KUCHING: The Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers’ Union (KGBS) has commended the Ministry of Education (MOE) for its decision to abolish the Ujian Perperiksan Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination.
KGBS president Ahmad Malie disclosed that the association had previously voiced out its opinion on the matter to the ministry.
He described the abolishment of the examination as one of the blessings in disguise from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have previously supported the idea of abolishing the UPSR because it will allow teachers and students to focus more on the content of learning. At that time, the situation did not permit so our suggestion was not approved.
“The decision is important because it changes the way of learning for students. It used to be very exam-driven and forced teachers and students to chase after getting as many As as possible because they measured the students’ level of intelligence,” he said.
Ahmad also said the abolishment of the UPSR would allow the teaching and learning process to focus more on better understanding the education syllabus.
“At last, the teaching and learning will focus more on completing the syllabus and ensuring that the students can understand it well. We believe that the abolishment of UPSR examination will encourage the teachers to engage more creative learning which will be more enjoyable for the students,” he added.
On the postponement of Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga (PT3), Ahmad said, “Many people still believe that the PT3 is actually similar or functions like Perperiksaan Menengah Rendah (PMR). This is why many parents and people are still asking how many As the students are getting for it.
“This shows that the examination mentality still exists. Hence, we believe that it will be best if the PT3 is abolished just like the UPSR examination,” he said.
