Teachers union backs govt move to not revive UPSR

 

The national teachers’ union has rejected a revival of the UPSR examination for creating pressure on teachers and schoolchildren. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The National Union of the Teaching Profession has backed a government decision to not revive the UPSR public examination for pupils in Year Six.

Instead, the government should continue with the current system of classroom based assessment, NUTP president Aminudin Awang said. “Even if there are shortcomings, improvements can be made – but not by reviving UPSR,” he added.

Aminudin Awang.

He said the union felt that the UPSR had deviated from its original purpose in being used to compare students and schools, thus creating pressure on teachers and schoolchildren.

“Teachers are pressured to ensure more students get 5As and pupils are pressured to score As in their subjects,” he told FMT.

Teachers also wanted to move away from an examination-oriented schooling system, which they felt to be irrelevant in meeting modern-day challenges. “The country needs people who are spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, physically and socially balanced,” he said.

“We should be providing the right remedy for problems that arise, not making UPSR as the (sole) remedy for all problems,” he said.

The NUTP’s decision against reviving UPSR was taken at its delegates conference held in Shah Alam. The union also called on the government to resolve the nationwide shortage of teachers, either through permanent posting or by contract appointments.

The government was also urged to speed up the implementation of full-time hostel wardens to ease the burden of teachers who now fill that role, as well as to curb bullying problems. - FMT