Johor school celebrates historic SPM success
Among the 56 top scorers from SMK Sultan Ismail in Johor Baru were M. Kayyelvizhi, Harry Danish Ahmad Kamal Azuan, twin sisters Lee Yun Ting and Lee Yun Qian and Chan Le Rou.
Kayyelvizhi, who scored 10A+ and 1A, went to great lengths to avoid distractions – choosing not to have a mobile phone or engage on social media throughout her studies.
'I didn't want a phone because I knew it would distract me from studying,' she said during a recent interview at the school.
Kayyelvizhi says she draws inspiration from her elder brother who had attended the same school and was a top scorer.
Aspiring to pursue medicine, Kayyelvizhi drew inspiration from her elder brother, a former top SPM scorer from the same school who achieved 12A+.
She credited past-year exam papers as a key part of her preparation.
Her parents rewarded her with a mobile phone after she completed her final exam in 2024.
Harry Danish was thrilled to score 8A+ and 1A in SPM, which he achieved without attending any tuition.
'I chose to study independently, as my teachers' notes and guidance were more than enough,' he said.
While confident in his preparation, he kept his expectations realistic. He plans to pursue a degree in information technology (IT).
For Chan Le Rou, early preparation was key to her success in the examinations.
'Our school put us in 'battle mode' from day one of Form Five, which helped me stay focused,' said Le Rou, who scored 8A+ and 2A, including an A in Japanese.
Having participated in a student exchange programme in Japan, she developed a passion for the language.
She shared that her most productive study hours were from 6pm to midnight.
'I took breaks to avoid burnout, but consistency was what kept me on track,' she added.
Le Rou also scored A in Japanese.
Twin sisters Lee Yun Ting and Lee Yun Qian credited their success to strong family support, especially from their mother.
Yun Ting, who scored 6A+, 3A, and 1A-, and Yun Qian, with 7A+, 1A, and 2A-, said they often supported each other in their studies.
'Our mother always gave us advice during the hour-long drive to and from school, ever since Form One,' Yun Ting said.
SMK Sultan Ismail principal Suriyah Mohamed Lahir credited the school's historic SPM 2024 results to the combined efforts of students, teachers, parents, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), as well as the district and state education authorities.
The 56 top students scored straight As, including two who achieved all A+, while all 159 candidates passed – marking a 100% pass rate.
Suriyah, a 30-year education veteran, noted the school's improvement from the previous year, which saw 36 students with straight As, including three with full A+.
Suriyah: SMK Sultan Ismail saw 56 students scoring straight As, including two with full A+ in the 2024 SPM examinations.
She attributed the success to clear expected targeted results (ETR), consistent performance monitoring, and regular student-teacher dialogues under the Take-Off Value (TOV) approach held at least three times before the exam.
She said preparations began as early as Form 4, with struggling students identified early and parents brought in for support.
'Each student's progress is tracked closely – every head counts,' she said, also thanking the PTA and education offices for their ongoing support in resources and guidance.
Beyond academics, she said the school also emphasises extracurricular excellence.
One of its current Form 5 students, Chua Yee Jia, has been selected to represent Malaysia at the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2025 in Columbus, USA, with her chemistry innovation project titled 'Molecular Insight Into M.L.C.E Larvicide'.
Johor saw a significant improvement in the 2024 SPM results, with 41 students achieving straight A+ – more than double the 20 recorded in 2023, according to state education director Mohd Hanafi Samad.
The state also recorded its best performance in five years, with a Grade Point Average (GPN) of 4.36, outperforming the national average of 4.49.
'This is the best achievement for the state in the past five years,' he said.
'A total of 1,513 candidates scored excellent results (A+, A, or A-), while 4,096 earned at least one B, and 6,740 secured at least one C.'
He said of the 42,616 candidates, 94.49% qualified for certification, and absentee numbers dropped to 565 from 901 in 2023.
'Special needs candidates also performed well, with 16 out of 168 scoring excellent results –including four with 8As, four with 7As, and eight with 6As.'
Additionally, Hanafi said the number of schools across urban and rural areas in Johor achieving 100% certification eligibility rose from 75 to 81.
The performance gap between urban and rural candidates narrowed to just 0.02 points, aligning with the state's goal of becoming a national leader in education.
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