessments and not as public examinations.
However, the ministry would not act in haste and wanted the public to give feedback to help improve the public examiantion* system.
He felt that only one public examination was needed as only the SPM was needed when seeking employment.
As such, the UPSR and PMR could be used to pick students for residential schools or streaming.
"With only one public examination, the teachers and students can focus on improving creativity, interactive and co-curricular activities and sports. - BERNAMA
* Note the spelling error in the original report!
It seems that some quarters do not know the real purpose of examinations and choose to be blind to the pathetic state of education standards in our country. Golly! I am fuming mad!
While he is right to say that the learning system is too examination oriented and has failed to provide a holistic education, restructuring it this way is definitely OUT OF THE QUESTION!!!
Whilst it is true that only SPM is needed for employment, a schooling system which has NO public exams for 10 years means that there is no proper system to sieve students so that they know what are the occupations that best fit their abilities and inclinations.
Examinations (not the way the way it is being planned, tested or graded at the moment) have a few functions. In my Sociology classes, we used to discuss the function of formal and informal curriculum in society and lamented how the latter is not regarded as important while there is an over-emphasis of the former.
The basic functions of an examination include:
1. The measurement of the effectiveness of learning and whether students have succeeded in applying what they have learnt in clear ways
2. The inter-relation of abilities measured
3. The standardization of teaching standards/learning in a country/area or school
4. The process of instilling discipline in students whereby they are taught to focus on a goal and to work towards achievement of the goal
5. The development of motivation and the process of self-development
6. The way to measure the standard of teaching/administration in a school and also effectiveness of classroom management
...... and many other reasons!!!
If exams were to be abolished, how can education standards be guaranteed? As it is, even with all these exams, the standards are absolutely disgraceful!! Can you imagine how a student would sail through NINE years of education without learning to work against the clock in a public exam and to learn how to cope with stress and all the benefits of examinations?
I taught for NINE years in an international school where they DO NOT have public examinations until they are in Year 11. While it is not a fair comparison in that the teaching methods and curriculum differ greatly from what we have in local schools, I can safely attest to the fact that the whole attitude to learning is completely different in many ways. The UPSR and PMR allows students to be graded at different levels and to be challenged to improve themselves to make the mark for whatever field they wish to pursue. For instance, the PMR would show whether a student is more inclined towards the sciences or the humanities. Without the PMR, how will one know? Would school-based exams alone be sufficient? Of course not! It is completely different when one is preparing for a public exam.
Take a look at Singapore. While I do not appreciate the 'kiasu' attitude of some of the parents/teachers or students, we have to acknowledge that the education standards there are HIGHER because of the curriculum, teaching methods, the public examination system and of course meritocracy which has encouraged many to excel and to stay behind to contribute to the country's development.
Without a public examination, it would be difficult to standardize teaching standards which would differ from area to area or state to state. It would largely depend on the staff, the students and the type of socio-economic background of the school.
With the current system, students are spoonfed and molly-coddled to the extent that distinctions are QUITE MEANINGLESS because many lack the ability to question, to think and to apply what they have learnt.
Can you imagine what would happen without public examinations?
If the government is TRULY SINCERE about arresting the decline in standards of education and improving the learning experience, RAISE THE BAR, RAISE STANDARDS, REVAMP THE EXAMINATION SYSTEM and for heaven's sake stop watering down the standard of English or Mathematics or any other subject JUST TO ENSURE THAT MAJORITY PASS THE EXAM!!!
We have in some places, teachers who cannot teach, teachers who READ FROM THE TEXTBOOKS, teachers who ask students to mark their work and many other problems. Of course, there are the dedicated teachers who give their all to the students, God bless them, BUT they are working against the system!!!
I really take exception to the claim that with only one public examination, the teachers and students can focus on improving creativity, interactive and co-curricular activities and sports. Please get real.
I can foresee what will happen in the future.
Revamp the system to improve creativity? Please lah - we were not born yesterday. THEY WILL PROBABLY SPEND $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to draft a new syllabus, appoint new personnel, print new textbooks (someone will make money), print new material etc etc....
Make the system INTERACTIVE??? Why not? SPEND MORE MONEY!!! I can see it in the horizon.
Improve co-curricular activities and sports? I want to scream you know as I write this. I am so enraged!!! Are they trying to fool us? We are not STUPID or neuron-challenged!!! What an insult to our intelligence.
What is wrong with the current system of co-curricular activities? Just a few months ago, he made some suggestions about this and a few weeks ago, they suggested implementing teaching licenses for teachers and now this this this INCORRIGIBLE ABSURD STOOOOOOOOPID suggestion? HAIYOOOOOO!!!!!
We have seen the nation spending soooooooo much $ on sports. Sporting schools, special smart schools etc but do we see the results of the expenditure? Is the country getting more medals in the Olympics, SEA Games? Do you see our students receiving accolades?
For heaven's sake, *vomit puke* GET REAL!!!
It is all BALDERDASH!!!
Pure community sanitary output.
Who will benefit from such a move???????
People, THINK.
People, PLEASE VOICE YOUR DISCONTENT.
Every other day now, we hear news of so and so intending to implement this, build that, buy this, revamp this, propose that...
WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY???
$
That is why!!!!
I am normally very restrained, civil, cordial etc. but today, I have hit the roof.
ARRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
How much lower can they go???? Will they only be happy if Malaysia starts exporting maids and foreign labour? Will they be happy if literacy level goes down, mastery of 3Rs go down and education standards are so low that no one wants to come here to study?????
Why must the student population be the victims or the guinea pigs of such schemes? Why do they have to change policies every now and then??? What is the real purpose of such a scheme? Is it too much to ask to INVEST THE BEST in education that our country can IMPROVE our human capital?
Can you imagine? Even my 11+ year old son laughed when he read the news after I screamed my head off!
Fie fie foe fum!! I smell an attempt to mendungukan the student population!
WHAT A PREPOSTROUS SUGGESTION!!! CLUELESS & NEURONLESS!!!
BL***DY H**L!!!
nick Sis,
This is what we get when we have total idiots and morons running the government. It came to my mind that what Hishamuddin Rais (TT) said about Muhyiddin was right all along (he said that that guy has too much meat and not enough brain on his head!). Big head but a non existent brain! How ironic since that is what the MOE is too. Too many "stuff" but the "stuff" are "kekabu" as in the stuffing in a toys head. Can't find a brain in a stuff toy's head, can we?
Well, that about confirms it! We are going down the path of "idiocracy" when the top guy and his second in command are both idiot. A "Gohead-gostan" Pink M and his "Mr Potato-head" Deputy Pinggan mangkuk! Greaaattt!!!! I'm gonna cover my head with a paper bag and wait until the next GE so that I can get rid of these two idiots and all of their equally "intellectually challenged" (I bet you sis that they don't know I'm calling them idiots!)minion and not forgetting the senile as well!
May GOD bless our children and may HE gives them intelligence and integrity as well so that we can make up for the disaster of these 2 decades or so.
Nick.