The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) had recently questioned why the ministry was subjecting kids to a “stressful evaluation process” to prove that they had reached the same level as Year One students.
The first stage of the exam is a written test. If the children clear it, there is an oral interview. Both are centralised and conducted on two different dates, which the CAP says, causes difficulties to parents.
In a statement to FMT, the education ministry today said it was not appropriate to say that its special test was aimed at denying children their “right” to go to school or to exert any “pressure” on them, as the CAP claimed.
“The evaluation process is important to ensure the children are ready to enter Year One and have the adequate mental and reading age for children aged six and above.
“The education ministry thanks all who have given constructive views, including those brought forward by CAP.
“In an effort to improve such evaluations in future, all views will be considered.”
Last week, CAP said since these children will be joining the same school and classes, they should take the same test as the six-year-olds for the purpose of streaming within a few days of joining the school.
“The ministry needs to be innovative in doing things to bring about improvement and this calls for moving away from established ways,” CAP said.
“It should not hold back the education of children with a tedious stressful ‘saringan’ (evaluation process) that deters parents of these children from registering them for early admission.”
Children must have completed six years of age on Jan 1 of the year they are entering school. However, since 2003, an exception is given to children who are up to two weeks younger (born Jan 2-15) if they have reached the “mental and reading age” of six-year-olds.
The education ministry clarified that the children in question will have to sit for a written evaluation that is “easy” and pass a “brief interview module”, which is centralised at the state level for all states in Malaysia.
Only those who pass both modules will be offered seats in Year One, it said, adding that both modules had been crafted by experts in preschool education.
Other requirements require these children to have enrolled in preschools.
The ministry said parents need to fill out the PMA01 form, which can be found at all district and state education offices.