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Friday, February 15, 2019

Concerns over tight SPM schedule





EXCLUSIVE:PETALING JAYA: The Education Ministry’s proposal to bring forward the SPM examinations this year to avoid the annual floods has opened up the floodgates.
Instead of starting in Nov­ember, the exams would be held from Oct 14 to Nov 27 and could involve sitting for more papers in a day.

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said this was so that the exams would not be disrupted by the heavy rains.

“The calendar and timetable are a draft.
“We are open to views from parents, students and stakeholders. Write to the ministry and let us know what you think,” he told The Star.

On Feb 7, a circular on the dates for this year’s school examinations and assessments was sent to state education departments nationwide.
According to the circular from the Examinations Syndicate, the calendar and timetable draft can be downloaded from http://lp.moe.gov.my.
Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education (Magpie) chairman Mak Chee Kin said the timetable was very tight.
“For example, it will be very stressful for those taking Accounting because the papers are sandwiched between Bahasa Melayu and Eng­lish – two very important subjects.”
He said students needed recovery time to refresh their mind.
“Cramming these important subjects in a single day will cause anxiety.
“The Examinations Syndicate can do better than this. I hope it will re-look the draft timetable.
“Students should be given a longer rest time between papers to boost their performance,” he said.
A mother, who declined to be named, was concerned about the “crammed schedule”, especially for Form Five science stream students like her son, who will be sitting for nine subjects.
“I’ve spoken to other parents and we have gone through the timetable and calendar.
“The arts and commerce students are okay, but those in the science stream will have to do up to three heavy papers in a day.
“On some days, there are no breaks in between the exam dates,” she said, adding that the pressure could be unbearable for some.
“The mental health of our students must be a priority. Can we live with ourselves if they crumble under the pressure of exams?”
She called on the ministry to have rest days in between papers so that students would be in the right frame of mind when sitting for the exams.
“How can you do your best when you’re stressed?” she added.
Fellow mother Gloria Tan said if the proposed schedule was implemented, parents should remain positive to keep their children’s spirits high.
“Life’s not a bed of roses. There’s always a boomerang around the corner. We’ll just have to make the best of it,” she added.
Her daughter Janice, 17, urged the ministry to stick to having the SPM exams in November as schools may not be able to complete the syllabus by October.
“Even if they do, there may not be enough time for revisions.
“I’m worried about having to sit for the exams earlier and I don’t think it’s fair to cram a few heavy subjects in one day. We need time to chill too,” she said.
A pure science student who only wanted to be known as Lee, 17, said two papers should be the maximum in a day.
“It’s exhausting. It would mean us having to be in school from 7am to 4pm on some days. That’s longer than a full day in school.
“Our parents would have to bring us food, so it would be very inconvenient for them too,” Lee said.
Arts stream student Razlin Nad­irah Rozaid, 17, however, does not think it is a big deal.
“I’m just going to try my best. Whether it’s earlier or later, I’ll still have to sit for it,” she said.
However, she admitted to feeling a bit anxious about not having enough time to prepare as the trial exams would also be held earlier as a result.
National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Harry Tan said he did not see an issue with the proposed timetable.
“It’s done within the school year and takes into account the probability of floods so that students, parents and schools can plan in ad­vance,” he said.
Through extra classes, Tan said teachers could complete the syllabus well before time.-Star

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