NUTP secretary-general Harry Tan said the number of exams in a particular time frame would not change much as students and parents were usually stressed to begin with.
“What would be an appropriate rest period between papers? Is there any study on it?
“If there is, the Examinations Syndicate has indicated that it would be more than happy to go through such feedback,” he told FMT.
For many years, he added, multiple papers had been conducted within a single day without issues arising.
“Since the timetable was announced early, everyone has ample time to prepare,” he said.
According to Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education chairman Mak Chee Kin, the tentative timetable will see the accounting papers sandwiched between English and Bahasa Malaysia.
“Cramming these important subjects in a single day will cause anxiety. The Examinations Syndicate can do better than this. I hope it will re-look the draft timetable,” he told The Star recently.
A parent cited in the report also voiced concern over the lack of a break between some exams.
“The mental health of our students must be a priority,” she said. “How can you do your best when you’re stressed?”
Parent Action Group for Education chairman Noor Azimah Rahim meanwhile proposed shortening the mid-year holidays by a week and prolonging the year-end holidays for the plan to work.
The proposal – which Education Minister Maszlee Malik says is only a draft plan and open to feedback – is part of efforts to revamp the education system, including by having streamless schools.
Checks of the draft timetable show at least two papers in a single day, with the shortest break between the papers at least 45 minutes long.
For the most part, one paper is scheduled in the morning and another in the afternoon. There is usually a break of an hour and a half to three hours in between, depending on what time the first paper ends.
For Chemistry, Paper 1 and 2 are scheduled in the morning, from 8am to 9.15am, and 10am to 12.30pm. Paper 3 is scheduled for 2pm to 3.30pm. There is a similar breakdown for the Biology exam.
The Bahasa Malaysia and English papers on the other hand, with two papers each on two consecutive days, have an accounting paper in between. But there is still a 45-minute break between exams.
The first phase of exams runs consecutively from Oct 14 to 17 for subjects like Geography, Literature in English, Bible Knowledge, English for Science and Technology and the languages.
The second phase for the other papers is from Nov 5 to 7, Nov 13 to 14, Nov 18 to 21, and Nov 25 to 27 with day breaks in between. There are no exams on Fridays and weekends.
On the suggestion to make cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) a compulsory subject in all schools, Tan said it was already being taught in uniformed bodies in secondary school for older students.
But he agreed that emergency first aid should be taught to those in primary school and at institutions of higher learning.
“Teachers can learn it through in-house training along with other life-saving procedures or first aid,” he said.
St John Ambulance Sarawak Council chairman Ang Lai Soon, who made the proposal recently, said he was confident Putrajaya would not only support this but also implement it in the shortest possible time.
Azimah, on the other hand, disagreed on the need for CPR as a standalone subject. She said it was more important to educate students and teachers on the latest CPR methods and benefits.
“Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is no longer acceptable as it has its risks,” she told FMT.
“Definitely many lives can be saved if CPR is conducted speedily and effectively, especially at home or in public places where medical help may be slow to arrive.”