PUTRAJAYA, 9 Sept 2017:
The Education Ministry has drawn up a contingency plan in the event of floods to ensure the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) – due to begin on Monday – runs according to schedule, said minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
He said the Education director-general and the Day School Management Division had made early preparations to ensure the smooth running of the examination – including providing alternative places if the schools were flooded.
“We have identified the schools which could potentially be flooded, especially those along rivers in Sarawak.”
A total of 443,794 candidates will sit for the 2017 UPSR examination from Sept 11 to 14, and Sept 18.
Asked why the UPSR candidates from schools which could potentially be flooded are not immediately moved to new examination locations – rather than wait for the flood to happen – Mahdzir said this could not be done as the locations had been identified and listed by the Examination Board as examination centres this year.
“They can only be moved (to other places) if the schools are flooded. If not, the UPSR examination location must remain at the school.”
A total of 8,085 examination centres throughout the country will be opened for UPSR 2017.
On efforts to resolve the issue of problematic students, Mahdzir said he had met and held discussions with the National Union of the Teaching Profession during the 21st NUTP Tri-annual Delegates Conference on Aug 29.
He said a meeting would also be held with the Union of Teachers in the Malaysian Education Service on Tuesday to obtain their views on the matter.
– Bernama