SIBU: Teacher unions have suggested detailed moderation and guidance for teachers on how the paper is assessed for the Form 3 Assessment (PT3) which will replace PMR.
For Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU), ensuring the standard and quality of the system is most important to benefit the students.
“The replacement of PMR with PT3, a school-based assessment, is going to be administered by the school concerned. As such, this is another task that requires professional approach and decision because it involves the students’ results.
“It may be better and easier to administer as it is school-based.
“However, to ensure the validity and standard of the assessment there should be some form of a detailed moderation and guidance for these teachers on how the paper is assessed,” STU president Jisin Nyud told The Borneo Post yesterday.
He was reacting to Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement that PMR would be replaced with PT3 starting this year.
Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union (KGBS) president Ahmad Malie said the move would reduce examinations, relieving pressure on students, parents and teachers.
Ahmad also said that PT3 was an assessment with its instrument prepared by Malaysia Examination Board and to be implemented by the schools.
“To ensure quality control, verification and moderation will be carried out to assure parents of PT3’s quality.”
Towards this end, he assured of KGBS support of the Education Ministry’s move to implement PT3.
Meanwhile, educationist Felician Teo said school-based assessment like the new PT3 was an assessment embedded in the teaching and learning process.
The many advantages he noted included involving the teachers from beginning to end of the assessment process.
“It also allows for the collection of multiple samples of students’ performance over a period of time.
“It can be adapted or modified by the teacher to match the teaching and learning goals of a particular class.
“It is also carried out in the classroom and not an examination hall so the conditions are less stressful. This will enable the students to demonstrate their real capabilities.”
Elaborating on the benefits, he said the assessment would be conducted by the students’ own teacher and not a stranger.
Among others, the teacher could give immediate constructive feedback to the students to improve the learning process, he said.