<figure id="attachment_3215151" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3215151" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3215151 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/c80c8f17-peperiksaan-spm-bernama-pic-201125.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3215151" class="wp-caption-text">Education minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry&#8217;s aim was not to abolish examinations but to ensure a fairer system given the diverse needs of students. (Bernama pic)</figcaption></figure>
PETALING JAYA: The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) is not just a school examination like the scrapped UPSR primary school and PT3 lower secondary examinations but a national education certification, says Fadhlina Sidek.
In defending Putrajaya&#8217;s ongoing reforms on school assessments, the education minister said SPM remained essential as it functioned as the country’s main academic credential, especially as students further their studies.
Speaking on the Kerusi Biru podcast, Fadhlina said her ministry was seeking to strike a balance between continuous assessments and national-level standards, pointing out that the government had also opted to retain final year examinations in schools.
The aim, she said, was not to abolish examinations but to ensure a fairer system taking into account the diverse needs of students.
Previously, UCSI University professor Tajuddin Rasdi said SPM was no longer relevant in today’s education landscape, with pathways like technical and vocational training offering more practical routes to success in a diverse job market.
Tajuddin also said universities should develop their own entry examinations tailored to specific courses instead of depending on the SPM, adding this would cater to the students’ strengths and career aspirations.
Separately, Fadhlina said the government achieved a major milestone in terms of teacher placements, with 98% of positions filled.
This was the highest for this administration since it came to power in late November 2022, she added.
The minister said providing education in rural areas remained one of the biggest challenges faced by her and her predecessors as the remote locations were often hard to reach.
“I was often told I was the first minister to reach some of these areas. But reaching them is one thing, what comes after that determines whether we succeed or not.”
She said the ministry had introduced alternative models such as schools on houseboats to ensure children in these areas still had access to education.
She added that failing to think outside of the box would deprive these children the opportunity of receiving education.

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