SUNGAI PETANI: Primary schools in Kedah need to be proactive in raising awareness among parents on the Primary School Assessment Report (PSAR).
State Education Committee chairman Datuk Tajul Urus Mat Zain said the initiative was crucial in changing parents’ mindset in line with the National Education Transformation agenda.
Tajul said school administrators played a pivotal role in raising awareness that the country’s education system was moving away from the examination-oriented system towards a more holistic assessment system, where pupils are judged not only on academic achievement.
He said the shift was inevitable as the current and future job markets demanded talents who excelled in various fields.
“It is disheartening to see that some of our graduates lack basic soft skills, such as interpersonal communication. They end up failing job interviews despite scoring good grades.
“That is why the government decided to implement PSAR, because we need to educate the young generation on the importance of developing a variety of skills.
“To achieve this, the school administrators need to be proactive in raising awareness among parents through avenues such as the Parents-Teachers Association,” he said after visiting four primary schools in the Merbok parliamentary constituency in conjunction with the new school term, which began in the state today.
Present was Merbok Umno division Youth chief Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin, who is also the state Umno Youth wing chief and political secretary to Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah.
Tajul, who is also Tanjung Dawai assemblyman, said parents also had an important role by understanding the benefits of a holistic education assessment system.
“Parents need to embrace the changes and see the wider potential of their children, such as in co-curricular activities, sports and other fields, as it is the key to a bright future,” he said.
PSAR is a complete assessment of Year Six pupils that includes the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah results and three other non-academic components. It was first introduced in 2016.
The PSAR assessment not only focuses on the academic component, but on other areas such as sports, physical and curriculum activities assessments; classroom assessment and psychometric assessment.
The new assessment is part of the National Education Blueprint 2013-2025, which aims to transform the country’s education system.
Tajul said 30,409 children began their first year of school at 547 primary schools in Kedah on Monday.
Of the more than 30,000 Year One pupils registered with the state Education Department as at Sunday, the Kuala Muda/Yan district recorded the highest number with 8,361 pupils, followed by Kota Setar (5,799) and Kulim/Bandar Baru (5,080). These are followed by Kubang Pasu (3,471), Baling/Sik (3,290), Langkawi (1,678), Pendang (1,626) and Padang Terap (1,104).
Tajul said he was satisfied with the preparation undertaken by the schools for the new term.