Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the decision not to postpone the SPM oral test due to the floods was vindicated as the overall attendance rate was 97.49 percent.
“Our children are stronger than what we think they are.
“I was not alone in making that decision. Series of discussions were held. The Kelantan State Education Committee chairperson was with me and also the State Education Department director when I was in Kelantan,” she said at her ministry’s monthly assembly today.
Fadhlina added that despite some quarters not being happy with the decision, the attendance in the three most affected states was 97.54 percent in Kelantan, 98.01 percent in Terengganu, and 97.94 percent in Kedah.
She insisted that the decision to continue the oral test was not because the ministry lacked empathy for the SPM candidates.
“During my recent post-flood visit to Terengganu, I received positive feedback from the affected SPM candidates. I asked whether they were angry with me for continuing the exam. They said ‘no’ and shared with me their experience going for the test on a boat.
“(One of them said) ‘I went on a boat for four hours, it was fun YB’,” she said.
Student dies, suspected electrocution
In another development, Fadhlina expressed sympathy for the family of the deceased student believed to have been electrocuted during an Al-Quran and Fardhu Ain (Kafa) class at a religious school in Serdang, Selangor.
She also expressed the need for the security aspect at the school to be improved.
“Although it happened outside the ministry’s facility, we should learn from the incident to ensure all school premises under the ministry are safe. Security inspection should be carried out from time to time to prevent such incidents from happening,” she said.
A 12-year-old boy died of suspected electrocution at a school in Serdang yesterday and the case has been classified as sudden death with further investigations underway.
Fadhlina also expressed sadness over the death of a female student attached to the Teacher Education Institute (IPG) in Besut, Terengganu.
The student died in an accident involving four vehicles that collided with a trailer on Jalan Gua Musang-Kuala Lipis yesterday.
“The IPG rector has confirmed that they will visit and hand over donations and provide psychosocial assistance to the family,” she said.
Ten other students were injured in the accident.
- Bernama
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