The list of Top 10 students and Top 10 schools in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2009 is a slap-in-the-face to Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for his list of High-Performance Schools (HPS) announced at the end of January.
The two SPM 2009 lists have validated the criticisms leveled against Muhyiddin’s HPS list, that it is an insult not only to students and teachers from Sarawak and Sabah but also to their counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia when none of their schools was selected.
Congratulations to Gladys Tan Yee Kim of SMK Green Road, Kuching, the top SPM student in the country in SPM 2009 scoring 10A+s as well as the other nine SPM top scorers.
Gladys Tan has vindicated the honour and quest for excellence of Sarawakians by topping the national list.
However, out of the Top 10 SPM students, only two were from Muhyiddin’s list of HPS, namely second top scorer Grace Kiew Sze-Ern from SMK(P) Sri Aman, Petaling Jaya and fifth top scorer Syamilah Mahali from Kolej Tunku Kurshiah, Seremban.
Eight of the Top SPM students are not from any of Muhyiddin’s list of HPS, viz:
| Rank | Name | School |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gladys Tan Yee Kim | SMK Green Road, Kuching |
| 2 | Grace Kiew Sze-Ern | SMK (P) Sri Aman, Petaling Jaya (HPS) |
| 3 | Khadijah Ahmad Jais | SM Agama Persekutuan, Labu |
| 4 | Akmal Hidayat Sabri | SMK Derma, Kangar |
| 5 | Syamilah Mahali | Kolej Tunku Kurshiah, Seremban (HPS) |
| 6 | Amelia Lee Wei Ling | SMK Taman Melawati,Gombak |
| 7 | Nur Syahadan Muhamad | SMK Sains Tengku Muhd Faris Petra, KB |
| 8 | Lai Yin Kwin | SMK Tinggi Melaka, Malacca |
| 9 | Corinne Gunn Huey Min | SMK Taman Melawati, Gombak |
| 10 | Hu May Khei | SMK Convent, Taiping |
There should be some correlation between the list of Top SPM students with the HPS list and when they are completely out-of-sync as in this case, questions must be asked about the professionalism and usefulness of Muhyiddin’s HPS list.
Questions must not only be asked as to the exclusion of the schools which have produced the first, third, fourth and fifth top student in the Top 10 SPM 2009 scorer from the HPS list, but also why SMK Taman Melawati, Gombak which produced two students (sixth and ninth) among Top 10 SPM students is also not on the HPS list.
The list of the Top 10 Schools in the SPM 2009 is another put-down for Muhyiddin’s HPS list.
Only three of the Top 10 Schools in SPM 2009 are in the HPS list, viz:
| School | HPS ranking |
|---|---|
| Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah, Klang | 2 |
| Sekolah Tun Fatimah, Johore Bahru | 4 |
| Kolej Tunku Kurshiah, Seremban | 10 |
The other seven schools ranking from No. 1 to No. 9 in the Top 10 Schools in SPM 2009 are not in the HPS list, viz:
| School | HPS ranking |
|---|---|
| SM Sains Seremban | 1 |
| Sekolah BPI Gombak | 3 |
| SM Sains Alam Shah | 5 |
| SBPI Rawang | 6 |
| SM Sain Muar | 7 |
| SBPI Temerloh | 8 |
| SMK Infant Jesus Convent, JB | 9 |
Muhyiddin should direct his officials in the Education Ministry to get back to the drawing board to issue a supplementary list of the High Performance Schools to do justice to all good schools, taking into account the SPM 2009 results. May be the HPS list should be formulated and selected by a committee of former teachers and educationists instead of bureaucrats in the Education Ministry.
For the Top 10 SPM students, the Cabinet should reward them by announcing that they will all be granted full scholarships for pre-university and university education, whether locally or abroad, to demonstrate the government’s new appreciation for talent in Najib’s 1Malaysia, with none of them snatched away to study overseas, particularly in Singapore.
#1 by Cinapek on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 11:40 am
Much has been written about the criteria for the selection of HPS schools and the justifications by Muhyuddin and the MOE. Personally, I do not think schools such as Tun Fatimah and Tunku Khursiah and other residential science schools should even merit any consideration as they selected the cream of the crop of the students and provided them with facilities other schools could only dream of.
HPS should look at value added by those neighbourhood schools who did well. They took in any and all students and groomed them to be top performers. These are the real HPS schools.
Sometimes I suspect the HPS is just an excuse to favour certain types of schools. If this is the case, then MOE better be prepared for the backlash because just like the NEP, the more you discriminate, the harder those discriminated against will fight back and perform even better. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Molly coddle them and you are doing a great injustice to thos really capable.
