KUCHING: Parents here are happy with the decision by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to scrap the Ujian Perperiksaan Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination for good and the Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga (PT3) examination for this year .
Most parents support the move towards classroom assessments for students.
DR YVONNE MICHELLE CAMPBELL
As a parent, I feel our education system has been focusing too much on examinations. This can make some children anxious and stressed. Children are being forced to memorise their lessons without really understanding them. As we know, every child is different so I think there should be some other alternatives to assess them.
WINNIE FLORIDA AHIEN
I support the ministry’s decision because the children are unable to produce good results. They have been missing school because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR), I do not think all of the children are able to catch up or follow the syllabus. I hope that the teachers will do a good job in the alternative assessments for our children.
GABRIEL LAU
I hope that the MoE will do an evaluation in detail for the education system and assessments so that they are relevant. As a parent, I don’t want my children to be left behind in their education. Therefore, cooperation from teachers, students and parents is vital to ensure effective learning.
MARINAH RUJIES
This is a good decision because I do not think the children should be put under unnecessary pressure to catch up with the syllabus in such a short time. Even though there may be disadvantages, I think it is the best move given the uncertainty of the pandemic. The PdPR will have to suffice for the time being until the pandemic ends.
SHAWN WONG
I am relieved that the children will not have to worry or be stressed about sitting for the examination because the school session is constantly disrupted by the pandemic. I look forward to alternative assessments that will help our children to develop better thinking skills and get rid of the old memorisation method to sit for examinations.
