Claims of PBS implemented in haste not true - Radzi

KUALA LUMPUR: Claims that implementation of the School Based Assessment (PBS) was made in haste to replace the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) and Form 3 Assessment (PT3) are not true, said Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin.

He said the PBS had been been implemented for over 10 years, since 2011 at the primary school level and 2012 at the secondary school level.

"We have held engagement sessions involving many parties. In this context, we find that in every decision to be made, there will be constraints...to wait for the situation to be perfect before we want to implement it, we don't know when," he said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Natrah Ismail (PH-Sekijang) who wanted to know whether implementation of PBS replace UPSR and PT3 was done in haste.

According to Radzi, the PBS, which aims to evaluate the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, physical and social aspects of the student is a a move towards producing a new generation that is more creative and open.

In fact, he said, the education system around the world was now reducing the focus on examinations in order to produce a more creative generation.

He said the empowerment of PBS was one of the approaches by the Education Ministry to move from exam-oriented learning to a more enjoyable learning for students.

Apart from that, he said, the Education Ministry would also improve and strengthen the reporting method of Classroom Assessment (PBD) with student achievement twice a year, which is in the middle of the academic session and at the end of the academic session, using a comprehensive and clear descriptor.

The reporting also assesses the level of efforts made by student to learn, he added.

-- BERNAMA