KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) is set to enhance the School-Based Assessment (PBS) system to better address the developmental needs of students, as it continues to replace traditional examinations like the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Form Three Assessment (PT3).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek emphasized the dynamic and evolving nature of education, noting that examinations are no longer the sole method of evaluating student achievement. While the PBS system includes continuous assessment, it retains cognitive evaluations through the Final Test of the Academic Session (UASA) for primary school students in Years 4, 5, and 6, as well as lower secondary students in Forms 1 to 3.

Fadhlina highlighted that the PBS framework aims for a comprehensive assessment of student development, aligning with the National Philosophy of Education (FPK) goals that encompass intellectual, co-curricular, emotional, spiritual, and social growth. Addressing
parental concerns about the Proficiency Level (TP) scores for UASA subjects, she announced that starting this academic session, UASA results will be presented in grades and percentages for easier parent evaluation. These results will be available online, though they will not serve as a pass/fail determinant or comparative tool but rather as a performance gauge to identify improvement areas.

In the same session, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir spoke about drafting a long-term higher education plan from 2025 to 2035. He stressed the need to “unbundle education” and adopt a creative and innovative approach to meet future challenges. This plan will include various human development programs, emphasizing the importance of broader educational dimensions beyond artificial intelligence and technical skills.