Give PBS system a chance - Fadhlina

KUALA LUMPUR: Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has asked parents to give the School-Based Assessment (PBS) system a chance.

She said prior to this, the country's education system was seen to be too focused on examinations and was of a 'high stake' nature which put pressure on students and teachers.

She also said that PBS does not only evaluate students based on academic achievements but also includes developing their potential.

"Give PBS a chance, and let's see the children's progress until the cycle is completed. After that, we can look into reintroducing the examinations (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Form Three Assessment (PT3))," she said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara programme las t night.

Elaborating, she said there is a final examination in the PBS system but not as high-stake as UPSR or PT3.

PBS also gives freedom or autonomy to each school to manage exams based on student's ability and gives parents a broader space to discuss their child's progress with teachers, she added.

On Dec 24, Fadhlina said the Education Ministry has decided that any decision on UPSR and PT3 examinations will be made after the tabling of the report on the implementation of the Malaysian Education Development Plan 2025 that is due in three years' time.

-- BERNAMA