Press Digest - Primary school aptitude test in BM bothers Jiao Zong

PETALING JAYA: Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association) president Ong Kow Yee said he is puzzled as to why the primary school aptitude test, which had been conducted in pupil's own language, is to be done in only Bahasa Malaysia (BM) this year.
He said the test, if done in BM, will not be able to truly gauge Chinese school pupils' ability, talent or potential, Oriental Daily News reported today.
He told the daily that he had received complaints from a number of national-type Chinese schools (SJKCs) that the Education Ministry has set the aptitude test paper only in BM this year.
"In the past, SJKC pupils sat for the test in Chinese. Why has the Education Ministry prepared only one set of questionnaire, i.e. in BM, this year? How are these pupils going to sit for it?"
He said with the test fixed for Aug 30, which is less than two weeks away, he wasted no time in bringing up the matter with Deputy Education Minister Chong Sin Woon, hoping that something can be done about it.
A source told the daily that lack of time to translate the questionnaire into Chinese and Tamil was the excuse given by the ministry's officials.
The explanation is unacceptable, the source said.
"Although the outcome of the aptitude test does not have a direct bearing on pupils' UPSR results and will not be listed in the UPSR result slip, it had always been set in pupil's own language," lamented the source.
The test, which was introduced in 2009, is useful for both teachers and parents. Based on the test result, which can be obtained from the school, parents can make an informed choice in enrolling their children in secondary schools.