Students, parents apprehensive about looming SPM

KUALA LUMPUR – As parents anxiously accompanied their children to revision classes yesterday in secondary schools throughout the country, standard operating procedures were carefully followed – and at SMK Sri Aman, police personnel on motorcycles were observed nearby. 

With the Education Ministry ordering all schools to cancel their trial exams and prepare for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, students streamed into schools to meet their teachers for face-to-face classes.

Those allowed back are sitting the 2020 SPM, Sijil Vokasional Malaysia, Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia, Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia and Diploma Malaysia, as well as international exams certified by the Education Ministry.

Students, parents and members of the public have also initiated a petition on change.org calling for the SPM exams to be deferred, adding to the fears and apprehension of students who have to sit the exams on February 22. 

At the time of writing, 42,112 have signed the petition. It cites students’ mental health as one of the reasons there should be a deferment.

While sitting in their cars waiting for their children to come out after the first day of revision classes at a secondary school in Section 12, Petaling Jaya, many parents expressed apprehension at the prospect of their children sitting the coming SPM exams.

“For one thing, the online classes were not always regular. Also, some families are in quarantine, so the children are affected as they cannot attend the revision. What happens to them? 

“Is the government going to allow them to sit the exams? If so, they have lost out on the revision – has this been taken into account?” asked a concerned mother who felt that many children are facing a dilemma due to the changing conditions of SPM exams, with trials being cancelled and dates being postponed.

Hajah Mohideen, waiting to pick up his son, Haleim Shah, who is a prefect enrolled in the science stream of the secondary school mentioned, said he finds it tough to financially provide for his son’s online classes as he is not working full-time at the moment. 

The family depend on his wife’s wages, and he has to use that income to purchase a Wi-Fi connection so that his son can have uninterrupted internet access.

“I feel sorry for the poor families, and I know many cannot afford it, so the children lose out.”

He believes that online teaching is not 100% perfect, and students who are really focused for that period, which may be too long for some, could get restless.

“In my son’s school, the teachers are really helpful, and answer when my son calls even after 11pm, so I feel there is some compensation from online teaching,” said Hajah, who used to run a shop at Amcorp Mall when times were better.

Student Divvyyesh Sukumaran said he is terrified of facing SPM, and his parents are not helpful in that they expect him to do his best, whatever his feelings are on the matter.

“I do not feel ready and I hope they postpone the exams, so I can have more classes with my teachers face to face.”

Azrul Amir, an arts stream student waiting for his parents to pick him up after revision classes, said he is 50% prepared for SPM, and is unhappy with the prospect of an online system. 

However, he has no choice but to go ahead, or find himself left behind.

Diiban Kamaldasan, also pursuing his SPM in the arts stream, said: “I feel I’m not ready as my teachers are not there to guide me in subjects like mathematics and Bahasa Malaysia, which are my weaker subjects, but I have to move forward, even if I am not ready for it.”

Hajah summed up the matter by saying in a football team, all train together. When the game is played, people assume that every player is able to train with a ball every day.

Similarly, it may appear as though many SPM students have a “ball” to train with – but in reality, many do not. They do not even have Wi-Fi, and so, cannot follow online classes. – The Vibes, January 21, 2021