KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 ― Putrajaya has postponed plans to make English a compulsory pass in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Form Five examinations that was meant to take effect next year.
Local daily The Star reported today the Examination Syndicate as saying that the postponement was to “allow teachers and students to have more time and opportunities to prepare”.
The reintroduction of centralised practical exams in the SPM science subjects, which were to have taken place next year as well, has been postponed too.
The subjects affected are Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Additional Science.
The National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) reportedly praised the Education Ministry for the decision.
“We have been saying time and time again that students, especially those in rural areas, are not ready for this. So we welcome the move and fully support it,” NUTP secretary-general Datuk Lok Yim Pheng told The Star.
Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (Melta) president Prof Dr Ganakumaran Subramaniam agreed, stating that teachers and students should have been given more time before English was made a compulsory pass for SPM.
“Our members, who are teachers from all over the country, have expressed concern that with the ruling, many teachers would simply resort to drilling their students in order for them to pass the examination.
“This would defeat the true purpose for the policy implementation, which is to create genuine competency in the English language,” he was quoted saying by The Star.
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