The rationality of abolishing UPSR and PMR: whither destiny / Haziqah Sulaiman

The UPSR and PMR examination are the two important examinations. The UPSR is the examination held for the students at the end of their sixth year studying on the primary school before they leave for the secondary school. On the secondary school, there are two more examination which is PMR and SPM. The PMR examination is being held at the end of the third year of their study in the secondary school. Basically, PMR is being used as the platform to examine the students whether to go to science class, technical, accounting or literature class. Their next stream is being examined through the performance of result of their PMR examination. The idea of abolishing UPSR and PMR is issued by our current Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on the 20th June 2010. The Deputy Prime Minister announced this suggestion after opening the Pagoh Umno division delegates meeting at Muar, Johor. This issue has been discussed by many people in Malaysia as it affects the academic system of Malaysia. At the government level itself, they have three different kind of round table discussion. At the first round table discussion, it involves the academician under the Ministry of Education for example the headmaster and director of Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri. On the second round table discussion, it involves the discussion of people outside of Ministry of Education such as academic scholar, politicians, and academicians from the IPTA and IPTS. The last round table discussion involves the public which are from the NGO, government agency and other public which have directly or indirectly involvement with this issue.