Bukit Gasing rep wants clarity from Education Ministry on SPM

 

Bukit Gasing assemblyperson Rajiv Rishyakaran is calling for a firm decision by the Education Ministry on the holding of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, which has already been deferred from last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"With less than two months to SPM 2020, students and parents are still in the dark as to exactly how the most important national examination will go down.

"Schools are scheduled to reopen later this month, although the nationwide imposed recovery movement order (RMCO) has been extended to March 31, 2021.

"Coupled with the record-breaking rise in the number of Covid-19 cases daily, how will SPM 2020 take place? What are the mechanisms in place to ensure that each student is ready and able to sit for the exam safely?" Rajiv asked in a statement today.

He emphasised that with almost 400,000 students sitting for SPM annually, it was going to be a significant logistics challenge.

Last year, the Education Minister Radzi Jidin announced that Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga (PT3) were cancelled while the SPM, Sijil Vokasional Malaysia (SVM) and Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) were to be postponed to the first quarter of 2021.

Initially, the SPM was postponed to January, but it is now scheduled to commence on Feb 22 and conclude in March.

"Will the students and invigilators be required to undergo compulsory Covid testing prior to the exam?

"Will they be kept under quarantine from the start to the end of the exam period, to prevent infections from disrupting the examination?" he asked.

Is there a disinfection plan in place?

Rajiv asked if there was a disinfection plan and a quarantine period or plan in place should a student or invigilator get infected once exams have begun.

Given the increasing number of cases, which breached the 3,000 mark yesterday, he asked what would happen if infections took place.

"Will exams be delayed nationwide? Or will most students take the exam as per the schedule and the affected schools sit for an alternate paper at another time?

Will the students and invigilators who become close contacts with Covid-19 patients be allowed to sit for the exam or must they undergo the compulsory self-quarantine? Will they sit for their exams at their respective homes if they are forced to undergo a period of self-quarantine?"

"If an area goes under EMCO, will the exams in those affected schools continue?" he added.

Rajiv, who was first elected in 2013, also asked the Education Ministry to ascertain if schools are prepared to handle the students entering and exiting the exam halls while maintaining social distancing.

"These are issues and questions that need to be answered by the ministry now, so that students, parents and teachers can do the necessary in advance and be prepared."

He added that if SPM trials were to be used as a gauge, 15 percent of schools which were in Covid-19 red zones have yet to conduct their exam, and those that have completed had to conduct some of the exams online.

"This raises the questions of fairness, transparency and honesty," he said.

"The SPM has been deferred twice so far due to the pandemic and the rising number of Covid-19 cases. I strongly urge MOE to come out with the mechanism and SOP for SPM 2020 and what is the back-up plan in case the exam has to be deferred again.

"The ministry has had ample time to review the situation and develop a comprehensive plan for SPM 2020 and should not keep quiet any longer," Rajiv added. - Mkini