Education group wants UPSR examinations scrapped

PETALING JAYA: Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association) has again urged the Education Ministry to make up its mind to scrap the UPSR (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah) examination and replace it with a more suitable method to assess pupils, including a school-based assessment.
The association opined that scrapping UPSR will stop the paper chase, without which there will not be any need or market for workbooks.
This, it added, will address the issue of too many workbooks for primary school pupils and the problem of overly heavy schoolbags, Oriental Daily News reported today.
"The Education Ministry has on a number of occasions proposed the abolition of UPSR. These proposals were welcomed by headmasters and teachers unions as well as Jiao Zong but until today, UPSR remains the nightmare of those involved in the elementary school eduction," Jiao Zong said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Jiao Zong said UPSR only shows pupils' scores in languages, mathematics and science, and not the overall performance of their six-year foundation education.
"What is worse is that the authorities often query or apply pressure on schools that do not perform well in UPSR," it said, adding that this exam-centric education system not only put tremendous pressure on pupils but also restricts teachers from applying the best teaching methods.
On Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon's announcement that the ministry is adopting a new school ranking system next year in which academic performance will no longer be used as the main criterion, Jiao Zong said it welcomed the move but noted that many systems and plans implemented by the ministry in the past had not produced the desired results.