Drop in School-Based Exam Passing Grade?

The Education Ministry has been urged to respond to parents’ complaints on social media that the passing grade for the academic session’s final examinations (UASA) has been lowered to 20%. National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general said the union will raise the matter with the ministry. The final school-based examinations replaced national centralised exams such as the UPSR for Year 6, and PT3 for Form 3 students, which were abolished in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

UASA was introduced during the 2022/2023 academic session. The exams are held at the end of the school year for students in Years 4 to 6 and Forms 1 to 3. UASA passing grade had recently been reduced from 40% to 20%. 

Source:https://www.wikiimpact.com

Previously, ‘D’ was considered a failing grade, with the minimum passing grade set at 40%. Now it’s been lowered further. (Currently) 20% to 34% is considered a passing grade (and) 35% is regarded as satisfactory.

A poster outlined the examinations’ grading scale:

Excellent (A) 82% to 100%;

Credit (B) 66% to 81%;

Good (C) 50% to 65%;

Satisfactory (D) 35% to 49%;

Meets minimum standard (E) 20% to 34%;

Does not meet minimum standard (F) 0% to 19%.

In November 2024, Education Minister told the Dewan Rakyat the government will not reverse its decision to abolish the UPSR and PT3 examinations. The school-based examinations are designed to reduce stress for students compared to national exams and are on par with international best practices. They focus on improving education by using continuous classroom-based assessments that encompass not just academic skills, but also personal growth and social development, according to the Education Minister.

Meanwhile, Sarawak is returning to standardised tests as students still need to be gauged against one another. Already, it was reported that 122,062 Year 1 pupils were identified as not having mastered basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills (3M).

Children must understand the basics before enrolling in Year 1, yet such a large percentage have not mastered them. To make matters worse, it was reported that 10,177 SPM candidates did not sit for the exams in 2023. Problems with 3M were among the reasons for the dropout number. Such students would not have not fallen through the cracks had there been periodic standardised testing and having them move onto Form Five unimpeded. The tests can assess just how capable students are before they enter institutions of higher learning.

As Sarawak returns to standardised assessments, the Education Ministry, however, is sticking with the Federal Minister’s stand that the School-Based Assessment (SBA) system provides a more holistic and integrated approach to evaluate students’ development compared to traditional examination-based methods.

When will we ever learn? There are four ingredients for a top-rate education system: the headmaster; the teachers; the parents; and of course, the students. Curriculum is not the issue; it is the people! When things don’t work, the Government blames it on the system, curriculum or some other silly reason---like facility or building. That is not the case! And if there is no meritocracy; no urgency; no ambition to be the best; no hard work then, you most certainly know the outcome – disaster!

References:

Explain drop in school-based exam passing grade, ministry urged, Anne Muhammad, FMT, 10 Dec 2024

Testing times for education, Jagdev Singh Sidhu, Insight, The Star, 14 December 2024