KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Education (MOE) is conducting early detection of Form 4 students at risk of dropping out to make sure they sit for the 2025 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
The ministry stated that this early detection effort would enable schools to plan and implement appropriate interventions.
According to MOE analysis, as of Jan 22, 8,164 candidates were absent from the 2024 SPM examination, reflecting a decrease of 1,996 candidates, or 19.6 percent, compared to 10,160 absent candidates in 2023.
For MOE school candidates alone, the analysis revealed that 6,290 were absent from the 2024 SPM examination, a decrease of 2,386 candidates, or 27.5 percent, compared to 8,676 absentees in 2023.
“Based on analysis from the School Absence During Examinations Management Application, work, family issues, health problems, death, and moving abroad are among the main reasons for candidates’ absence during the 2024 SPM examinations,” the MOE said in a written reply uploaded on Parliament’s website today.
The ministry was responding to a question from Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (PN-Gua Musang), who asked about the MOE’s approach to dealing with the absence of over 10,000 candidates for the 2024 SPM examination and the impact of the amendment to the Education Act 1996, which made secondary school education compulsory.
In response to the issue of candidates not attending the SPM examination, the MOE said it had implemented various interventions, including daily monitoring of student attendance, activating the SPM Student Intervention Task Force at all levels, and holding a dialogue to address the issue.
The Ministry also highlighted targeted initiatives such as the Cakna Visit Programme, parent consultation sessions, and engagement with parents, the community, and the private sector. Additionally, it is working closely with security forces to ensure the smooth conduct of public examinations during monsoon or flood seasons.
“The MOE is currently implementing various important initiatives aimed at reforming national education, which cover various areas, including addressing dropout rates and the proposed amendment to the Education Bill to extend compulsory education to the secondary level,” it said.
The proposed amendment to the Education Bill seeks to ensure that compulsory education is extended from primary to secondary levels, in line with the country’s development needs and aspirations to tackle the issue of student dropout.
“The Education Bill (Amendment) regarding the extension of the Compulsory Education Policy from primary to secondary education will be tabled in Parliament once it has completed all necessary processes, including approval by the Cabinet,” according to the ministry.
