UPSR Leak Leaves Nearly Half A Million 12-Year-Olds Demotivated About Our Education System
Imagine being only 12 years old, studying hard to do well in the national exam, only to be told that your efforts were wasted because of the actions of someone else.
By Mei Mei Chu — 12 Sep 2014, 01:03 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
The Science and English UPSR exam paper leak has affected approximately 473,175 students nationwide, their parents, and 51,438 invigilators
Much to the relief of Year 6 students and their parents, the minister has informed that the UPSR examination has not been cancelled nor rescheduled, other than for the Science and English papers which were leaked.
Image via themalaysianinsider.comThe postponement affects 473,175 Year Six pupils in national as well as Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools. There are also 51,438 invigilators involved.
thestar.com.myThe 12-year-old UPSR students who had already taken the English exam have to retake the paper on 30 September 2014
Over 470,000 year six pupils nationwide who were scheduled to sit for their UPSR Science exam today have been re-scheduled to take the exam on 30 September following a leak of the papers over the Internet. Pupils have to resit the papers also on Sept 30.
The retake of the English papers, however, will not affect those from vernacular schools. More than 470,000 Year 6 pupils are affected by the leaks in around 8,000 schools nationwide.
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More than 50,000 exam invigilators are also involved, and Education Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said that the papers had to be rescheduled to as late as September 30 in order to handle the massive logistics involved.
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The Science paper that was supposed to be taken today to mark the end of the national examination, has been postponed for three weeks until 30 September 2014
The Science paper that was supposed to be taken today to mark the end of the national examination, has been postponed for three weeks until 30 September 2014.
Image via themalaysianinsider.com“Students who were preparing mentally to complete their UPSR exams in three days will now have to wait another three weeks.”
thestar.com.myThe week-long school holidays, which begin tomorrow, have now become a harrowing time for the pupils instead of a time to unwind after the exams.
thestar.com.myHelen Khu was another disappointed Facebook user. “My first thought is of the young students – how stressed they must have been preparing for their first public exam. “They must have been looking forward to their long-awaited holidays, only to be told that they have to resit the papers. How do you expect them to feel? Not to mention their parents and teachers,” said Khu.
thestar.com.myParents have to cancel family holiday plans that were meant as a reward to their children for studying hard and completing the UPSR examination
Tan, a 45-year-old mother of a Year 6 pupil, was also angry that the family’s holiday plans had to be cancelled. "How do I tell my son that his holidays have to be cancelled because some irresponsible people decided to leak some exam papers? "He had been looking forward to that as a reward for studying so hard."
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Family plans and holidays have been cancelled, they say, after the Education Ministry decided to postpone the Science paper and let the majority of nearly 500,000 pupils retake two English papers after they discovered the leaks – the first for national examinations at the primary school level.
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Lisa, whose son had been excited to go on a school trip with his friends to China, was now reluctant to go despite his parents' encouragement
Lisa, whose son had been excitedly preparing for a school trip with his friends to China, was now reluctant to go. “He feels he should stay home and continue with his revision. As we have already paid for the trip, we are encouraging him to go for a break,” she said.
thestar.com.myAfter months of mental preparation, the prolonged exam period coupled with the need to resit the papers have left students feeling demotivated and disappointed
After months of mental preparation, the prolonged exam period coupled with the need to retake the papers have left students feeling demotivated and disappointed.
Image via themalaysianinsider.comV. James said the whole experience has left his daughter disappointed at not being able to finish her exams yesterday as she was supposed to. "It's not about having to retake the exam. But it is about the mental preparation. She's distraught about it. The fact remains that she has to force herself to study for a longer time."
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"She's very disappointed. She had worked very hard as did her friends from school. She keeps asking me why did this happen. What do I tell her?" said a mother, who only wanted to be known as Rachel. "Now parents and teachers have a huge task in encouraging the demotivated pupils about their upcoming exams. This is such a big blow to her."
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Rachel said she has told her daughter to accept the incident as a bitter experience and look forward to her upcoming Science and English papers. "But it's hard for her, I know. She keeps asking me why couldn't these people work hard instead of trying to cheat.”
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A frustrated English teacher says all her students' hard work is now down the drain, "They are tired and should not be the victims of someone else’s irresponsible and selfish behaviour."
“As an English teacher teaching UPSR students this year, this is an embarrassment and a slap in the face for all my students who have worked so hard for the past year,” said Facebook user Sheela Selvarasan. “I had to deal with upset kids. All my students’ hard work is now down the drain. They are tired and should not be the victims of someone else’s irresponsible and selfish behaviour."
thestar.com.my“My fellow teachers have also done so much to ensure that the kids are prepared physically and mentally. This is utterly ridiculous.”
thestar.com.myWorst of all, the incident has caused students to lose faith in the education and examination system. "In Religious Studies and Moral Education, we learn that honesty is a good value. It is shameful that this happened in a major exam."
Worst of all, the incident has caused students to lose faith in the education and examination system.
Image via therakyatpost.comThe parents also lashed out at the Education Ministry and the Examination Board, saying that the incident has caused their children to lose faith in the education system. "Integrity is sorely lacking in the Examination Board. Where is the supervision of the papers? I have to say the ministry has failed in its duties," said Rachel. "How do these children, after the experience they have had, trust the examination system?"
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Hannah, who sat for the UPSR, said that it was embarrassing that such an incident happened. “In Religious Studies and Moral Education, we learn that honesty is a good value. It is shameful that this (leaked papers) happened in a major exam,” she said.
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