All disciplinary action against those who criticised SBA should be withdrawn - Kit Siang

DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang in response to the Education Ministry’s suspension of the School-Based Assessment (SBA) is urging all disciplinary action against SGMM chief Nor Izzat and all teachers who criticised SBA to be immediately withdrawn.

“The heavy-handed response by the Education Ministry to penalise Nor Izzat and teachers who have come forward to criticise the SBA is totally uncalled for and unjustifiable and must be deplored as a very mean and cowardly manner to suppress legitimate criticism in the education service,” he said.

He added that the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should give his personal attention to ensure that all disciplinary actions against Nor Izzat and teachers who had criticised the SBA should be revoked immediately.

“Nor Izzat and all teachers who had come forward to criticise the SBA should be invited by the Education Ministry to participate in the evaluation of the SBA to date,” said Kit Siang who is also Gelang Patah MP.

He is also calling on Muhyiddin to give a full report to Parliament next month on the SBA fiasco and disaster.

Education director-general Datuk Dr Khir Mohamad Yusof announced Sunday that the results of the PBS review will be released once the Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is satisfied with the proposed improvements.

The changes will take into account the ministry's latest findings, teachers' grievances, and public outcry, including that of Suara Guru Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM).

"The ministry has taken the initiative to re-examine the PBS implementation in order to reduce teachers' workload by focusing on the frequencies of teachers entering the data, including filling in pupils' performance evaluation record cards which can be burdensome," he said.