As SPM is drawing close (36 days to be exact), students are busy preparing for the exam. Well, maybe I'm the only exceptional since I'm blogging.

Anyways.

I woke up to a news that startled me.

Source: Star Newspaper

I was speechless for 2 whole minutes as I couldn't find the right words to say. All too sudden. And of course, like any other '97s out there, my first reaction was non-other than "WHY?!!"

I snatched the newspaper away from my dad and read it.


I don't even know where to start discussing about this. It's been a practice for over 30 years whereby private institutes use SPM sitters' trial results for Pre-U programmes that start in January/ February. For 30 whole years, BAM, this came up all of a sudden. I'm pretty sure students are not the only ones being caught surprised.

I've read on the article regarding the topic and felt frustrated mainly for these few things I'm about to share.

There's no reason being told in the newspaper as to why the Education Ministry is doing this.

Nope, not a single solid answer spotted in the newspaper. We, as students demand a reason for this. After working so hard to get good results for trials and being told that your efforts are futile for no reason at all, why is this?

There are a lot of speculations and questions being told right as we speak. Knowing that this news would spread as wildfire like it already has, why not give a statement on this?

And why hasn't it been told before-hand? Yes, it's not like something we students can do anything about it. I am no officer or any person who has the right to change the education system BUT that doesn't mean things can be changed overnight.

People's thoughts on trials

Trials maybe just a piece of paper. But I would like to protest the thought on it being just a WORTHLESS piece of paper. We, the students had put in effort in order to score. The same thing goes for SPM. We really do not want to hear that all the hardwork we gave to be viewed as something so useless and trashy.

Don't you think it's wrong to say that?

If so, let me propose my next set of questions. If it is, as stated, such a worthless thing, then why do we have to sit for trials? Why does the results take into account?

How do you feel when you put your heart and soul into achieving something that is important to you, only to be told that all your efforts mean nothing? Yes, your confidence gets crushed to dust. Students are often motivated to study and to achieve good results for SPM. But with this title that reads our efforts being insignificant, I would think of this: Why do we even bother about this?

And also, the target marks set for students should only be used as a guideline and NOT a necessity for students to achieve it. The targets, set by computers serve as only a target for student so that they are motivated to achieve better results. But this is not the case now.

Students are being reprimanded for not achieving what a COMPUTER wants. We are humans, not robots. Who does not wish to get good results? If the students did try their best, I don't see a reason to be scolded for.

What's worse? Within the 3 months break, I'll guess that most of the students will look for a part-time job to kill time before the SPM results are out. When I mean most of them, clearly I don't mean all. Though there might be a minority who spend time wisely by reading and stuffs, what about the majority? Needless to say, these are all contributions to social issues involving teenagers nowadays.

I have went through some of the comments and thoughts of people responding to this issue. And this statement has made me yet again, frustrated.

"Just let the kids work during the 3 months break. What's the big deal? No wonder the younger generation are all so spoilt nowadays."

Dear sir, sorry for my vulgarity, but screw you.

Let me highlight a word in this statement the contradicts the society nowadays and as to why I'm so furious. The word "all".

If you've noticed, the younger generation has produced magnificent results and had already been contributing to this country at a tender age. Not all the youngsters are spoilt brats just because you are surrounded by them. And first of all, why do you think they're spoilt to begin with? You're indirectly questioning how parents these days teach their children.

I feel that this matter has to be reviewed once again. Although I'm not sure myself whether I would go for the earlier intake, but hundreds and thousands out there who had already set their minds on what they are doing wish to move on to their courses a head before others. With this, they are all suddenly being held back. They may lack motivation to pursue their passion and dream.

I, being a student in one of the government high schools, am just sharing my thoughts. I am in no place to go against the law if it has already been decided. But still I'm saying this because I believe it is my right to do so. Thank you for reading.