UPSR to continue until it is time for it to be replaced - Mahdzir

Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the existing Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) would continue to be held until a time appropriate for the system to be replaced.

He said a study to identify a suitable system to replace the UPSR was still being carried out by getting feedback from interested parties, including parents.

"UPSR will continue to be held until we have discussed with all the quarters involved. This engagement takes along time, with parents, professionals, unions, academicians, all have them to sit together," he said.

He told this reporters after a visit to Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Gaya here, today, to observe the running of the UPSR examination, which began today.

Also present were Education Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad, Education Director-General Tan Sri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof and Sabah Education Director Datuk Maimunah Suhaibul.

In a related development, Mahdzir said the achievement report for this year's Year 6 students would be made in a holistic manner, where it would not be based only on their academic performance or UPSR result, but also to take into account other aspects, such as co-curriculum, personality, sport and others under the School-based Assessment.

"So, the marks given to a student are not only in academic. We want to look at the student's achievement holistically," he said, adding that the assessment would benefit the students when they want to pursue studies.

A total of 443,794 candidates are sitting for the UPSR examination nationwide, with about 44,000 of them in Sabah.

The UPSR candidates comprised 433,536 students from government and government-aided schools, with the remaining from private schools.

In PERAK, State Education director Mat Lazim Idris said a total of 34, 226 Year Six students sat for the examination in the state, comprising 23, 325 students from national schools, Chinese national-type schools (7,978), Tamil national-type schools (2,070), and private schools (853).

In NEGERI SEMBILAN, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said 16,609 candidates sat for the UPSR in the state, including 10 who had to sit for the test in hospitals and 13 children with special needs.

"The candidate with special needs are given an additional 30 minutes to one hour depending on the papers they sat for," he said after a visit to Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Kampung Bharu Broga, Lenggeng.

In SELANGOR, State Education director Mohd Salleh Mohd Kassim said as a precautionary measure in case of a flood, schools affected by UPSR had been asked to have their examination centres on the upper floor of their school buildings.

In PENANG, State Education director Shaari Osman said the department was monitoring the flood situation in Jawi, but so far, it did not affect any of the UPSR candidates.

-- BERNAMA