KUCHING: The inaugural dual language programme assessment test (UP-DLP) for Year Six pupils in Sarawak could serve as a case study for the possible return of the abolished Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR).
Deputy Director of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)’s Malaysian Inclusive Development and Advancement Institute Dr Anuar Ahmad said a centralised assessment would allow for better measurement of students’ mastery of the 3R, namely reading, writing and arithmetic before they advanced to secondary school.
He noted that UPSR should have been retained but streamlined to focus on four core subjects; Malay, English, mathematics and science, while other subjects could be evaluated through classroom-based assessment.
“We need a standard checkpoint for all students.
“If weaknesses are found, interventions can be made before they enter secondary school,” he said, quoted by FMT.
Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, previously announced that the UP-DLP would be held on Oct 15 and 16, covering mathematics, science and English.
He said the assessment is not designed as a competitive examination but rather to help the state government identify schools requiring additional support.
Dr Anuar also pointed out that UPSR, abolished in 2021, was often misused as a benchmarking tool between schools and states instead of genuinely measuring pupils’ performance.
He cautioned that students who failed to master the 3Rs by Year Six risked losing motivation to improve academically in secondary school, which could eventually lead to dropouts.
Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia senior lecturer Prof Dr Wan Marzuki Wan Jaafar said Sarawak’s initiative could provide valuable insights, but any move to reinstate UPSR should be based on comprehensive research.
He stressed that centralised tests should function as diagnostic tools rather than competitive measures, with priority remaining on strengthening classroom assessments and effective interventions.
