PUTRAJAYA: From this year, the complete assessment for Year Six pupils will not only encompass the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), but also three other non-academic components.
Called the Primary School Assessment Report or Pelaporan Pentaksiran Sekolah Rendah, Education director-general Datuk Dr Amin Senin, in revealing this major shift today, said the other components were sports, physical and curriculum activities assessment; classroom assessment and psychometric assessment.
This means Year Six pupils this Thursday will receive four reports in total - not only for the academic component, but the other areas as well, all of which will be taken into account for their selection into fully residential schools.
"This is a holistic and meaningful report for Year Six students.
"Classroom evaluation comprises assessment for learning; assessment as learning and assessment about learning using various instruments," he said in a briefing at the ministry.
On the sports, physical and co-curriculum assessment, Amin said students would be evaluated among others on their level of fitness; body mass index, participation in sports as well as co-curriculum and extra co-curricular activities.
He said the psychometric evaluation would look at students' psychological traits and measure their innate and acquired ability in several areas including music, linguistics, naturalist leanings, mathematical logic and kinesthetic.
Amin said the ministry would no longer make comparisons for the UPSR achievement of states and schools.
"It is no longer about how many As the students secure, but the emphasis is on how they do in the other areas, especially on character building and instilling values as well as creating fun learning (in schools).
"We will do away with school average grades and subject average grades as they place pressure on schools, teachers and students to excel solely on academics," he added.
The assessment for the other three components had been introduced since 2011, although not completely formalised.
"It is about time Malaysians did away with the exam-oriented mentality," he said.
For students with special needs, they will get the Primary School Alternative Assessment report instead of UPSR together with the classroom assessment; sports, physical and curriculum activities assessment and psychometric assessment reports.
A total of 443,794 candidates sat for the UPSR this year at 8,085 examination centres nationwide.
Candidates can go and collect their reports from 10am onward at their schools on Thursday.