Tuesday November 20, 2007
Go easy on students, says Hishammuddin
MALACCA: Students who do not achieve the results expected in a public examination should realise that they can always do better in other examinations later, said the Education Minister.
“There are some students who get excellent results in SPM but did not get good results in the PMR or UPSR,” Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein added.
He said this when commenting on the death on Sunday morning of 12-year-old S. Subashini, who died in hospital after being found hanged on Saturday at her home in Nibong Tebal, Penang.
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Subashini: Found hanged in her home after receiving her UPSR results. |
Hishammuddin said too much pressure was being put on students from a very young age.
“I am very sad and disappointed that such a tragedy has occurred. These days everything is placed on academic achievements.
“It is the parents’ responsibility not to let students face excessive pressure from examinations and studies,” he said yesterday after launching the “Smart Partnership Towards Making National Schools Smart Programme” in SK Ayer Keroh.
Contacted later, Hishammuddin said this was why he wanted to reform how children were assessed, particularly in primary school.
“It is too academic and exam-oriented. But we also need parents to change their attitude as the ministry cannot do it alone,” he said.
He said Subashini’s death was so unnecessary as she had her whole life ahead of her.
“With my children, as long as they do their best, I am happy,” he said, adding that everyone should learn from the tragedy
In September last year, Hishammuddin had said the ministry would pilot a new system of assessment and evaluation at selected schools to overcome the examination-oriented culture in the country.
He said the over-emphasis on examinations had led to the marginalisation of academically weak and disabled students by schools and teachers.
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