#2 by digard on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 11:58 am
I’m not so convinced. Neither with the HPS list nor with Kit Siang’s rebuttal. This craze of ‘we have the best SPM’ is totally useless for our country. The obsession with excellence (of one or a few) individuals does not deliver what we need: Our country urgently needs a reformasi of the educational system that cares about the large majority of pupils. We need millions of well-rounded people, to advance our country, a handful of high-fliers gets us exactly nowhere.
And, as any head-master will confirm, this craze is counter-productive. You can’t avoid your school being located in this or that area. In the end, MoE will only ‘reward’ you for the results of your pupils. And that depends as well on the social background.
Take out residential schools altogether. Again: we need millions of Malaysians for the majority of the jobs that can fulfill their duties as nurses, teachers, janitors, accountants, craftsman, in a good and responsible manner. Crazing for 5 ‘world-class’ achievers got us exactly where we are now.
#3 by bennylohstocks on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 1:00 pm
He’s fond of calling others research/survey/works as rubbish. This time his work is amateurish and RUBBISH, RUBBISH, RUBBISH!!
#4 by k1980 on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 1:15 pm
After Grade A+, would the ministry impose better grades such as Grade A++ or Grade AAA?
#5 by ekompute on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 1:15 pm
“Top 10 students and Top 10 schools in SPM 2009 a slap-in-the face to Muhyiddin’s list of High Performance Schools”
The only thing high performance about Muhyiddin’s list of “High Performance Schools” is the word, “High Performance”.
#6 by dagen on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 1:19 pm
ANNUAL BEGGING FESTIVAL is here.
Jib Jib Boleh!
#7 by Motorist on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 1:36 pm
Why are we so kiasu in wanting 10A’s (or 11 or 15 …) when the quality of education has eroded over the years. The emphasis over 1 sitting that culminates 5 yrs of secondary education. No consideration given to lateral thinking, analysis or forming opinions. Purely regurgitation of what the syllabus states.
As for the fully residential school, speaking as a former student of one, it has been & still is, a brain washing institution of racial & religious supremacy.
The concept of taking rural children & giving them the best education so they can be contributors to society & role models to other rural children, is noble.
However, the supremacist in MoE & ruling party has hijacked it to only include a certain race & then brain washing these young minds to hate others, believe in the racial supremacy & to be intolerant to others, is sickening.
Many of my fellow schoolmates only changed the negative attitude after studying abroad. The exposure abroad open their hearts & minds, making them more tolerant & less racist. Some found the true teaching of their religion. Many do not wish their children to be enrolled in our alma mater, preferring to nurture their child with a sensible upbringing of multi-culture, tolerance & strong moral.
It is time to revamp not only the education system but also to go back to the basic principle of residential school, educating the young to be contributors to a multi cultural society & role models to other rural children.
#8 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 1:41 pm
DPM was never in touch with the ground. he lives in his ivory palace.
Syabas to all top-scorers, no thanks to DPM or MOE.
#9 by boh-liao on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 1:48 pm
It does not matter which schools are HPS
Umnoputras n BNputras just don’t send their kids 2 study in any of these schools, period
Aristocrats mah send their kids 2 English-speaking residential schools elsewhere
NR should know this, ask him loh
#10 by Dap man on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 2:12 pm
I was told a student ho obtained 17As some years ago was a big flop hen she went to UK to study. Can anyone confirm this.
Those without straight As, do not fret. I have seen many with just a few As who have done remarkably well in foreign universities.
#11 by Dap man on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 2:20 pm
Do you realize children of UMNO/MCA Ministers do not appear in this list of straight A students. Why?
Because they are all studying in international schools or overseas.
They don’t trust their own education system.
#12 by TheWrathOfGrapes on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 2:20 pm
Well, there are actually 2 HPS lists:
A High Performance Schools list; and
Muhyiddin’s Half Past Six list
#13 by tameupara on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 3:12 pm
So this list was created probably to benefit certain gang of the minister for the profit. Anything is possible in MALAYSIA.
#14 by SENGLANG on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 4:45 pm
every year every one like to boost about how many A, AND what type of A, AA or AAA.
Unfortunately we keep churning out so call gradual that still need to train and retrain before they can communicate on the work place.
It is really pointless. MOE should really commission a study on our education system. The system is sick and it is no doing any good to the future.
Forget about HPS of this and that. This was just politic to gain mileage for certain people.
Malaysia used to have first class education. What the glory years of MU where many brilliant fellow have graduated no longer now. Time to have a committed education minister to really do the job.
