Education Ministry investigates factors behind SPM exam no-shows

The Education Ministry in Malaysia is investigating the factors behind a significant number of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students not attending their examination day. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the purpose of the study is to make appropriate interventions to ensure improved student attendance in future years.

Fadhlina Sidek explained that there could be various factors that led to students missing the examination and that the ministry would need time to examine the matter. She highlighted that candidates included not only those from Ministry of Education (MOE) schools but also private candidates.

The minister’s comments came following a local newspaper report that revealed 14,858, or 3.8%, of the 388,832 registered candidates for the 2022 SPM did not attend the examination. This represented an increase compared to the 2021 SPM, which saw 10,681, or 2.7%, of the 392,837 registered candidates absent.

Fadhlina also noted that over 90% of candidates who sat for the SPM last year obtained their certificate, compared to 80% the previous year. The MOE’s focus is to further increase the percentage of candidates who obtain the certificate.

Regarding the proposed move to improve the History syllabus, Fadhlina said that every subject taught in schools had its own cycle. She added that the school curriculum is monitored by experts, and the ministry will review all subjects, not only History, when the time comes for the cycle to end.