Sarawak aims to implement Year Six, Form Three assessments in 2025

KUCHING: Sarawak Ministry for Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) aims to implement the proposed standard assessments for Year Six and Form Three students that emphasise Dual Language Programme (DLP) subjects by 2025.

Minister Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee In said the Ministry of Education (MOE) is supportive towards the proposal and has agreed to assist in the implementation of such assessments across all the public schools in this state.

“Federal MOE minister (Fadhlina Sidek) also agreed to help us, so of course the state education department will abide, and in fact, many people are supporting it, even in the peninsula. Of course, the schools (now) have their own system of school-based assessment... we cannot say that it is not good, but we want to do it better.

“The main thing is the DLP which is the Science, Mathematics and English language subjects so these are the areas that we will conduct the assessments and we are engaging with officers and experts in matters relating to this,” he told a press conference at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) building here today.

In his winding-up speech earlier, Sagah said such an assessment is vital as it will serve as a way to gauge the effectiveness of the DLP, alongside other state’s initiatives to increase the uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in schools.

However, Roland said it would still be premature to elaborate further on the assessments as his ministry is currently deliberating the exercise.

“Rest assured that the proposed assessment will not cause undue stress to all parties, students, teachers, the schools and parents,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the progress of devolution and decentralization of powers for education under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Roland said the ministry has yet to receive an official response from MOE for the arrangements on how the decentralisation of authority is to be realised.

“We will not give up and we will keep on barking at them (MOE). We will prepare to have a meeting again with them early next year, together with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is coordinating the MA63 meeting,” he said. –Bernama