BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Ministry of Education (MoE) has introduced a bi-monthly checkpoint test (CPT) for Year Six students aimed to identify their specific strengths and weaknesses in a subject.

As a result, a 260 per cent improvement was recorded in the recent CPT in April compared to the first CPT conducted in February this year.

This was amongst the announcements made by Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Awg Abu Bakar Hj Apong in his speech at the Third National Education Forum at the International Convention Centre in Berakas yesterday. “With the situation of our PSR being on a plateau in the past decade, there is a need for us to reflect on our efforts in raising student performance,” he said.

The test was thus introduced and designed for Year Six students where it can breakdown the students’ performance in a subject into categories and specifically identify which parts of the subject the students require assistance with.

Two CPTs have been carried out thus far in February and April. There will be two more in June and the last one in August before the students sit for their Primary School Assessment (PSR) towards the end of the year.

“At the start of the year, to help ascertain our Year Six students’ capability, we introduced bi-monthly checkpoint tests which began in February with CPT1 and we were concerned with only 4.5 per cent of the students achieving grades A to C,” he said.

The minister added that this was a healthy wake-up call for the ministry to reflect and assess their teaching and learning efforts and intervention initiatives in order to identify areas for improvement.

“Alhamdulillah the initiatives have improved the students’ performance. Through CPT2, I am happy that the performance has improved from 4.5 per cent in CPT1 to 16.2 per cent in CPT2 – that is an improvement by 11.63 per cent,” he said, commending the hard work of the Sultanate’s school leaders, teachers and Head of Cluster.

He pointed out that the ministry was particularly proud of the substantial achievement made by the Lumut Primary School – one of the 49 schools needing further support that has made a significant jump of 28.57 per cent from the previous test.

“Although our 74 per cent target for this year is not yet within our grasp, teachers, you have shown your capability. Between CPT1 and CPT2, have you realised that you have pushed yourselves by 260 per cent? Certainly this is proof that with commitment, support and passion, the target set to us is achievable,” he said.

He reminded the over 400 teachers in the forum that it is important to maintain the momentum forward.

“If we all maintain our effort of at least 240 per cent, compounding progression from the last respective checkpoint can be projected to have better outcomes,” he said.

YB Pehin Dato (Dr) Hj Awg Abu Bakar also reminded that the emphasis on primary education is vital as it lays down the foundation for the students to succeed in their secondary education.

“Our research has shown a strong correlation between achievements in primary and secondary education achievements,” he said.

“It shows those who perform well in PSR are more likely to do well in their GCE O-levels — this underlines the gravity on strengthening performance in our primary schools if we are to give our students a better future.”

The minister added MoE has a present target of achieving at least 90 per cent of students achieving grades A to C in the Primary School Assessment for 2017 but there may be another target added.

“I would like to advocate efforts to raise the quality in education by improving student achievements at all levels. We now have a PSR target set; and InsyaAllah a target for the O-level examination will help us carry our students’ performance forward,” he said.

He also announced that the Sultanate is on the right track with respect to students’ attendance rates.

“Alhamdulillah with concerted efforts from all, we have seen attendance in schools improve from three out of six clusters achieving at least 95 per cent attendance in March 2015 to five out of six clusters obtaining more than 95 per cent in April,” he said.

The Brunei Times