Don't put too much pressure on primary school pupils - Mahdzir

Textbooks provided by the Ministry of Education for primary school pupils are sufficient for their educational needs, said Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

He said primary school pupils, aged between seven and 12, should be given the opportunity to enjoy school life rather than being deluged with academic pressure.

"The textbooks are sufficient...they are still young. The problem is that we are too stressed out to make them learn everything. Let them feel happy to come to school and have fun in learning," he said at the graduation ceremony of 390 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) students at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Sulaiman here today.

He was commenting on Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon's statement that there were schools that did not comply with the ministry's circular on the use of workbooks.

Mahdzir said they were schools that still use several workbooks in addition to the textbooks and that made the schoolchildren had to lug heavy bags to school daily.

"Some of these schoolchildren have to endure carrying a bag weighing 10kg to school," he chided.

-- BERNAMA