Sarawak plans comprehensive student assessment system to meet global standards

KUCHING: In a bid to assess students’ performance against global benchmarks, Sarawak is set to introduce a student assessment system for Year 6 and Form 3 in 2025 to evaluate students not just within the state or Malaysia but also in alignment with international standards.

Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee highlighted that the assessment system is designed with multifaceted objectives beyond evaluating reading and writing abilities.

“Not all students excel academically. TVET should be a focus at an early stage. Those interested in TVET should be identified and directed to TVET institutions, not at the age of 17.

“If we wait until Form 5 when the students sit for the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) to assess them academically, it’s too late to instil TVET skills in them,” he said in a dialogue over TVS last night.  (Dec 28).

He noted that Malaysia’s decline in the recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a wake-up call for the entire education community to take drastic measures.

Otherwise, he warned that the upcoming generation might struggle to compete globally.

“Compared to other Asian countries, we are behind countries like Vietnam and Cambodia, and we can’t even compete with Brunei in terms of results.

“That’s why in the State Budget, we increased the allocation for free tuition from RM10 million to RM15 million, involving not only Form 5 but also Form 3 students.

“This is one of our efforts to address the decline in mathematics, science, and reading proficiency among our students.

“We are very concerned about this trend, but we must make an effort, and the Sarawak government is taking steps to address these challenges,” he added.

In any education system, he said success depends on three aspects: students, parents, and teachers.

The Sarawak government, said, besides emphasising infrastructure and providing educational aid, also offers various professional development programmes for teachers.

“Comparatively, from the budget outlined recently, 25 per cent is allocated for the implementation of these three aspects.

“Teachers are crucial, and secondly, parents. Only by impacting both can we make a difference for students. Therefore, if we only focus on students and neglect the professional development of teachers and parental awareness, the impact on students will not be effective.

“Hence, the steps involve all three aspects,” he said.