PUTRAJAYA: THE Education Ministry yesterday announced the eight members of the special committee to scrutinise and review the standard operating procedure for public examinations following the leak in this year’s Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah’s (UPSR) Science and English papers.
Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the members were high-profile and experienced individuals in the fields of law, education, teaching, cyber security, multimedia, communications and security.
They are Malaysian Institute of Integrity president Datuk Dr Mohd Tap Salleh, former deputy director-general of education (development of teaching professionalism) Datuk Dr Asariah Mior Shaharuddin, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia former vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chairman Datuk Mohamed Sharil Mohamed Tarmizi, Chief Government Security Office director-general Datuk Johari Jamaluddin, CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab, Rural and Regional Development former deputy minister Tan Sri K. Kumaran and National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng.
The committee is headed by former chief justice Tun Zaki Azmi. Zaki’s appointment was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Tuesday.
Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said the committee had been given specific terms of reference, including improving the operations of the Malaysian Examination Board’s (MEB) operations.
“It also involves the printing of examination papers, security process and standard operating procedure that are normally used and improvements to be made, based on best practices of other countries,” he was quoted as saying.
Idris said the independent committee would dissect all aspects of MEB’s operations and make recommendations to improve them and the procedure in handling public examination papers.
“The committee will convene its inaugural meeting next week,” he said after launching the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) programme at the Education Ministry here yesterday.
Idris said the committee would also make recommendations for improvement in terms of manpower and management.
“The recommendations will be submitted in three months or earlier.”
On the MOOC programme, Idris said it was a unique programme that would transform teaching and learning methods in public
higher learning institutions.
MOOC is an Internet-based education delivery platform where students and lecturers engage in a virtual classroom.
For the pilot project, Idris said, the ministry had selected four compulsory subjects taken by students in IPTAs.
The subjects are Islamic and Asian Civilisations, Ethnic Relationships, Entrepreneurship and ICT Competency.
“With MOOC, students will be able to access their studies more effectively.
“This will reduce contact time spent on lectures while reducing costs for the ministry,” he said, adding that MOOC would be utilised in 15 per cent of IPTA courses next year and 30 per cent by 2020.