A TOTAL 8,076 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination candidates were absent from all their written papers, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek
Based on data recorded by the ministry as of Feb 6, she said 6,231 were candidates from schools under the ministry.
"Based on the analysis from the School Attendance Management Application during the examination, the main reasons for candidates' absenteeism in the 2024 SPM examination include work, family problems, health issues, death, and moving abroad," she said.
She said this in a written response to a question from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat) in the Dewan Rakyat.
For the 2024 SPM examination, a total of 386,739 new candidates had registered for at least six subjects, with 345,129 of them being the ministry's school candidates.
To address the issue of absenteeism during the SPM examination, Fadhlina said interventions such as monitoring student attendance daily through the Student Attendance System (eAttendance) in the Student Database Application (APDM) have been implemented to make it easier for schools to carry out interventions.
She said the ministry had also carried out early detection of students at risk of dropping out among Form 4 students to ensure they attend the 2025 SPM examination.
"This early detection allows schools to plan interventions. The 2025 SPM programme will continue with a focus on students at risk of dropping out to improve performance in compulsory subjects that must be passed in the SPM, namely Malay Language and History," she added. – February 13, 2025
