While students eagerly wait to return to school, the Ministry of Education has announced that things will only return to normal once they were sure that the situation was safe.

Education Minister Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said that for now, the ministry was in constant discussion with the Ministry of Health and other related officials on the matter.



He then announced that the ministry had decided to cancel the PT3 and UPSR examinations for this year.

He added that the cancellation would not affect the quality of edication and said that the ministry had come up with alternative measures to gauge their development.

"UPSR results are used by students to enter boarding schools, religious schools, Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) and Maktab Tentera Diraja (MTD).

"PT3 results are used to aid in the entrance to specialised schools, boarding schools and technical based schools," he said assuring that the ministry would come up with an alternative measure to replace the examinations.

He said that the new measure would not be solely focused on academic achievements alone.

Sounds like good news to us!

Exams postponed to 2021

As for those sitting for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), Sijil Vokasional Malaysia (SVM) and Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM), the ministry announced that all the examinations would be postponed to 2021.


"For SPM and SVM, the examination will be conducted in the first quarter of 2021.

"For STPM, the second semester will commence in August 2020 and the third semester examination will take place in the first quarter of 2021.

"For STAM, the exams will take place in the first quarter of 2021," he said during a live press conference on the matter.

Dr Mohd Radzi also said that the ministry was constantly holding discussions with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and would work with them closely to ensure that students are safe once school reopens.

He said that MOH would be drawing up guidelines that would be followed by all schools upon reopening.

Addressing concerns that parents would be unprepared if schools suddenly opened, he said that the ministry would let them know "at least two weeks in advance".