KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has been urged to reinstate the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga (PT3) examinations, which were abolished in 2022.
Kepala Batas Wanita Umno chief Zainab Bakar said despite perceptions that these national exams placed undue pressure on schoolchildren, they were essential in preparing them for higher levels of education.
"Concerns about the abolishment (of the exams) have been rising after two years, not just from parents, but also from teachers, who find that the absence of examinations has led students to lack goals in their studies.
"There are no exams, and homework is not being completed. Many teachers are frustrated with the situation.
How can students excel in a subject when their homework isn't being done?
"As a result, when they enter Form One, teachers feel pressured because students lack the foundation in subjects they should have mastered during primary school," she said during her debate on the Wanita Umno chief's policy speech today.
In 2022, the UPSR and PT3 examinations were abolished and replaced by School-Based Assessments.
The decision was made after the examinations were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry would not bring back the UPSR examination but would instead focus on a proposed school curriculum for 2027, aimed at developing a new curriculum to strengthen the education system in the future.
On another matter, Zainab also called on Islamic leaders to come together to find common ground in the implementation of syaria law.
This, she said, was crucial as differences in judgments between syaria courts in different states have led to confusion among Muslims in the country.