[COLUMNIST] Beyond quick fixes: Addressing the root causes of SPM absenteeism and workforce shortages

AS SPM 2024 concludes, a worrying yet familiar issue has resurfaced. Minister of Education, Fadhlina Sidek, reported that as of 10:00 on 2nd January 2025, the attendance of around 10,000 students remained unconfirmed (The Star, 2025). The first paper for one of the mandatory subjects, Bahasa Melayu, began at 08:15 on the same day.

The full extent of absenteeism among the 2024 SPM cohort can only be determined after the examination officially ends, once the Ministry of Education (MOE) finalises its report. However, with such a significant number of students skipping Bahasa Melayu, their attendance in subsequent papers becomes irrelevant, as they will be ineligible to receive SPM certificates.

In a previous publication, EMIR Research explored the possible causes of SPM absenteeism (refer to “SPM absenteeism: The end result of mismatch between education sector and job market”). The issue stems from multiple factors, making solutions complex. However, the government must act swiftly to ensure future generations receive adequate educated.

In an attempt to curb SPM absenteeism, the MOE has pledged to amend the Education Act 1996, extending compulsory education from primary to secondary level. The bill is expected to be tabled in the current parliamentary session (Malay Mail, 2024; Free Malaysia Today, 2025).

The proposed amendment is certainly a welcomed and long-overdue move. Making secondary education compulsory will help safeguard children’s right to education and further reduce dropout rates. However, will it have any impact on SPM absenteeism?

Unfortunately, it may not.

The SPM absenteeism rate is calculated based on total registrants—specifically, how many students registered for the exam versus how many actually sat for it. While any school student aged 19 as of 1st January in the examination year can register as a private candidate, the rest are already enrolled in secondary education.

Thus, while extending compulsory education to the secondary level would ensure higher school enrolment, it is unlikely to improve SPM attendance. In fact, it may even lead to a higher number of absentees simply due to the increase in total candidates.

The assumption that increased enrolment would improve SPM attendance rests on the belief that all additional students would sit for the examination. However, this is simply not the case.

In a previous publication, EMIR Research suggested that many youths may be turning away from education in favour of earlier employment, drawn by the gig economy’s low entry barriers and earning potential—often comparable to, or even exceeding, jobs that required a diploma or degree.

For today’s youth, the purpose of education has changed. Once valued for broadening knowledge, expanding worldviews, and fostering critical thinking, it is now primarily seen as a means to secure higher earnings in a shorter time. When the promise of better financial prospects fails to materialise, abandoning education becomes a logical decision, as the perceived return on investment diminishes.

A similar issue arises with the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) initiative to increase the number of nurses in public hospitals by lowering entry requirements for nursing diplomas. Minister of Health, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, confirmed that the council has approved reducing the minimum SPM credit requirement from five to three for nursing diploma applicants, a change that will apply to students enrolling in 2025 and 2026 (Free Malaysia Today, 2025a).

Lowering entry requirements could increase the number of students pursuing nursing diplomas. While this comes at the risk of compromising the quality of new nurses, it is seen as a necessary measure to replenish a healthcare system currently facing severe staff shortages. That is, assuming there will be a higher intake of nursing diploma students and that graduates will choose to join public healthcare.

Public healthcare is already struggling with an exodus of nurses to the private sector and overseas, where they find better salaries, working conditions, and career prospects. This reality inevitably influences one’s decision to remain in the system.

Why would someone invest tens of thousands of ringgit and three years of their life post-SPM to earn a nursing diploma, only to work in a public hospital as a U29 nurse with a base salary of RM1,797—just RM97 above the new minimum wage of RM1,700—while being overburdened with responsibilities beyond their scope? How can they contribute effectively when they are barely surviving?

This is a recurring issue across many sectors—problems persist, yet solutions often merely scratch the surface, failing to address root causes. At times, proposed measures seem entirely disconnected from the issue, and in some cases, they may even exacerbate the problem. This is largely due to a lack of foundation in data, science, and economics.

The Waktu Berkerja Berlainan (WBB) system is one such proposal that, on the surface aimed to address prolonged working hours for medical officers. In reality, however, it only stretched an already thin workforce further, eliminated proper compensation for those working night shifts on weekdays, and failed to tackle the core issues directly impacting our healthcare workers.

In education, the claim that amending the Education Act 1996 would improve SPM attendance is similarly unfounded, as explained above. The only direct correlation between the two is that compulsory secondary education will increase the total number of registered SPM candidates in the future—but not necessarily attendance rates.

Compulsory secondary education and lowering the entry requirements for nursing diplomas are both commendable policies that should be pursued. However, they are very unlikely to achieve what their respective ministries intend—at least not without complementary measures that address the fundamental root causes of these chronic issues.

The solutions to SPM absenteeism are multifaceted, as students may miss the exam due to work, illness, or various other reasons. At the very least, the MOE should identify students at higher risk of missing the examination due to circumstances beyond their control and intervene accordingly. Most importantly, these students must be treated as individuals rather than mere data points. They need compassionate and comprehensive support, not impersonal calls urging them to sit for the exam.

This would involve MOE resolving their manpower shortage. The education sector is already grappling with a critical teacher deficit, with the National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) reporting a nationwide shortage of over 20,000 teachers in 2023 (New Straits Times, 2023). A lower student-teacher ratio—where teachers manage fewer students—would allow for more professional attention, which could be the key factor in helping struggling students regain their footing.

Similarly, tackling the nursing shortage requires genuinely listening to nurses and addressing their concerns rather than sidestepping the issue. Offering adequate compensation that allows for a dignified standard of living—rather than merely ticking off the box of minimum wage compliance—and improving working conditions would not only encourage nurses to remain in public healthcare but also make the sector more attractive to fresh nursing graduates.

What the nation needs now are credible, research-driven solutions that do more than just scratch the surface—they must actively address the root causes of these issues. This is the only way forward if we are to meaningfully improve both the nation and the well-being of its people.

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Chia Chu Hang is a Research Assistant at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research.

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.

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