“They can’t even multiply or divide.”
That’s the heartbreaking observation of a Malaysian teacher who believes scrapping UPSR and PT3 has set students up for failure.
‘Some Form 3 students can’t even speak BM’
In a candid post on Threads, the teacher laid bare the struggles they witness in classrooms every day.
As a teacher, I’ve got to be honest. Getting rid of UPSR and PT is a huge mistake. I teach lower-form students, and if you saw what I see every day, you’d understand why. Some of them can’t even multiply or divide properly.
‘Some Form 3 students still can’t speak or write Bahasa Melayu fluently. And don’t get me started on focus—most of them drift through lessons like it’s a free holiday.”
This, the teacher suggested, shows that students are being promoted without truly mastering the basics, leaving gaps that only widen as they move up in school.
Exams as ‘checkpoints, not just tests’
To the teacher, exams like UPSR and PT3 weren’t merely about marks. Instead, they acted as vital ‘checkpoint milestones’ to ensure that each student had learned the fundamentals before progressing.
“Exams like UPSR and PT aren’t just tests. They are checkpoints. They make sure students actually learn the basics before moving on.
“Without them, we’re basically telling our kids: ‘Don’t worry about the fundamentals, you’ll figure it out later.’ But later never comes.”
By removing these checkpoints, the teacher argued, Malaysia risks producing graduates with weak reasoning skills and shaky foundations in even their own national language.
More than just academics
But the teacher stressed that the issue goes beyond academics. Exams, they said, also played a role in shaping habits and character.
“It’s not just about grades. It’s about discipline, responsibility, and building a habit of learning. UPSR and PT3 give them a target, a reason to practice and review. Without them, we risk producing generations who are unprepared for the real challenges ahead.”
In other words, exams once gave students something to aim for — and without them, motivation and discipline risk being eroded.
Heated debate
The strongly worded post quickly spread on social media, reigniting long-standing debates about Malaysia’s education system.
Many netizens sided with the teacher, agreeing that the system has become too lenient and no longer emphasizes mastery of core skills.
One user commented: ‘True, students today don’t seem to have strong basics. They just move up to the next level easily.’
Another agreed: ‘Discipline and motivation are really lacking now. Exams give direction, and without them it feels empty.’
However, not everyone shared the same view, with some arguing that abolishing exams was the right move, saying the real problem lies in teaching quality, curriculum design, and the outdated emphasis on memorisation in the past.
