Latest news with #CSivaraj
Borneo Post
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Dapsy Sarawak calls for holistic selection to give more students access to matriculation
Peter Hee MIRI (May 16): The Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak has called on the Ministry of Education (MoE) to implement a more balanced and transparent policy to ensure fairer access to matriculation at Malaysian public universities. Dapsy Sarawak leader Peter Hee urged the ministry to adopt a more inclusive and accountable approach to reflect the diverse realities faced by Malaysian students. 'We commend any initiative that acknowledges the struggles and achievements of students from underserved and rural communities. Many of these students have worked incredibly hard in challenging environments and deserve a fair chance at further education,' he said in a statement. He was commenting on Senator C Sivaraj's proposal to recognise students with A- grades or 9A's in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) for matriculation entry. Dapsy Sarawak proposed there should be contextual merit recognition, holistic selection, and transparency in policy implementation. He explained that the holistic selection framework should incorporate a broader evaluation model that considers co-curricular involvement, socioeconomic background, and school infrastructure alongside academic performance. 'It should recognise students' academic achievements within the context of their environment, particularly those from rural or under-resourced schools,' he said. Dapsy Sarawak, he said, fully supports transparency to ensure that any updated entry requirements are clearly communicated and consistently applied, to prevent confusion or perceived bias. 'We are ready to engage with the Ministry of Education, youth leaders, and student groups to help shape policies that uphold both fairness and excellence,' he added. Sivaraj had called on MoE to revise its current policy which he said risked sidelining high-achieving non-Bumiputera SPM students as the automatic rejection of A- appeared to negate the value of the hard work of high-achieving students. Under the current policy, only students who score a minimum of 10A+s or A's are eligible for automatic admission to the matriculation programme. This excludes those who achieve 10A's as even one A-, or those with 9A's would not be considered 'excellent'. C. Sivaraj lead matriculation MOE Peter Hee
Free Malaysia Today
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Senator urges ministry to recognise A- and 9As for matriculation entry
Under the current policy, only students who score at least 10A+'s or As are eligible for automatic admission to the matriculation programme. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : A senator has called on the education ministry to revise its matriculation admission policy to include the A- grade in its definition of 'excellent' and automatically consider students who achieve at least 9As, regardless of how many subjects they take. Commenting on a recent report, C Sivaraj said the current policy risked sidelining high-achieving non-Bumiputera Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students. 'The automatic rejection of A- seems to negate the value of the hard work of high-achieving students,' he said in a statement. Sivaraj also urged the government not to 'punish' students with rigid criteria that overlook structural inequalities in the education system. Under the current policy, only students who score a minimum of 10A+'s or A's are eligible for automatic admission to the matriculation programme. This excludes those who achieve 10As with even one A-, or those with 9As, from being considered 'excellent'. Sivaraj criticised the criteria, saying many high-performing students, particularly from non-Bumiputera backgrounds and regular day schools, often take only nine subjects due to resource and structural limitations. 'It is not because the students are weak, but because of the school structure, the learning environment and a focus on quality over quantity. 'If we truly want to recognise student excellence, we must offer fair and comprehensive consideration, not just meet a statistical target,' he said. Sivaraj also warned that the current policy risked undermining the government's stated goal of developing a high-quality generation of students. Last week, a Universiti Malaya student group criticised what it called a 'policy flip-flop' on matriculation admissions. University of Malaya Association of New Youth president Lim Jing Jet questioned the circular issued by the education ministry on April 30, stating that A- would no longer be recognised as a Grade A. It said Grade A would refer only to As and A+s, including four subjects graded with merit. On June 30 last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that all students who score 10As and above in the SPM examination, regardless of race or background, would be guaranteed a place in matriculation colleges beginning with the 2025 intake.
Malaysiakini
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Why are A, A- grades not enough? Sivaraj asks Education Ministry
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek faced questions today over the classification of A and A- in SPM grades as below excellent, a decision that has drawn criticism. In a statement today, senator C Sivaraj cited official information on the new criteria that purportedly stipulates that only students who achieve at least 10As, consisting exclusively of A+ and A grades, qualify for automatic admission into government matriculation colleges.
