Pupils rejoice, parents fret over PT3 abolition

 

Education minister Radzi Jidin said schools will carry out assessments following the abolition of the Form Three examination. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The announcement that the Form Three Assessment (PT3) exam will be abolished has received mixed reviews from parents and students.

The father of a Form Three student from Ipoh, Syaril Tahir, said that although he had expected the PT3 to be abolished, he was concerned whether his child would be able to adapt to the new system.

“I’m worried whether the children will be ready. Since the education ministry has already decided on the matter, we’ve to go with it,” he told FMT.

The father of two said he felt the PT3 exam was still relevant as it determined the subjects students would take once they entered Form Four.

Another concerned parent was Saffri Kamaruddin, 46, who fears the move will see students lose focus in academics.

“As a father, I am worried if there are no public exams. I am afraid children will take it easy and won’t have any goals as they don’t need to think about preparing for exams,” he said.

However, housewife Noor Hana Abd Hamid, 47, had a different view and supported the reforms brought by the education ministry, which is pushing for a more holistic method of learning.

Hana, who also has a child in Form Three, said that learning according to the new system would be more balanced.

Meanwhile, a Form Three student from Selangor, Danial Saffri, said the abolition of PT3 was a relief because there was no need to be burdened with exams and worrying about grades.

“I would be stressed if PT3 was still around because I would always have to be chasing grades,” he said.

Another Form Three student from Perak, Yasmeen Shaarani, said she welcomed the government’s efforts in strengthening school-based assessments because they focused on practical learning.

Announcing the move to abolish PT3 on Thursday, education minister Radzi Jidin said the ministry would implement summative assessments and work on improving school-based and classroom-based assessments instead.

He said teachers would regularly conduct assessments to evaluate students’ mastery and understanding of the respective subjects. - FMT