430 Primary Schools Did Not Meet Minimum Level In Public Examinations

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Some 430 primary schools nationwide did not meet the minimum level in public examinations based on the school average grade (GPS) in the last four years.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong told Dewan Rakyat the schools only managed GPS of over 4.00 or between D and E, meaning failure to meet the minimum level.

"Some 116 schools did not meet the minimum level in 2005, followed by 110 in 2006, 106 in 2007 and 98 in 2008. The GPS for 2005 and 2006 showed that the achievement level has improved with the number of schools declining.

"The ministry's GPS is gauged on a scale of 1 to 5 with the lower GPS indicating higher achievement," he said when replying to Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) who asked how many schools had recorded zero passes in the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination in the last five years and programmes to help rural schools in Sabah, Sarawak and Orang Asli settlements.

Wee said the ministry had implemented several programmes to check the dropout problem among Orang Asli and bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak.

They include setting up Comprehensive Special Model Schools (K9), distribution of incentives, the Outreach programme and classes for adults (KEDAP).

He also told Mojigoh that the KEDAP programme would increase education awareness among the Orang Asli and bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak.

-- BERNAMA