KBAT not reason for drop in SPM high achievers - Kamalanathan

The inculcation of Higher Order Thinking Skills (KBAT) elements is not the main cause for the drop in the number of high achievers in the 2015 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), said Education Deputy Minister P. Kamalanathan.

He said the ministry was analysing all the subjects to find the cause for the drop.

"I believe KBAT is not the cause for the drop in the number of high achievers although some people say the method has made the examination increasingly difficult.

"KBAT is a government effort to instil critical thinking and analytical skills in students to prepare them for university," he told reporters here Friday.

Only 9,721 or 2.38 per cent of SPM candidates recorded excellent results in 2015 as compared to 11,289 or 2.63 per cent candidates in 2014.

Earlier, Kamalanathan visited SPM top scorer, Durga Gunasegaran, 18, at her home here.

The student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sri Gading, Rawang obtained 11A+.

Speaking to reporters, the elder of two children said she aspired to become an expert in nanotechnology and wanted to further her studies abroad.

She said the secret to her success was discipline and diligent revision.