Sunday, September 28, 2014

SPM Forecast Result - A worthless piece of paper?

The Ministry of Education is reported to have issued a notification to private institutions of higher education that SPM forecast results are no longer acceptable as admission requirements.

For decades the SPM forecast results has formed a first impression of sorts to enable private colleges to issue conditional offers to Malaysian students.

It is an efficient and effective introduction of an applicant student's academic standard to a private college.

Why is the MOE changing this tried and tested methodology?

I will leave the expletives aside for the moment.

MOE must explain this irrational, myopic, stupid and unnecessary action.

Has MOE got nothing better to do?

I seem to recall sufficient objective events that should be occupying MOE's full attention such as appalling PISA and TIMSS scores and...the matter of UPSR exam paper leaks.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Forecast results are not worthless, as they could be used to get a conditional offer of a place subject to meeting the requirements stipulated when a candidate obtains his/ her actual results.

In the UK, students are given conditional offers for A level places in the colleges of their choices based on the forecast or predicted grades! BUT they do not begin their study until they have their OFFICIAL or ACTUAL GCSE results.

Likewise for university intake. Universities give them conditional acceptance based on forecast results, but the final verdict of whether a person is able to accept the place offered is subject to him/her meeting the grades stipulated or expected by the university.

In Malaysia, our private colleges are earning so much by taking in drones of students based on forecast results, and many students disappear when they have their actual SPM results.

So while this new ruling is good for parents (like me, whose son is pestering to go to expensive, cut-throat A level colleges such as .... just to be like his friends), they are of course not favourable for private colleges in terms of business and profits. That's why you hear all the hue and cry from private colleges.

Now I can plan added-value and enriching activities for my son when he knows that forecast results do not warrant him to begin the A-Level study.

Anonymous said...

No need to forecast results. Just tell those who want to go into STPM that if they get so many As you will be guaranteed a place. Anyway that is what civilized countries are doing.