KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak is working to create its own assessment examination for Year 6 students in government schools, aimed at providing them with the necessary guidance to make well-informed choices between science and arts streams as they progress to secondary school.
State education, innovation and talent development minister, Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said this forthcoming assessment is expected to bear resemblance to the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), which was abolished by the education ministry in 2021, Borneo Post reported.
"This matter depends on the federal policy. However, we in Sarawak will make efforts to have our own assessment system.
"This is because we believe that is the only way for us to know our pupils' true performance," he was quoted as saying at an event yesterday.
Sagah said this after launching the International Education Research and Innovation Conference 2023 (iCERI2023) in the Teachers Education Institute Tun Abdul Razak Campus in Kota Samarahan on Tuesday.
Sagah underlined the significance of this initiative, indicating that it would help determine whether students should be assigned to the science or arts stream.
He emphasised that randomly placing students in a stream they are not familiar with could pose challenges for their educational journey.
"Let the federal government stick to its policy, but at the same time, let the state carry out its own assessment system," the news portal quoted him as saying.
While addressing the issue of the education ministry's new 2027 school curriculum development, Sagah said his ministry has not yet received any specific action plan.
He acknowledged that the federal government had conducted a nationwide survey to solicit opinions and input for the plan.
"I think what the federal government is doing is conducting surveys to gather public opinion.
"Personally, I have not seen the proposed curriculum action plan, so I have no comment. To be fair, I cannot comment on something that I haven't seen," he said.
Previously, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek was reported to have said that the ministry is currently focusing on the 2027 School Curriculum Implementation Survey to develop the new school curriculum.