'Teachers need not continue PBS implementation'

Teachers do not have to continue implementing the School-Based Assessment (PBS) until the Education Ministry issues a statement about it, said Education director-general Datuk Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof.

He said the Education Department would only announce the results of the PBS review after Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is satisfied with the proposed improvements.

The changes will take into account the ministry's latest findings, teachers' grievances, and public outcry, including that of Suara Guru Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM), Khair said in a statement on Sunday.

"The ministry has taken the initiative to re-examine the PBS implementation in order to reduce teachers' workload by focusing on the frequencies of teachers entering the data, including filling in pupils' performance evaluation record cards which can be burdensome," he said.

He said the recently set up ministry-level PBS taskforce would hold a weekly meeting to review and evaluate the progress of each action taken in scrutinising the system.

"The PBS War Rooms have also been set up at the ministry level to address issues arising in the PBS implementation immediately and effectively, including providing prompt feedback," he said.

He said the ministry was working on to improve access to the School-Based Assessment Management System to ensure that teachers could gain access to the system more easily and effectively.

The nationwide PBS briefings for primary and secondary schools, which started on Monday, have also been put on hold to avoid confusion over its implementation, he added.

Khair said the findings of workshops on the PBS implementation involving teachers and teachers' unions recently would be announced soon.

"This is to ensure that each element of the PBS implementation will provide a holistic assessment on students while reducing teachers' burden in implementing it," he added.