The Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) should be reinstated, as it serves as a means to assess students’ progress after completing six years of primary education.
Former Minister of Finance Lim Guan Eng recently shared his thoughts on the abolishment of UPSR, citing examinations as the “hallmark and yardstick” of academic performance. Earlier, Minister of Education Fadhlina Sidek hinted at the possible return of UPSR and PT3, which were discontinued in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
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“We cannot continue falling behind”
While he did not mention PT3 in his social media post, Guan Eng said at the very least, UPSR has to be revived before the students move forward to secondary education.
In response to the Prime Minister’s announcement of the 10-year National Education Blueprint 2026–2035, Guan Eng highlighted the need for essential reforms. These reforms should focus on improving Malaysia’s performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). At the same time, they should also strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
“We cannot afford to continue falling behind, including in comparison with Vietnam, whether in terms of PISA scores or the production and density of engineers.”
He also said that no compromise can be made on education standards that are constrained by emotional rhetoric without the support of solid facts, data, and knowledge.
In his post, Guan Eng expresses his hope in Fadhlina Sidek and Deputy Minister Wong Kah Woh to carry out these difficult but necessary education reforms. He added that these measures must also be in line with justifying the large allocation of RM66.2 billion, while driving Malaysia towards a higher level of success.
Will UPSR and PT3 return?
At the time of writing, there are no official updates on whether the examinations will be reintroduced. Fadhlina, however, said that an announcement on the Malaysian Education Plan (RPM) will be made today (20 January), in which the abolished examinations may be mentioned.
Stay tuned as we keep you updated.
