Jonathan Chai, the president of the Association of the Management Boards of Aided Primary Schools in Kuching, Samarahan and Serian, said the education ministry should provide training to improve such professionalism.

He also said it had become more necessary than ever to reduce teachers’ administrative burden so they could focus on the teaching and learning process.

“Let them have more time to prepare teaching materials and to assess students to find out how well they are coping,” he told FMT.

“Also, the student-teacher ratio should ideally be kept at 25:1, which is presently impossible in some overcrowded schools in urban areas.”

Chai welcomed the scrapping of the UPSR, saying ending the examination-oriented teaching approach was good for the education system.

With school-based evaluation, he said, students could be continuously assessed and intervention and remedial action carried out immediately when necessary.

He anticipated mixed reaction from parents, saying some tended to think that the UPSR could serve as a benchmark to assess how much their children had learned.

“Some feel UPSR is still relevant and should be maintained as the exam will motivate students to study hard and even help to keep the teachers committed to their teaching.

“There are also parents who have reservations and feel sceptical about the objectivity of the teachers in carrying out assessments.”

Chai said the education ministry should be well prepared to improve the professionalism of teachers in conducting evaluations and to responsibly monitor the implementation of the policy.

On Wednesday, the education ministry announced the abolition of the UPSR and the cancellation of the PT3 exam for this year.

Education minister Radzi Jidin said the ministry would introduce an alternative method to evaluate students who were supposed to sit for the two major examinations.

He said no substitute exams would be held.