Exams not the only criterion..

By Dr S Nathesan


IT IS truly heart-warming to read “Help for weaker SPM students” (The Star, March 20).

I congratulate the Education Ministry, especially Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, for formulating plans to assist the underperforming students.

Many a time, I have categorically emphasised my opinion that examinations are just one way of assessing a student.

Failing in examinations or getting poor or low grades doesn’t mean that the student has failed in his life.

The bulk of students today fall into this category i.e. failed their examinations or achieved low grades in examination.

First of all, classifying them as weak students is an unfair assessment. They may be weak academically, but may have bright minds to do business or bright hands to do craftwork, or skills like motor mechanics.

We should not always think about the so called “bright” students only, but rather have programmes and plans to help the other students to be successful in life.



Of course, the many community colleges and other private colleges are excellent institutions that have helped such students. Providing them more skill training programmes is another way to keep these students away from undesirable activities.

Collaborating with the Human Resources Ministry and other agencies to work out pathways for these students is also an excellent move to ensure these students are not left out in pursing careers like their counterparts in universities and other institutions of higher learning.

In working out pathways for these so called weak students, as pointed out by Muhyiddin, the students will acquire the necessary skills to become successful in their education and career later.

There are hundreds of students out there who may not have achieved excellent results in public examinations, but today are successful in life by engaging themselves diligently in business, skill-based jobs, entrepreneurship, trade and so forth.



It is always praises and rewards for the excellent and good students, but nothing much is done for the under-achievers. I hope by providing more pathways for these students, we can prepare them for the working world and thus make them useful human capital for the nation.

Source: THE STAR ONLINE