Time to rethink school assessments in a broken system
From P Gopala Krishnan
Teachers and parents alike are questioning the logic behind the end-of-year exam for Year Four to Six pupils and Form One to Three students (UASA) and the “Tahap Penguasaan (TP)” six-level student mastery grading systems.
TP1 is given to students who “know the basics or are able to perform basic skills or respond to basic concepts”.
On the other end of the spectrum, TP6, is for students “able to use their existing knowledge and skills to be applied in new situations analytically, systematically, positively, creatively, and innovatively in generating new ideas that can be emulated”.
The awarding of TP levels, particularly TP6, is not based solely on academic achievement. Students who score exceptionally well in UASA may still be denied TP6 simply because they are “not active in class”.
This subjective criterion has turned what should be an objective evaluation into a mockery of fairness. Should classroom participation outweigh mastery of…
