KOTA BELUD: Sabah recorded a marginal 0.2 per cent increase in overall pass rate to 88.71 per cent in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination last year following a 1.6 per cent dip in the previous year.
Of the total of 6,385 students in Sabah who sat for the exam, 5,664 passed, said Deputy Education Director Maimunah Suhaibul when announcing the results here yesterday.
She said the number of students who sat for the exam increased by 484 as compared to 5,901 in the previous year.
Maimunah said the number of 4A’s achievers in the exam last year also increased significantly to 2,199 compared to 1,826 in 2010, and 11 students scored a perfect 4.0 in cumulative grade point average (CGPA) to be among the country’s top STPM achievers this year.
She said 14 schools in the state recorded 100 per cent passes in the exam.
Maimunah said Nur Farah Nissa Mohd Effendy of SM La Salle Kota Kinabalu tops the list of achievers in Literature while Chang Sin Fung of Kota Kinabalu High School (KKHS) is the best Science Stream student.
The Education Department also named Jumriah Zairul from SMK Tansau, Penampang as the top student in the Rural School category.
Other students who also scored a CPGA of 4.0 are Lai Kar Ting and Siew Seok Li from SM St Patrick Tawau, Santa Tresia Frances (SMK Mat Salleh, Kota Belud), Siti Norshida Effendy (SMK Kota Marudu), Safianah Molepin (SMK Pinawantai, Kudat), Elpyanie Dungin (SMK Tawau), Wnnie Kariza Bakri (SMK Balung Tawau) and Asnita Rahman (SMK Kunak).
The schools that scored 100 passes are SM La Salle Kota Kinabalu, SM Lok Yuk Likas, SMK Benoni Papar, Kota Kinabalu High School, SMK Kunak, SMK Agama Mohamad Ali Ranau, SMK Jalan Apas Tawau, SMK Agama Tun Sakaran Semporna, SMK Tenghilan Tuaran, SMK Keningau II, SMK Segama Lahad Datu, SMK Lohan Ranau, SM Sung Siew Sandakan and SMK Kota Klias Beaufort.
Sabah also recorded better results in 14 subjects, including Mathematics, Bahasa Cina, English Literature, Syariah, Sejarah, Geografi, Ekonomi and Perakaunan.
Maimunah said the improvement was due to cooperation and hard work of all parties, including the Education Department, the teachers and students.
“I hope everyone will continue their hard work and dedication so that the results will continue to improve in the coming years,” she said.
Towards further improving the academic performance in Sabah, she said the department has introduced several initiatives, including a five-year strategic plan dubbed SPEED (Smart Planning Enhanced Education Dynamic) which will be implemented until 2016.
In addition, she said the department has also launched Academic Excellence Revolution and Amal Kewajipan Untuk Negara (AKUN) at the end of last year.
At the event Maimunah also presented awards to top scoring students and schools.