Muhyiddin Warns Schools Barring Students From Taking Exams

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin Wednesday warned of action against schools which deliberately prevented any pupil or student from sitting for important examinations.

Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said the Education Ministry was scrutinising the reports it had received on the matter.

There have been reports recently that some schools prohibited pupils weak in their studies from sitting for examinations so as to maintain a high pass rate.

Muhyiddin said the teachers could not be blamed if the pupils or students themselves did not wish to sit for the examinations.

The deputy prime minister spoke to reporters after a visit to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Hartamas near here to have a first-hand look at the students sitting for the 2011 Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examination which began yesterday.

The PMR students were taking their English Language Paper 1 examination then.

Muhyiddin reiterated that schools should not be too obsessed with attaining academic excellence to the extent that they denied any pupil or student his or her right to sit for important public examinations.

"No one should be denied his or her right to sit for a public examination," he said.

He reminded schools not to repeat the mistake and to ensure that every pupil or student was provided ample opportunity to get a proper education and sit for examinations to gauge their achievement.

Muhyiddin also said that an award would be introduced this year to accord recognition to parent-teacher associations which helped to raise the achievement of pupils or students.

He said an evaluation would be made of these associations which actively collaborated with the school administration to elevate the achievement of the pupils or students.