PARLIAMENT | The government’s move to scrap the proposed diagnostic screening test to determine the eligibility of six-year-old pupils for entry into Year One has continued to draw criticism from the opposition.
Awang Hashim (PN–Pendang) said the decision showed the government’s lack of consistency and reflected the absence of careful planning in the formulation of national education policies.
According to Awang (above), the new policy was made hastily and seemed to be based on personal inspiration instead.
“Perhaps after performing ‘solat istikharah’ (prayers seeking counsel and clarity) multiple times. Maybe (the idea) to implement the diagnostic test came during the first istikharah prayer, and then, after the second istikharah, another inspiration came that it should not be implemented.
“So, they changed the decision in a short time. This means there was no master plan at all regarding this diagnostic test,” he said while debating the motion of thanks for the royal address in Dewan Rakyat today.
Earlier, Rosol Wahid (PN–Hulu Terengganu) interjected to ask Awang’s view on the reversal and whether it reflected instability in the government’s decision-making process.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he agreed to cancel the proposed diagnostic screening test after considering various views, including concerns over its psychological impact on children.
He said there was worry that the test could be discriminatory and psychologically harmful to children.
Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference today, opposition leader Hamzah Zainuddin said decisions on education should not be made in a “flip-flop” manner.
“Last week, we raised the issue of admitting six-year-old pupils and infrastructure issues (at schools). Then, on Tuesday, the government changed its decision again.
“Can education issues really be handled in such a flip-flop way? Haven’t the people raised these concerns many times?
“There must be consistency. We shouldn’t decide on education issues within five to six days and (then) change it,” said the Larut MP.
‘Quit flip-flopping’
Hamzah added that implementing a diagnostic test involving a great deal of students would require significant time and resources, and the government’s rushed decision raises questions about whether proper policy planning had been carried out.
He also questioned the government’s announcement of an additional RM800 million for school infrastructure, saying the amount was insufficient to cover actual needs, including hiring new teachers.
“This is just for infrastructure. It doesn’t include teachers’ salaries. (Then) next week, they might say, ‘It’s not going to be RM800 million, we’re increasing it to RM2 billion’,” he said sarcastically, adding that every new policy must be carefully planned before being announced.
Hamzah was referring to allocations announced by the government, which include the recruitment of new teachers and the provision of additional classrooms, to ensure the policy of admitting six-year-old pupils into Year One can be implemented smoothly next year.
He said the opposition is always ready to support government policies, provided they are made after thorough research and consultation.
“That’s all we ask. No more flip-flopping and being wishy-washy. We want a better future and are ready to support any policy proposed by the government, as long as it is acceptable to the people, practical to implement, and something we can all be proud of,” he added. - Mkini
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