Top students of SM Sains Kuching taking a selfie after receiving their SPM results. — Photo by Jeffery Mostapa
Serina (fourth row fifth left) and Fatimah on her right giving the thumbs-up to all the top students who were present yesterday.
KUCHING: A total of 15 candidates in the state scored straight A+ in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2014 examination.
Two SMK Methodist Sibu students Chuo Chung Ren and Hii Chun Yuan scored 11A+.
Those scoring 10A+ were Hung Siew Gin (SMK Kai Chung Meradong); Xavier Ling Wei, Eunice Su Hui Siew, Lau Zheng Yi, Melody Pui Wei Jia (SMK Chung Hua Miri); Michelle Ong Ying Ying (SMK Tung Hua Sibu); Stephenie Lee Siew Zhin (SMK Bintulu); Tay Jing Sheng (SMK Lutong); Liew Jue Deng (SMK Siburan) and Avan Tam Jing Kai (SMK Green Road).
The 9A+ scorers were Dayang Nurfarahin Abang Usop (Kolej Tun Datu Tuanku Bujang Miri), Sim Shu Yi (SMK Green Road) and Salman Farsi Mohd Ismail (SMK Baru Miri).
Special needs candidate Philip Ting of SMK Sungai Maong got 4A+ 3A and 2A-.
The SPM 2014 results
were announced at the State Education Department by state education director Serina Sauni yesterday.
She also informed that seven schools were ranked excellent in Sarawak, based on their school average grade (GPS).
They were SM Sains Kuching with GPS of 1.53, SM Sains Miri (GPS 1.80), SM Sains Kuching Utara (GPS 1.84), SMP Lodge (GPS 1.97), MRSM Betong (GPS 2.14), Kolej Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah Kuching (GPS 2.41) and SMK St Elizabeth, Sibu (GPS 2.83).
She informed that Sarawak registered a very encouraging state average grade (GPN) of 5.44, slightly below the previous year’s 5.31.
“A total of 27,562 candidates or 81.4 per cent from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) obtained the credential after having passed at least Bahasa Melayu (BM) and History.
“They were among the 34,439 SMK candidates who sat for the examinations that took place from November 3 to December 3 last year.
“A total of 37,488 candidates across the state registered for SPM 2014,” she said.
Out of the 64 subjects taken by Sarawak candidates, 56 (or 87.5 per cent) recorded a pass rate of 80 per cent or above, while 28 subjects recorded 100 per cent pass, 13 recorded 90 to 99.9 per cent pass and 15 subjects recorded 80 to 89.9 per cent pass.
Sports Science Education topped the improvement chart with 89.85 per cent pass, compared to 80.28 per cent in SPM 2013.
In terms of comparison between state pass rates and the national pass rates, Sarawak matched or exceeded the national rates in 38 subjects. The state obtained full pass in Chinese Literature while the national pass rate was 77.10 per cent. Following closely were Moral Studies with 88.25 per cent state pass rate (81.7 per cent national pass rate) and Chinese Language with 99.03 per cent state pass rate (93.2 per cent national pass rate).
Serina also pointed out that although urban candidates achieved fairly good results in subjects like English, Mathematics, History and Islamic Studies, rural candidates fared better in Bahasa Melayu, Science and Moral Studies.
“However, there is a negative trend of a growing gap between urban and rural for the subjects of English and History. The gap in English was 8.98 per cent for SPM 2013 and it leaped to 12.05 per cent for 2014. So is History, with 0.35 per cent for 2013 and now 2.03 per cent for 2014.
“There is a need to look into these large gaps and find ways to reduce them,” she said.
Thirteen rural schools were named for their good performance. They are SM Sains Kuching, SM Sains Kuching Utara, SMK Tinggi Sarikei, SMK St Anthony Sarikei, SMK Kubong Limbang, SMK Kwong Hua Sibu, SMK Kai Chung Meradong, SMK Pesantren Abdul Taib Mahmud, SM Teknik Sejingkat, SMK Agama Sheikh Othman Abdul Wahab, SMK Datuk Haji Abdul Rahman Yakub Kanowit, SMK Sungai Tapang and SMK Chung Cheng Sibu.
Serina reminded candidates who want to appeal against the results to do so by April 2.
“Starting this year, payment for re-marking is RM100 per subject. Payment must be remitted through money order or postal order to the Examinations Director.
“Appeal forms (LP/Am 38) are available at schools, State Education Department at Jalan Diplomatik off Jalan Bako as well as the divisional examination and assessment units in Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Kapit, Mukah, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang,” she said.
Among those present at the announcement were Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, state education deputy director Matali Masagus, Assessment and Examinations Sector head Su Hiong Ai and school principals.