Calls to bring back major public examinations in schools may threaten Malaysia’s long term goals of developing a well rounded future generation, according to Education director general Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad.
He said he disagreed with any attempt to reverse the Education Ministry’s ongoing shift toward holistic assessment, warning that returning to an exam heavy model would undo years of progress in shaping students beyond academic scores.
“We do not want a generation of parrots”
Speaking to Berita Harian, Azam said education must not be reduced to producing students who only excel on paper but lack understanding and the ability to contribute meaningfully.
He recalled that during the National Education Dialogue in 2012, which gathered academics, stakeholders, parents, communities and government representatives, the Ministry made it clear that the goal was to avoid creating “a generation of parrots”.
We did not want to produce students who are able to repeat information without understanding. In other words, we do not want students who only shine in exams but cannot apply what they have learned,” he said.
The findings from that dialogue later shaped the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 to 2025, which guided the transition from an exam oriented system to holistic student development.
Holistic development for a changing world
Azam said students today need far more than academic excellence. They must have character, moral grounding, resilience and psychological balance to thrive in a world increasingly shaped by rapid technological advancement.
“What we want are students with knowledge and skills, but also noble values and emotional strength, because we are living in a world surrounded by robots,” he said.
He cautioned that reinstating major examinations may pressure teachers into spoon feeding students simply to produce high scores or boost school rankings, instead of nurturing well rounded individuals.
Why UPSR and PT3 were abolished
The Education Ministry abolished the UPSR in 2021 and replaced it with the School Based Assessment system to reduce academic pressure and discourage rote memorisation.
PT3 was also discontinued in 2022 and replaced with an enhanced School Based Assessment framework that evaluates students across three components: Classroom Assessment, Physical, Sports and Co curricular Assessment, and Psychometric Assessment.
These changes were designed to ensure that student growth is measured in a broader, more meaningful way.
Debate rekindled by former ministers
Despite the reforms, recent comments by several figures, including former education ministers Dr Maszlee Malik and Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, have reignited debate on whether public examinations should return to help identify student aptitudes.
Azam responded by insisting that the Ministry’s current direction remains firmly aligned with the National Education Philosophy, which emphasises the balanced development of intellect, spirit, emotion and body.
“The philosophy does not say that excellence must be measured by straight A results. It prioritises moral values, emotional strength and spiritual well being, not only cognitive performance,” he said.
Guided by international education principles
Azam added that Malaysia’s shift toward development based learning is also informed by the Incheon Declaration, a UNESCO document adopted at the World Education Forum in 2015.
He said the forum highlighted many challenges the world would face in the following decades, reinforcing the need for an education system that prepares young people not just academically, but holistically.
