Why Are A And A Grades Not Enough Sivaraj Asks Education Ministry

---

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek faced questions today over the classification of A and A- in SPM grades as below excellent, a decision that has drawn criticism.
In a statement today, senator C Sivaraj cited official information on the new criteria that purportedly stipulates that only students who achieve at least 10As, consisting exclusively of A+ and A grades, qualify for automatic admission into government matriculation colleges.
“This means students who obtain nine As, or 10 As, including the A- grade, are no longer considered outstanding (cemerlang) for this purpose. We must ask ourselves, do we want to recognise student excellence or merely fulfil certain quotas?
“It’s quite peculiar that outstanding students are forced to appeal for places in matriculation programmes, despite having already proven their efforts and results.
“Even more peculiar is how the education minister seems more preoccupied with defending unreasonable requirements rather than listening to public opinion,” he said.
“If the government is truly serious about producing quality generations, why are doors to future opportunities being closed due to bureaucratic reasoning?” Sivaraj (above) questioned.
What of students with fewer than 10 subjects?
He pointed out that many students, especially those from non-bumiputera groups and ordinary day schools, take only nine subjects.
This is not due to any weakness, but because of school structures, environmental capabilities, and a focus on quality rather than quantity, he explained.
Sivaraj said that many of these students achieve nine As, including A and A+ grades, but still miss out on automatic offers, simply because they didn’t take 10 subjects.
He pointed out that programmes such as the Bachelor of Education recognise the grades A+, A and A- as outstanding, and that it is only appropriate that the definition of outstanding for matriculation should likewise be standardised, to avoid different interpretations within the same system.
“Firstly, I suggest that A- grades be included within the outstanding category, in line with the interpretation used in the entry requirements for the Bachelor of Education Programme by the Malaysian Institute of Teacher Education.
ADS“The automatic rejection of A- seems to deny the value of hard work from students performing within a high achievement range.
“Secondly, students who achieve at least 9As (combination of A+, A, and A-) should also be given automatic consideration for matriculation programmes.
“This is because students aren’t required to take 10 subjects, and many non-Muslim students, in particular, don’t take more than nine subjects due to certain constraints,” he added.
Students sitting for their SPM examinationSivaraj said that penalising students for merely taking one fewer subject is unfair and does not reflect a progressive education policy.
“Let’s not punish students because of the system. Let’s help them because of their potential.
“A supposedly caring government shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the voices of young people who have proven their capabilities,” he added.
The country cannot manage a country with “mere sentiment and slogans”, he warned.
“Education isn't an experimental space, it’s an arena of justice. I believe Malaysia isn’t so small and weak that being fair is considered a threat to anyone.
“This country is large enough to accommodate justice for all, if there’s a will. And if there’s courage,” he said.
‘New rule creates anxiety’
MCA on Tuesday also questioned the grading policy, describing it as a sudden and unjustified shift in standards.
“More troubling is the retroactive nature of the criteria change. Only students who obtained at least 10 A+ or A grades, specifically in mathematics, additional mathematics, chemistry, and either physics or biology, now qualify automatically.
“Others will be evaluated through a points system. This shift unfairly penalises students who earned multiple A- grades, many of whom had aimed for matriculation based on prior criteria,” the party’s education consultative committee deputy chairperson Felicia Wong said in a statement.
Wong said that the redefinition was only announced after SPM results were released, creating anxiety and undermining trust in the system.
She added that such sudden changes also raise fears of future policy instability and that students shouldn’t have to gamble their futures on uncertain standards. - Mkini

---