KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — The Education Ministry must explain why it is adding a new “roadblock” to private education by barring students from using SPM forecast results for pre-university entry applications, said a PKR lawmaker.
The party’s deputy information chief, Sim Tze Tsin, said it was not the ministry’s business to specify which examinations are acceptable for entry into private institutions of higher learning, pointing out that foreign students were admitted based on a variety of test results.
He added that trial results are also used for conditional entry.
“Eventually, real SPM results will be used as the final basis for admission. This is good enough to ensure the standards of the students,” he said in a statement.
The Sunday Star reported today that SPM trial results would no longer be admissible for pre-university and foundation programmes entry in private tertiary institutions beginning January.
A circular issued by the Education Ministry dated May 23, 2014, which was sighted by Malay Mail Online, stated that SPM forecast results may only be used to secure travel documents and not for entry into higher education programmes.
Sim today said it was unacceptable for Putrajaya to impose such a “hasty” policy without duly consulting the parents, private colleges and students affected, especially since Malaysians have been using SPM forecast results to apply for pre-university or A-Levels courses for the past three decades.
“This policy has far-reaching implications that will affect study plans by tens of thousands of SPM students. They have sat (for) their trial exams in September... not (those) results instantly become waste paper.
Sim then demanded the ministry meet with those affected in order to reach “the best solution”, saying that the sudden change would affect tens of thousands of students.
