KJ questions falling Pisa scores despite rising SPM grades

Former minister Khairy Jamaluddin asked if Malaysians are ready to make the tough decision and say that grade inflation must stop. PETALING JAYA: Former minister Khairy Jamaluddin has questioned the disparity between the growing number of students scoring straight As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination and Malaysia’s declining scores in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa).

He said Malaysia must be prepared to confront "years of grade inflation" for SPM instead of dismissing the apparent disconnect between national examination results and international assessments.

"Are we ready to have the tough conversation that for many, many years, there has been grade inflation in the SPM examination?" he said at the International Young Future Leaders Summit at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.

The other two panellists at the summit were Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari and Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

Khairy said the number of students scoring straight As in SPM continued to rise even as Malaysia's Pisa scores declined.

"There's a disconnect there. Are we ready to have that conversation? Are we ready to make a tough decision and say that grade inflation must stop?"

Onn Hafiz called for an honest look at the education system following Malaysia's drop in Pisa ranking from 48th position in 2018 to 62nd position last year, raising concerns over the quality of education.

"We cannot have this denial syndrome. We cannot sweep things under the carpet anymore. We must have the courage to acknowledge these weaknesses and address them," he said.

Amirudin also highlighted a mismatch between university education and industry requirements.

He said universities must strike a "golden balance" between providing students with a strong intellectual foundation, including in theory and philosophy, and equipping them with practical skills as demanded by industries.

Amirudin said this was particularly important as states are keen to attract high-value investments that require skilled local workers.

The discussion turned to environmental responsibility after a student raised concerns about younger generations having to bear the consequences of decisions made by older generations.

Khairy urged young voters to consider the environmental commitments of candidates and political parties when casting their ballots.

"My fear is that this issue, when it comes to elections, is quite low down in terms of priority. Because of this, the politicians don't act," he told the students.

Amirudin, meanwhile, outlined Selangor’s environmental initiatives, including the "polluter pays" principle, a system designed to hold entities financially accountable for discharging waste into local waterways.

He said the state had also introduced household recycling programmes and collected more than RM20 million through plastic bag charges, with plans to channel the funds to further recycling initiatives.

Amirudin said Selangor would focus on electronic waste next year, including the challenge of disposing of electric vehicle batteries.