Education Fair

Star Education Fair
Sunday March 14, 2010
Quality of grade matters
By KAREN CHAPMAN


educate@thestar.com.my

IT is not the number of subjects taken in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) by a student which matters, but the quality of the grades obtained.

Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said this was why Gladys Tan Yee Kim of SMK Green Road in Kuching was named the country’s top student in the SPM as it was the quality of the 10A+’s she obtained that mattered rather than the number of subjects taken. In the past, it was the most number of A’s achieved in the examination which mattered.

“Gladys is the best student in Malaysia as she tops our ranking based on merit,” he said when announcing the analysis of the SPM and Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) 2009 results on Thursday.

Alimuddin said the ministry has produced a ranking of all the 465,853 students who sat for the SPM last year.
Top of the world: Gladys showing her results slip. — ANDRE OLIVEIRO / The Star

“We have implemented a more detailed grading system starting from last year’s SPM and an A+ grade is considered a super distinction,” he said.

Alimuddin explained that obtaining an A+ was the highest possible grade and meant students have scored more than 90% in their subjects. (see chart)

Students are now graded according to A+, A, A-, B+, B, C+, C, D, E and G as previously the grades were from 1A to 9G.

The change in the grading system, he added when announcing this last year, would provide a detailed breakdown of excellent candidates who obtained grade A’s in the examination.

“Taking 10 subjects is still manageable and students have the time to focus on the subjects,” he said addding that most who sat for the exam last year opted to take between nine and 11 subjects.

He said this was in line with the announcement made last year by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who said students sitting for the SPM from this year could take two additional subjects, but the results would only be based on 10 subjects.

He had said last June that students would be allowed to take a maximum of 10 subjects (the six core subjects in the SPM are Bahasa Melayu, English, Islamic Education or Moral Studies, History, Mathematics and Science and electives making it 10 in total) in the SPM from 2010.

Muhyiddin, who is Education Minister, said the about-turn was decided by the Cabinet following requests by certain quarters that the ministry allow students to sign up for 12 subjects.

Chinese Language, Chinese Literature, Tamil Language, Tamil Literature and Arabic will count towards the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) final grade if they fall within the maximum 10 subjects that can be taken by students in the examination.

Alimuddin said female students did better than their male counterparts in the examination.

“Girls scored a National Average Grade (GPN) of 4.94 while boys scored 5.79,” he said. An excellent GPN would start at 0 while the GPN of those who failed in all their subjects is 9.

Of the 7,987 students who obtained a combination of A+, A and A- in all the subjects taken in the SPM last year, he said 4,683 (58.63%) were girls.

Alimuddin said 214 students from government schools and another 41 students who are either from private schools or private candidates, obtained A+ in all subjects taken.

He said Ng Jin Lui from SMK Gajah Berang in Malacca, who is visually impaired was the top special needs student in the country with four A+’s, three A’s and four A-’s.

In Science, English and Moral Education, Alimuddin said rural students did better than their urban counterparts.

London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Asia chief operating officer Mark Disney said successful students who took Principles of Accounting would be eligible to apply for the LCCI Level Two Book keeping and Accounts (Bahasa Melayu) Certificate or its English alternative if they meet the requirements for the GCE ‘O’ Level English 1119.

“This innovative double certification is a bonus for Malaysian students because it provides employers with proof of competence,” he said.

For the overall results, Alimuddin said 364,046 students obtained the SPM certificate this year compared to 347,443 in 2008.

Of the total who obtained the SPM certificate, he said 199,155 passed all their subjects compared to 181,419 in 2008.

He said 3,138 students obtained the STAM certificate with the minimum grade of ‘Maqbul’ (Pass).

“Their achievements mean they will be able to obtain a place at the Al-Azhar University in Egypt and other institutions,” he said.

He said the STAM was recognised as equivalent to the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia by the Public Services Department last year.