KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — The success of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2020 students who recorded the best results in five years despite facing challenges due to COVID-19, shows that they are ready to take on more challenging tasks and responsibilities at the university level.
A teacher, Shamsukama Mohd Zahri, 45, said the experience and hard work of students in following the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) sessions had enabled them to gain digital skills and knowledge that were often practised in higher education institutions.
“I think these SPM 2020 children are in the best situation to pursue higher education because they are aware that university students need to be more independent in completing their assignments by finding their own information.
“This is what these students have been practising…they are used to finding their own information, answering additional questions and discussing with friends online and will not experience a culture shock when they pursue university education later,” he told Bernama.
Meanwhile, National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Aminuddin Awang said the success of SPM 2020 students was the combination of the students’ efforts and the commitment of the teachers who are willing to spend more time to teach through various mediums.
Apart from the normal PdPR session, which is online, he said there are also teachers who conduct additional classes, deliver learning materials to the students and provide direct guidance to students according to their needs.
“Form Five students are more mature so it is easy for them to deal with teachers through WhatsApp groups and call the teachers themselves at any time if they do not understand the subject being revised,” he said.
Aminuddin said the students deserved recognition for their success because despite the challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic, their spirit, struggle and effort was high because the exam could determine the pathway to tertiary education and future career.
“Don’t create hypothesis that if students face learning difficulties due to COVID-19, their results would get worse..this is not fair,” he said.
On Thursday, Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said the National Average Grade (GPN) of 4.80 recorded for SPM 2020 results was the country’s best in five years.
