Ministry to gather feedback from PTAs on PBS implementation

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BATU PAHAT: The Education Ministry will be gathering feedback on the proposal to implement the School-Based Assessment (PBS) system to replace the existing Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR), from parents and teachers by next year.

Its minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the PBS implementation would also see the abolition of UPSR and PBS assessments would be based on three factors, namely, academic performance, sports and co-curricular and psychometrics, similar to the Form Three Assessment.

“We will start to meet Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) beginning next year and hope to collect the feedback within the next six months,” he told reporters after launching a ‘Back-to-School’ programme for the Parit Sulong constituency at Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Batu Pahat here yesterday.

Mahdzir said that according to the present UPSR system, students are assessed purely on academic performance only, while for the PBS system, other aspects would also be emphasised.

“If students are academically good, and equally good in co-curricular and sports and having good personality, PBS will evaluate all elements together to form a complete assessment for the students,” he said.

When asked on the time frame that the PBS system was expected to replace UPSR, he said it might be implemented within the next five years.

“We do intend to abolish UPSR and replace it with PBS to reduce the pressure on students as well as giving them a more comprehensive assessments.

“But the abolition of UPSR will not be implemented next year because the ministry needs to seek feedback from the stakeholders first,” he said. — Bernama