PUTRAJAYA, Nov 3 — Preliminary findings from the Education Ministry’s (MOE) engagement sessions revealed that stakeholders feel the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) should not be reintroduced at this point as it hinders students from being active in non-academic fields.
Education Director-General Datuk Pkharuddin Ghazali said the findings indicated Malaysians wish for values-based education to be prioritised.
“When we held engagement sessions, we asked pupils, parents, and leaders. They were unanimous in stating that UPSR should not be revived currently as it would block primary school students’ ability to be active in other fields as we focus on the academic,” he said to the press after the MOE Inspiration Talk programme today.
Pkharuddin was commenting on Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek’s statement on October 28, where she said the ministry would not revive UPSR even with requests, especially from parents, wanting it to be reintroduced as a benchmark for their children’s academic achievements at the primary school level.
The test was abolished in 2021 after the government engaged with various stakeholders following its cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the ‘Anak Yang Baik lagi Cerdik’ (ABC) concept, which would create knowledgable human capital with good moral values, will ensure character building at the early stages of a child’s schooling period, far more important in developing a generation capable of dealing with the challenges of a borderless world.
“We are not saying that exams are not good, but at this point, character building and instilling values in students are more of a priority for current challenges.
“In a world without borders, they learn so quickly from handheld gadgets, but there are no values in them,” Pkharuddin said, adding that students can be exposed to various activities, including sports, robotics, and cultural competitions.
— Bernama
