No need to re-sit UPSR Chinese language paper - Deputy education minister

It is unnecessary for pupils to re-sit the allegedly tough Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) Chinese language test paper, said Deputy Education Minister Chong Sin Woon.

This was because the Malaysian Examinations Syndicate explained that the Standard Six pupils had the capability to answer the questions, he added.

Chong had met the syndicate following complaints from many parents and teachers that the UPSR Chinese comprehension paper had used excerpts from Chinese classical literature used in the Malaysian secondary school syllabus.

He said syndicate officials had explained to him at a meeting two days ago that the question paper was set based on the existing procedure in the education ministry besides taking into account the pre-test conducted in schools.

"The questions can be answered by our pupils. I wish to reiterate that there is no need for the pupils to re-sit the exam,” he told reporters after launching the “School Interaction System (SIS)” at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Kembangan here today.

Chong, who is also MCA Youth chief, said however that he did not agree with the use of elements of Chinese language which Malaysian pupils were unfamiliar with.

“There is a difference in some elements of Chinese language used in Malaysia, China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. As such, do not have to adopt the standard used in China but have one suitable for Malaysia," he said.

He said this was discussed with the syndicate officials and they would raise it with the syndicate to make the necessary adjustments for future examinations.

On SIS, Chong said the ministry welcomed he initiative taken by SMK Seri Kembangan and EMM Education Technology Sdn Bhd to develop a system to monitor the attendance and discipline of students at school.

He said the SIS, the first system to be used in the secondary school in Malaysia, was a platform that enabled the principal, teachers, students and parents to communicate effectively in managing and monitoring students.

"The use of the ICT technology will help the school management, reduce the burden of teachers and does not impose a financial burden on parents. As such, there is no objection for schools to implement it," he said.

SIS will be implemented next month at SMK Seri Kembangan, which has an enrolment of 3,350, at a cost of RM2.50 per student (first schoolgoing child) and RM1.25 (second schoolgoing child), to monitor the attendance of students.

The absence of the students will trigger an SMS to inform parents. Besides, parents can access the electronic report card of their children at any time to monitor their work at school.