Pupils may feel singled out, say parent groups

PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry’s measure to separate pupils into a three-month intervention programme has sparked concerns among parent groups that fear it may lead to pupils feeling singled out and stigmatised.

Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education (Magpie) chairman Mak Chee Kin said segregating pupils who have yet to master the 3M skills – reading, writing and counting – will only make them feel “admonished and demoralised” if they are singled out.

“Children who have not mastered their 3M skills have a better chance at improving if they are around peers who are proficient in their 3M.

“Providing additional lessons and classes for them would be beneficial but it would also increase the workload for teachers.

“Teachers, however, would not complain if they were relieved of unnecessary clerical tasks and reports, since most of them love to teach,” said the education activist.

He urged the ministry to thoroughly investigate the underlying causes of the issue – such as if internal issues at home are to blame, or if primary school teachers had neglected their duties in helping pupils master the basic 3M skills – before reaching a final decision.

Parent Action Group for Education (Page) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the immediate step should first be to assess the pupils for learning disabilities like dyslexia, autism, Asperger’s, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.“Only after a diagnosis can a suitable prescription be provided,” she said.

She questioned if school teachers are capable of making such diagnosis.

“Adequate tools, appropriate pedagogy and sufficient support must be in place to make outcomes achievable so that teachers can be made accountable.

“Parents may not like the idea but it may motivate them to help their children,” she said.

“While Page is not supportive of streaming pupils according to ability, it appears to be the only option to master the 3M,” said Noor Azimah.

“It seems discriminatory but pupils can excel if conditions are made conducive.

“A timeline and effective intervention must be made to achieve the desired outcome,” she said.

On March 13, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek announced that her ministry was actively addressing learning challenges with diverse strategies, aiming to enhance students’ proficiency in the 3M.

She said that despite implementing interventions to aid pupils in mastering the basic skills of 3M across all primary schools, a staggering 280,985 pupils (from Year One to Year Six) still struggle with mastering the Bahasa Melayu subject.

She also said 154,853 secondary school students (Form One to Form Five) have not mastered the 3M skills, bringing the total of students facing learning difficulties up to 435,838.

Meanwhile, National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Fouzi Singon supported the ministry’s move to temporarily separate pupils who have yet to master the 3M skills.

“This will help teachers concentrate on pupils who struggle with mastering 3M by accurately diagnosing their proficiency in 3M,” he said.