Form 5 pupils and teachers face burnout as gruelling schedules spark debate on whether grades matter more than wellbeing in Malaysia’s high-stakes exam culture.
MALAYSIAN Form 5 students are grappling with mounting academic pressure, while some teachers admit they too are experiencing burnout, triggering fresh debate over whether the education system places grades ahead of students’ wellbeing.
Many Malaysian students say they are sacrificing sleep and even skipping meals to meet heavy academic demands, prompting renewed discussion about how school-related stress is managed.
The conversation on Threads highlighted what many described as a contradiction: educators expect academic excellence while students struggle to cope with increasingly demanding workloads.
One Form 5 student described a gruelling schedule that leaves little room for rest. She said she attends extra classes six days a week, with school days stretching from 7am to 4.30pm, followed by hours of homework late into the night.
“I sleep late because I need to finish my homework,” she wrote, adding that teachers pile on assignments and expect them to be completed by the following day. “I swear, I am tired.”
Her post was less a complaint than a cry for help, portraying a routine in which adequate rest has become a luxury rather than a necessity.
The post quickly drew responses from other users, many of whom shared similar experiences.
One user, who had recently completed Form 5 at a boarding school, described the experience as “mental hell”.
They said their daily schedule ran from 6.30am until 10pm, adding that they felt like a different person after completing their SPM examinations. Their advice to current students was: “Maintain your prayers and get plenty of rest. It will be worth it.”
Another commenter, who identified themselves as an SPM History teacher, admitted that burnout is not limited to students.
“We teachers are burnt out too. If a student is not okay, they should simply skip school for a day to recover.”
The comment suggested that the pressure is being felt by educators as well as students.
Meanwhile, a former student shared their own coping strategy, which involved sleeping immediately after Friday classes before waking at 3am to continue studying.
“Sleep will never be enough and that is the price we need to pay to excel academically,” they wrote, reflecting a mindset in which severe sleep deprivation is viewed as part of academic success.
Not all responses were serious. One user offered a simpler, albeit controversial, suggestion: “If you are too lazy to do it, don’t do it. As long as you get straight As in SPM.”
Another suggested taking vitamin supplements to cope, highlighting the contrast between the seriousness of the issue and the casual advice often offered.
The discussion reflects broader concerns about whether the Malaysian education system, particularly during the high-stakes SPM year, places too much emphasis on endurance rather than effective learning.
“Students are expected to function on minimal sleep and maximum stress, with success measured by grades rather than wellbeing,” another commenter wrote.
