If you don’t do your revision properly, you know what’ll happen? You Shall Not Pass!
– Sir Ian McKellen, actor
As we reflect on our nation’s education landscape, it is timely to ask a hard question of ourselves: have we truly served our children well by abandoning national examinations? Or have we unwittingly weakened the very foundations upon which academic excellence, fairness, and measurable student achievement are built?
If education is the engine of national progress, then nothing matters more than how we assess our students’ learning outcomes, and how parents, teachers and students respond to those assessments.
Recently, Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee caught my attention. He called for the urgent reinstatement of the UPSR and PT3 examinations, both abolished in 2021 and 2022 respectively, arguing there is no need for prolonged studies when the positive impacts are already evident.
Dr Annuar’s argument is not merely nostalgic: it is rooted in observable improvements under Sarawak’s Ujian Penilaian Dual Language Programme (UP-DLP). He emphasised that in just one year of implementation, teachers have become more focused, parents are more engaged, and students have taken their studies more seriously, especially in competition for places in high-performing schools.
These are outcomes that showcase how accountability matters in learning. Most instructively, principals have shown renewed commitment and a stronger sense of responsibility for academic performance, proving that measurable milestones like examinations drive systemic focus and results.
There is another layer to this story, credit where it is due. The visionary leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has consistently emphasised the value of public examinations and the importance of mastering not only Bahasa Malaysia but also English. This foresight has laid the foundation for Sarawak’s educational initiatives and reinforces Dr Annuar’s call.
It is right that such leadership be recognised for restoring confidence in educational metrics that benefit students and society alike.
I agree wholeheartedly with Dr Annuar. I grew up under a Malaysian education system that was, in many ways, complete and rounded. Long before the words “21st century skills” filled education policy documents, our classrooms introduced us to ancient world history, literature, arithmetic, religious and moral values, geography and even political concepts.
In Primary Six, we prepared for our Common Entrance Examination not with fear but with a sense of purpose. We never heard the word “stress” used dismissively; teachers, especially the dedicated foreign mission school and South Asian teachers, were deeply concerned about imparting knowledge and life lessons to their students. Parents supported the process. It was understood that examinations were a milestone, not a burden.
Sadly, those days seem distant now.
Today, reports have surfaced suggesting alarming gaps in basic literacy and numeracy skills among students. Recent data from national sources point to hundreds of thousands of children struggling to master reading, writing and arithmetic (3M), a disturbing trend that cannot be ignored.
One report cited that 122,000 Year One students have yet to master basic 3M skills, while only 58 per cent of students can adequately read by the end of Year Five, trailing behind neighbouring countries in this fundamental competency.
No wonder then that a Sarawak Tribune report recently disclosed that a large majority, nearly 80 per cent, of teachers in Sarawak support the reinstatement of UPSR and PT3. A survey conducted in October 2024 involving 2,060 respondents drawn from teachers found that 1,643 (79.8 per cent) were in favour of bringing back public exams, with only 20.2 per cent opposed.
Sarawak Teachers’ Union president Kullin Djayang was clear: examinations remain relevant, playing a crucial role in students’ academic development. Their professional insights matter; they are the ones in classrooms day after day, guiding students through learning processes and observing first-hand what works. And what doesn’t!
Teachers pointed out that examination results serve as an objective indicator for student placement into suitable classes and academic streams when transitioning to Form One or Form Four. They maintain that a certain level of examination pressure helps students stay attentive, disciplined and academically committed. These are qualities that are valuable not only for schooling but for life beyond the classroom.
Of course, I must be fair. Critics of reinstating exams have voiced concerns, and some have argued that examinations can cause undue stress for students. The Ministry of Education in response to past debates emphasised a decision to focus on strengthening school-based assessments (PBS) and alternative forms of evaluation. Yet the recent willingness to revisit public examinations shows that even policymakers are acknowledging potential shortcomings in the purely school-based framework.
Let us be clear: the problem is not examinations per se; it is policy inconsistency and the failure to address real learning challenges with clarity and resolve. Too often, educational policies are introduced without adequate consultation with experts, teachers, parents, or research evidence. Flip-flops are too common: the abrupt phasing in and out of UPSR and PT3, the back-and-forth over medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics, and even changes to uniform policies and shoe colours. These might appear small, but they signal an unsettling lack of policy coherence that ultimately affects students, teachers and parents alike.
The call to reinstate examinations should therefore be matched with appropriate safeguards: mental health supports, quality teaching environments, and professional development for teachers to focus on instruction rather than administrative tasks. Kullin aptly pointed out that teachers should spend more time in classrooms and less on “excessive administrative work and extensive online clerical tasks”, a sentiment worth heeding if we want exams to be implemented effectively.
Global education experts, such as Gopala Krishnan, reiterate that standardised assessments are essential tools not only for evaluating academic achievement but for ensuring fairness across schools and regions. His decades of experience remind us that exams like A-Levels, UPSR, PT3, SPM and STPM have traditionally set clear benchmarks, promoting meritocracy and consistency across varied learning environments.
These assessments ensure that students from rural, urban, affluent, or disadvantaged backgrounds are evaluated on a common scale. Without this, disparities in school-based assessments can widen, potentially disadvantaging students whose schools may apply different standards or expectations.
Standardised exams are not merely academic checkpoints; they are societal equalisers, offering all students a fair measure of their learning and potential.
There is also the matter of life skills. Examinations teach our students time management, discipline, and the ability to perform under pressure, essential traits that extend far beyond the classroom walls. Stress, in moderate and supportive amounts, is not inherently harmful. In fact, learning to manage expectations, deadlines and performance anxiety is part of preparing young people for the real world.
Shrinking from this reality does no service to the next generation; it only shelters them from challenges they will inevitably face. Eliminating exams does not eliminate stress, it only obscures where and how we prepare students to handle it.
Moreover, without reliable benchmarks to measure learning outcomes uniformly across schools and districts, it becomes difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, curriculum implementation and education policy itself. National examinations have long played this role. Their absence has left teachers and parents without a shared standard, weakening collective confidence in student outcomes.
The solution, therefore, is not to abolish assessments altogether but to reintroduce meaningful examinations while concurrently addressing associated issues such as stress, teacher workload, curriculum quality, and support mechanisms for students who struggle. Educational experts, psychologists and stakeholders should be invited to guide implementation; not as gatekeepers to delay progress, but as partners in creating a robust and humane examination culture.
At the same time, leaders in power must resolve to make consistent, evidence-based policies with thorough consultation and a long-term view. Our children’s futures and indeed our nation’s progress hinge on stability, clarity and academic integrity. Policies that change with every ministerial term may make headlines, but they harm students’ learning journeys.
The restoration of UPSR and PT3 is about reaffirming our commitment to academic standards, fairness, and measurable learning outcomes. And it is about ensuring that when a child leaves primary or lower secondary school, parents, teachers and the nation can say with confidence that the student has achieved a recognised milestone in knowledge and competence.
Only then can we say confidently that our education system is not adrift, but anchored in standards, fairness, and opportunity for all.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at rajlira@gmail.com
