KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry (MOE) is planning to rebrand the Form Six colleges to the MOE pre-university colleges, says Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

She said the move will give it a new image, adding that it is also the MOE's commitment to ensure that Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examination will be an option among students who wish to pursue their studies.

"With the rebranding of the Form Six education system (there will be term changes) from pupils to students, teachers to lecturers, principals to directors and senior assistant teachers to deputy directors," she said when speaking at the best student award ceremony for 2022 STPM, the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) and the Malay Language Proficiency Certification for Non-Malaysians (SKBMW) here, today.

When asked after the ceremony, Fadhlina said only the job titles will change but the salary grades will remain the same.

She said the MOE has also granted autonomous power to the principals of Form Six schools, effective immediately, to relax the conditions for the entry of students of which the principals are now allowed to offer spots to qualified candidates and those who want to continue their studies, if they are still vacancies.

"It is part of the MOE's efforts to reduce dropouts because previously the admission process for Form Six students was via the offer from MOE. The ministry might overlook students who are eligible to continue their studies at the STPM level," she said adding that the autonomy given to the principals to identify eligible students will be an effective and efficient approach to provide the opportunity for students to pursue their studies.

The ministry is also working to increase the number of Form Six excellent teachers currently accounts for only about 0.5 per cent or 60 teachers out of the total number of teachers teaching the sixth formers, she said adding that the ministry will also review the instruments and rubrics used to evaluate these teachers to improve their quality and professionalism.

On the registration of students into Form Six, she said 67 per cent of those offered have registered and confirmed to pursue the studies, so far.

On another development, Fadhlina said the MOE has identified that 10,000 candidates have applied to re-sit the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination comprising candidates who did not sit for the exam from various years, adding the remaining 20,000 people are still being identified.

The ministry had previously confirmed that nearly 30,000 candidates who were registered did not sit for the SPM 2022 examination.

-- BERNAMA