Abang Johari (centre) leads the PBB flag waving during the singing of the party’s song at the start of the meeting. Also seen are (from left) Batang Sadong MP Rodiyah Sapiee, Naroden, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Datuk Aidel Lariwoo and Simunjan assemblyman Awla Dris. – Penerangan  photo

KUCHING (Dec 2): The Sarawak government will bear the cost of its own assessment tests for students in Primary 6, Form 3 and Form 5, said Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

The Premier said that such tests, in collaboration with Cambridge University Press and Assessment, are important to develop human resources needed for Sarawak’s new economic and industrial initiatives.

“Although the federal Ministry of Education (MoE) has decided to abolish examination-oriented learning for school students, Sarawak has made decision to go ahead with assessment tests in schools in the state meant to evaluate students’ level of command in important subjects such as Mathematics and Science.

“That’s why in Sarawak, it will be different. Even though we have to pay for it due to the collaboration with Cambridge, we need to do it to secure a better future for our children who will be experts and skilled in the new economy,” he said when officiating at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Gedong triennial general meeting conducted yesterday at a leading hotel here.

He also said students who are identified through the assessment as to be weak in the subjects will be assisted through special classes.

With Sarawak pursuing new economic initiatives such as hydrogen, Abang Johari pointed out that it is important for the younger generation to have a good command of Mathematics, Science and English under the state’s dual language programme (DLP).

“The national academic policy is now automatic, from Primary 6 to Form 1, Form 2, Form 3, Form 4 and Form 5, there are no exams. (A simple arithmetic) of 2 plus 3, probably, they do not know…English proficiency might be weak. That’s why we (in Sarawak) want to have assessment tests,” he said.

It had been reported that the assessments for DLP students in Year 6 will commence next year, with Form 3 assessments starting in 2028.

Meanwhile, the meeting witnessed Abang Johari, who is also Gedong assemblyman, being elected unopposed as chairman of PBB Gedong branch.

Former Gedong assemblyman Dato Sri Mohd Naroden Majais, on the other hand, was elected unopposed as branch deputy chairman.

Abang Johari won the Gedong seat in the 2021 state election. He was previously the assemblyman of Satok.