By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Nov 2: Developing Sarawak’s own education assessment system for Year Six pupils will not conflict with federal education policy, instead complementing them.
Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn views that there is nothing wrong with Sarawak implementing its own education assessment system which is intended to enhance the quality of education in the State.
Furthermore, he emphasised that such an assessment system is already in place for Sarawak-owned international schools and tertiary institutions such as Mara Junior Science College (MRSM).
“We are not competing with federal but rather, complementing them (education policy). This because we want the best for Sarawak and Sarawakians.
“That’s why Sarawak is firm in demanding greater education autonomy as this is actually just an administrative matter,” he told a press conference at his ministry’s office in Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) Tower in The Isthmus here today.
Sagah stressed that this initiative is not at odds with the national education policy, as it will be funded by Sarawak itself.
Regarding the timeline to implement the assessment system, he explained that the ministry is working it out in collaboration with Education Department Sarawak and relevant stakeholders including educational experts to gather diverse input and views before designing the assessment mechanism.
“We are studying all the past assessments conducted by other institutions and getting feedback from diverse groups to explore new and innovative ideas that may be better to improve Sarawak’s education system.
“Whether it resembles the UPSR (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah) examination, we will need to see when the study is completed,” he said.
Noting that there may be opposition to the proposal, Sagah reiterated the importance of having an independent student performance measurement to not only evaluate the potential and strengths of students ahead of secondary school but also to gauge the overall education level in Sarawak.
“This is not to penalise our students but rather guide and encourage them in their educational journey.
“As you know, people may excel academically but when it comes to real work, their ability is uncertain. But there are people with learning, even though weaker academically, but when it comes to practical skills, they are much better,” he said.
Sagah underscored the significance of this initiative for Sarawak’s development, especially in its transition to a green economy, with a strong focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
MEITD permanent secretary Datu Azmi Bujang was also present. — DayakDaily
