Standardised tests will ensure struggling students identified early, allow schools to intervene, says Dr Annuar

KUCHING (Jan 21): The implementation of standardised assessments for Primary 4 and Form 3 students will serve as a practical alternative to ensure struggling students are identified early, said Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee.

The Deputy Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister said the Primary 4 assessment, in particular, would allow schools to intervene before pupils advance further without mastering basic competencies.

“Early intervention is vital. We will be able to tell who is weak and who needs extra classes.

“I am looking forward to details on the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) intervention plans,” he said when commenting on Putrajaya’s decision to implement a Learning Metrics assessment-based approach for Primary 4 starting in October and Form 3 next year.

Dr Annuar, who has previously advocated for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Form 3 Assessment (PT3) to be reinstated, said the new assessment framework could still achieve similar objectives if accompanied by clear intervention mechanisms from MoE.

“There must be a system that ensures weaker students receive remedial classes or, if necessary, are retained for another year.

“There is no point in allowing weak students to progress to Year 5 if they lacked the necessary foundations as they would be unable to cope,” he said.

On the planned Form 3 assessment, he said it should play a stronger role in determining students’ academic pathways, rather than allowing students to choose their own streams without sufficient guidance.

“At that stage, students should be streamed according to suitability so they can maximise their strengths,” he said, referring to the current upper secondary structure that includes elective packages such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Humanities and Arts, Languages, and Islamic Studies.

On Sarawak’s Dual Language Programme Sarawak Assessment Test (UP-DLP) for Primary 6 pupils, Dr Annuar said the Sarawak government would deliberate further on its alignment with the new federal assessments.

“The UP-DLP is benchmarked and vetted by Cambridge University Press and Assessment, so its standards are different.

“But we welcome the Year 4 assessment as it would allow us to detect weaker students earlier,” he said.

He also welcomed the inclusion of History in the Form 3 assessment, stressing its importance in nation-building.

“All Malaysians must know the history of the country. Our generation largely consists of those born after Merdeka.

“There is a need to place greater emphasis on how Malaysia was formed, including the Malaysia Agreement 1963. It is like a birth certificate and should be clearly detailed in history textbooks,” he said.

Yesterday, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the Learning Metrics approach for Primary 4 and Form 3 students serve as an assessment method that focuses on providing early and phased learning support for the students.

“The implementation of the Learning Metrics at Year 4 is intended to ensure there is still a two-year period to carry out interventions should weaknesses or learning gaps be identified at an early stage (before entering Form 1).

“Overall, the Learning Metrics serves as a mechanism for intervention and learning reinforcement, in addition to supporting the implementation of the new curriculum,” she told a press conference after the launch of the National Education Blueprint 2026-2035 in Putrajaya.

The Learning Metrics will be implemented by the Examinations Board as the authorised body, with the aim of instilling public confidence in the assessment.

It involves four subjects for Primary 4 pupils namely Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics, and Science, while for Form 3 it will also include History.