Articles   •   March 29, 2017

Students across the country received their 2016 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results on 16^th March 2017.

While most news outlets report the improved overall results compared to 2015, it appears that some people are still interested in the number of students scoring a string of As and the fact that it has declined from 2.13% in 2015 to 1.94% in 2016. The shift in emphasis towards Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), which is aimed at enabling our students to think critically, analyse problems and applying their knowledge, is a positive step forward for our education system. Challenges in questions which contain HOTS elements is probably a reason for the lower number of students scoring a string of As. I applaud the government for continuing the implementation of HOTS while studying ways to improve it, and I hope others will focus not on the lower number of excellent results, but on the overall improvement in the performance of students when 25% of the questions contain HOTS elements.

The vast majority of students score average results but will still go on to continue their studies either in the academic, technical or vocational stream. Some may start to do other things in life such as venturing into business or joining the workforce. How far will a string of As bring you? Perhaps it does help especially for scholarship applications but what makes us generally successful in life and at the workplace also has to do with our own hard work and attitude. Many recruiters will be able to tell you stories about interviewees not turning up for interviews at the very last minute, not informing the interviewer if they are running late or worst still, turn up a few days for work and disappear altogether after that only to be told later that the person has gotten another job.

I remember during one programme I conducted several years ago, unemployed graduates were offered a 3-month placement with a small allowance for them to gain work experience. There was this particular employer who complained to me about the graduates either not showing up for the interview, not informing that they will be late or not showing up for work when they have already accepted the offer.  Out of the four that were offered a placement, only one showed up for work and that person felt that despite the small allowance given during the 3-month placement and distance from home, it is an opportunity to work and gain experience in a large organisation. It is also a stepping stone to launch his career rather than going back home and continue waiting for jobs to become available. Today, that particular person was commended by the same company for his long and excellent service to the company. Despite the initial challenges, he has pulled through and excelled in his career. His results may not be the best or anything to shout about back then, but today, he is a respectable figure in his industry and his company. The attitude to take on challenges and turn them into learning points, among other qualities, is perhaps what is required rather than a string of As.

Lastly, congratulations to all the students who received their SPM results for their achievements as their hard work has paid-off. For us who have been through this stage in life and are now looking back, let us remind ourselves of the little things we can to do help nurture and empower our younger generation to explore their talents and create a future that they yearn for.

About the Author(s):

Carmen Lee is the Head of the Education Sector at Evant & Co., a management consulting firm with offices in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. Our purpose is to help our people and our clients to realise their aspirations while improving lives through business. We advise leaders on strategy, human capital, digital, and outsourcing.