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The debate over reinstating the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3) has gained significant momentum following recent calls by political leaders
Education experts, including Dr Anuar Ahmad from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, argued that a centralised system is necessary to gauge student mastery levels nationwide using a standardised benchmark, according to the New Straits Times.
However, he said a reintroduced UPSR should move away from being a "high-stakes", content-heavy exam and instead return to its 1988 roots, focusing specifically on the foundational skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
To make the assessment even more effective, Dr Anuar recommends conducting it in Year Four or Five, allowing time for academic intervention before pupils transition to secondary school.
Meanwhile, advocacy groups like the Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) are urging caution
PAGE said any decision to reinstate major examinations must be driven by learning outcomes rather than political pressure or nostalgia.
PAGE chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the Ministry of Education must first determine if the issues being addressed — such as a lack of public confidence in current assessments — can be resolved through better moderation of the existing school-based system.
She warned that simply returning to old examination formats may not address the underlying gaps in consistency and accountability that led to their initial abolition.
Amid these conflicting views, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has stated that the ministry requires more time to conduct a comprehensive study on the matter
The evaluation aims to strike a balance between the need for national standards and fostering holistic student development, ensuring that any new system does not revert to the intense pressure of the previous era.
Since the abolition of UPSR in 2021 and PT3 in 2022, the ministry has relied on school-based assessments, and any move to reinstate national exams would mark a major shift in Malaysia's educational landscape.
