KUALA LUMPUR: PARENTS who encouraged and prepared pupils for the resit of the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination yesterday received praise from Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.
He said that the preparation made by everyone before the actual UPSR exam on Sept 9 enabled the pupils to be ready to face the repeat examinations, Bernama reported.
“Pupils who prepared would be able to answer the papers well as this reflects what they have learnt and understood since Year 1,” Idris said after observing the UPSR examination at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bangsar, here yesterday.
The resit was held following the leak in the earlier UPSR exam sat by 472,853 candidates this year.
The repeat UPSR examination yesterday involved two subjects, Science and English.
The new date for Mathematics 015/1, 025/1, 035/1 and Tamil Language 036 and 037 resit papers is Oct 9.
In Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Bukit Maluri, Kepong, teachers and pupils were in school as early as 6.30am. A Science teacher was seen giving tips and answering pupils’ questions.
The school’s examination coordinator Fazli Mian said teachers, despite being disheartened by the leak, showed positive attitude and gave full support in preparing the students for the resit.
At Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Sri Sinar in Kuala Lumpur, school headmaster Neo Kim Thin said all 64 pupils were present and that the re-examination had gone smoothly.
A teacher, who declined to be named, said the pupils were in a good mood despite having to resit the papers.
“The students are motivated. We have carried out extra classes and spoken to them so as to motivate them. They have been preparing the whole year, so I am sure they will do fine.”
In Kuching, the resit went on smoothly despite recording an absentee rate of 1.23 per cent.
State Education Department spokesman said a total of 42,669 pupils from the 43,030 registered candidates sat for the two papers in Sarawak yesterday.
In Ipoh, a total of 38,566 pupils re-sat the examination at 876 centres in the state.
Perak Education Department director Mohd Idris Ramli said the department had implemented the stricter standard operating procedure as directed by the Malaysian Examination Board.
“From the delivery of the boxes, to opening of the packets containing the papers, the department complied with the instructions given.”
In George Town, candidate Tharrunya Jeevah from Sekolah Kebangsaan Jalan Hamilton said
she was confident she had aced the two subjects.
“They were tougher than the ones I sat for the first time, but I had given it my best and I am confident,” she said, adding that she did a lot of revision and participated in study groups to prepare for the resit.
Tharrunya was among 23,621 pupils from 281 schools, who resat the examination yesterday.
In Johor Baru, a total of 952 pupils sat their Science and English papers.
The pupils sat the examination at 964 centre in the state, while 18 pupils had do it in hospitals due to health complications.
In Kota Baru, a total of 32,926 pupils in Kelantan resat the examination at 447 centres.
State education director Hussain Awang said the pupils were from 446 national and 418 private schools in the state.