SHAH ALAM: Program Tuisyen Rakyat Selangor (PTRS) will continue to be improved with the introduction of biology, physics and chemistry to its list of subjects, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
He said the move was part of efforts to assist students sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination in improving their performance in Pure Science subjects.
“PTRS has had a positive impact on students, as seen in the 2024 SPM results, which show improved student achievements in Selangor
“The desire to enhance the quality of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects has borne fruit, as evidenced by the improved performance in elective subjects in the 2024 SPM Subject Average Grade (GPMP). We will continue to strengthen Biology, Physics, and Chemistry in the future,” he said.
He said this to reporters at the announcement of the 2024 SPM results for Selangor by State Education director Dr Jafri Abu here today.
Introduced in 2009, PTRS offers extra tuition in subjects such as Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics, Science, History, and Additional Mathematics for students from low-income families with average or poor academic performance.
PTRS also provides allowances to 1,956 teachers and coordinators involved, while students from 277 participating schools are given free lunches.
Amirudin added that he believed the state government’s intervention through PTRS had, to some extent, succeeded in improving both student achievements and the quality of education in Selangor, as reflected in the State Average Grade (GPN) for the 2024 SPM results, which were announced today.
Selangor recorded a GPN of 4.59 for 2024, an increase of 0.08 points from 4.67 last year, with 2,368 candidates, or 3.65 per cent, out of 73,799 achieving excellent results in all subjects, compared to 2,005 candidates (3.15 per cent) in 2023.
Meanwhile, Amirudin expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Education and the state government to reduce absenteeism during the SPM, noting a significant downward trend in recent years.
He said that 2,387 candidates were absent from the examination in 2022, with the number decreasing to 1,700 in 2023 and 1,221 the following year.
“We will continue to track those who were absent from the examination through the existing network and ensure they are given a second chance to take the SPM if they are interested,” he said.
