STAM 2014: Increase in passes, drop in excellence

A total of 3,823 candidates or 63.3 percent out of 6,035, obtained at least a Maqbul (pass) grade in 10 subjects they sat for in the Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) 2014.

This was an increase of 2.9 percent or 310 candidates from 60.4 percent or 3,513 candidates who passed in all subjects out of the total of 5,816 STAM candidates in 2013.

Education director-general Datuk Seri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said the number of candidates obtaining the STAM certificate with Mumtaz (excellence), however, dropped by 5.5 percent or 331 candidates from 6.3 percent (369 candidates) in 2013.

"Overall, the achievement of the STAM 2014 candidates was comparable to that in 2013, whereby the National Average Grade (GPN) in both years were similar at 3.20 points," he said when announcing the STAM 2014 results analysis, here, today.

STAM 2014

Dr Khair (centre) after announcing the STAM 2014 results at the Education Ministry. With him are Education deputy D-G Khairil Awan (left) and Examination deputy director Kamaruddin Jazuli. - BERNAMApic

Khair said the number of candidates who achieved the Jayyid Jiddan (very good) grade, increased by 39 but in terms of percentage, the figure dropped by 0.1 percent.

The number of candidates who obtained the certificate with the Jayyid (good) and Maqbul grades rose by 1.6 percent to 160 and 2.3 percent or 149, respectively.

Khair said overall, 8,800 candidates sat for the STAM last year, including 7,769 from various categories of schools while 1,031 were private candidates.

When asked on the decline in the number of candidates obtaining Mumtaz for all subjects, he said the Education Ministry would recruit 64 pure Arab-speaking teachers in 2016 to improve students' performance in the STAM.

"The proposal paper on this had been passed at the ministry level and we are awaiting approval from the Cabinet, while other initiatives will also be implemented," he said.