Standard 1 but already being prepped for Standard 4 work

Beginning this year, there are no exams for lower primary school students who will only sit for their first assessments in Standard Four. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The mother of a Standard One student has questions for the school after being told that her son is lagging behind – in preparation work for Year Four exams.

The woman, who wanted to be known as Aminah, said when she was called for an appointment by the school counsellor, her first thought was that her son had bullied someone or hit one of his classmates.

“But we were told that our son’s handwriting is messy, and he is slow in copying work from the blackboard.”

The teacher also suggested some “pricy tuition” for her son, she told FMT.

When Aminah questioned the focus on speed in reading and writing, the teacher told her she was preparing her students for Standard Four exams.

“Aren’t they supposed to enjoy their schooling life for the first three years?” Aminah said, recalling Education Minister Maszlee Malik’s announcement that students would not sit for any exams in the first three years.

Her son attends a national school in Petaling Jaya which is reputed to be one of the top performing schools in the area. There are about 30 students in his class.

Aminah said she had heard from other parents that there are plans to turn the school into a cluster school, which could be one reason for the pressure on students.

Education psychologist Nur Edzati Kamaluddin said students are supposed to enjoy going to school, especially during the first few years when they are developing learning skills.

She said it would be unhealthy if parents are called in over issues such as messy handwriting as this could put pressure on both parents and student.

“They should be working for the betterment of the child. It’s only March. School exams are four years away,” she told FMT.

When a child begins going to school, she said, the first few months are important for enhancing the relationship between teachers and students.

“I agree that parents and teachers are doing their best, but picking on a child for being slow in writing after hardly three months should not happen.” - FMT