PETALING JAYA: Educationists have called on the Malaysian Examination Syndicate (MES) to be transparent about its roles and responsibilities following the abolition of major examinations, such as the Primary School Achievement Test and Form Three Assessment.
National Association of Private Educational Institutions secretary-general Dr Teh Choon Jin said transparency is crucial for public institutions to ensure accountability and public trust.
“MES should clearly outline its evolving role, especially given the significant shift brought about by the abolition of major examinations.
“Publishing updates on its roles and responsibilities is crucial to demonstrate accountability and assure the public, educators and parents that the transition to new assessment models is being effectively managed.”
The Primary School Achievement Test was a Standard Six assessment exam that was abolished in 2021 while the Form Three Assessment was scrapped the following year.
The Education Ministry said it is focusing on a holistic approach to student development and has implemented school-based assessment and classroom assessment models.
Teh said transparency would help clarify how MES is supporting the education system in a post-examination era and contributing to the quality of student assessments.
He said by referring to frameworks such as the Education Act 1996 and its vision, mission and objectives, MES could regularly assess and communicate how it is adapting to changes.
“The abolition of major examinations does not imply that MES has redundant staff or is operating at idle capacity. While its core role of maintaining educational standards remains unchanged, its tools and approaches are evolving.
“With the shift from traditional examinations to assessment models, MES is adapting its methods to ensure the new models of evaluation continue to uphold high educational standards.”
He said a key challenge faced by MES is ensuring consistency and fairness in school-based assessments across urban and rural schools and regions to ensure they meet required benchmarks.
“MES is responsible for administering the Malaysian Certificate of Education and Malaysian Higher School Certificate examinations at the national level.
“In addition to managing them, it also coordinates external examinations, such as the University of London external programmes, the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and a diploma in French language studies.”
He said MES has expanded its role to include the development and distribution of new assessment tools for schools.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Education and Diversity Centre senior lecturer Dr Anuar Ahmad said despite the shift in focus to assessment models, the system is failing due to inadequate planning and insufficient preparation of the assessment model ecosystem.
“If the ecosystem had been properly established since 2017, it could have been successful. I have reviewed several studies by local researchers on the effectiveness of the assessment models since its implementation in 2017. We do not have an official national survey on its effectiveness.”
He said based on his review of international data regarding Malaysia’s educational achievements from 2017 to 2024, national performance “has not met expectations”.
“I believe it would be best to reinstate the Primary School Achievement Test and Form Three Assessment for now to restore the country’s education system for the benefit of our children’s future.
“The choice is preferred as I can no longer rely on the implementation of the assessment models, which lack clear direction and effectiveness. If there is still interest in the assessment models, it should be carefully planned for future implementation.”