#15 by waterfrontcoolie on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 5:41 pm
Though As are reasonable indicators of a student’s ability to grasp ideas and knowledge, certainly they do not guarantee the good life of the future. In the working life, the term ‘street-smart’ is more appropriate. An organization has to compete with others and its success is dependent on its workers to “outsmart” its competitors in the field they are competing in. Such skill is not available in the books. Such skill generally requires the workers to be able to discern minute differences from where advantages can be made. Yes, I agree that a couple of As at the more important subjects would suffice. To me, a child should be good at language/s and maths; from there the rest of the subjects is a matter of reading. The access to proper library is more important especially if this is coupled with a computer from which world-wide information accessibility is at the finger tip.For a star-student to find himself/herself failing an examination while an average student can shine, it is a mortal blow to all his/her self confidence. And the scenario is created by design, then thedesigner should be hanged! Such illusion is definitely self-defeating in any circumstances!!
#16 by dagen on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 6:13 pm
How on earth the quest for knowledge amongst our children became the pursuit of As? It is not unlike our ridiculous preference for what is “cheap and good” which of course does not exist in reality – a preference which therefore evolves itself by necessity to become the “cheap is good” alternative. What utter rubbish. We as a nation seem to be drifting with a malfunctioning compass, to be pulling tea and flipping roti canai in the wrong space and at the wrong time.
I blame mamak for all of these. His single minded pursuit of that “feeling good” (shiok sendiri) factor with an over-inflated pride and a distorted patriotism. Taller is better. Bigger is better. Newer is better. For God’s sake “put us in the world map”, he screamed, and the media parrotted. That seemed to be the only order of mamak’s then umno government – which order umno carries till this very day. Never mind the fact that Malaysia is already in the world map since we achieved merdeka decades ago. The point is the ink on the map marking out Malaysia geographically must gain a pronounce thickness over the rest of the page! And against the flat surface the paper on which the map is printed geographical extent of malaysia must stand out – nicely and clearly embossed.
Of course he spent a lot of our money doing all that – 100billion according to an estimate. Well done umno. You have lost all reasons to continue on.
#17 by sheriff singh on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 6:30 pm
“Edwina Tang Chooi Wern, 17 of Convent Light Street scored 13 A+” The Sun.
And there many others from Penang schools who scored between 10A+ and 12A+.
How come they are not in the top 10 nation wide?
I guess there must still be a big difference between those who got 91 marks and 100 marks for their 10 best subjects.
#18 by Bunch of Suckers on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 7:35 pm
If Bunch of Suckers’ speeches and words could be trusted accordingly; all opposition politicians must commit hara-kiri themselves publicly!!!
Understandably, selections and admissions into our local Universities or other higher institutions of learnings are remarkably based racial quota; why not the ranking of schools, as what they called HPS (High Performance Schools), are being genuinely manipulated and marginalized out!?
The actual definition of HPS, according to this bunch of su*kers, is actually defined as Horse Pen*s su*kers???!!!!
#19 by katdog on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 8:56 pm
Every year we churn out more and more 10 A 15A, A+, A++ etc etc students.
You’d think with this kinds of results we would be a high performance, high value knowledge based country.
No, we seem to be the opposite. What gives?
Instead of debating about which schools are HPS, maybe we should be debating the real problem? Oh wait. Everyone know what the real problems are. Its just that the morons in the government can’t admit it. The real problem is THEMSELVES.
So instead we waste our time debating about nonsense.
#20 by tanjong8 on Friday, 12 March 2010 - 9:52 pm
Who cares about the list ?
If you are member of UmnoUtusans, you do not need SPM, STP OR BA, MA, PHD.
#21 by Comrade on Saturday, 13 March 2010 - 7:37 am
katdog: The real problem is THEMSELVES.
You are absolutely right. Coming GE13 let’s kick out this real problem and give a chance to PR to give us a better future.
#22 by Black Arrow on Saturday, 13 March 2010 - 9:16 am
Muhyiddin’s list is not accurate. It just goes to show how clever BN is. On another topic, I don’t hold out much hope for the NEM.
I agree with the comments from katdog and Comrade. We must kick out BN and vote in PR.
#23 by dagen on Saturday, 13 March 2010 - 1:53 pm
Hoi sheriff singh.
Didnt they cap the number of spm subjects? Yeah. To 10 only (or was it 12?). A candidate may register for more and score 15 maybe 16 or 17 As but in the eyes of the minister he is no better than the student who scored 10As.
Just like telling the world sports body to cap the 100m sprint to no more than say 10s so that even our runners (no offence intended to them) could be counted as fast.
#24 by lopez on Sunday, 14 March 2010 - 1:50 pm
if you find a kampong student who gets 20 As , i think their parents would be conferred with highest national order….like datuk or something.
otherwise maybe a small mention in local newspaper in the small corner of page, because of 308.
this current clown one is the most stupid over 50 years in boiling land
#25 by raven77 on Tuesday, 16 March 2010 - 12:26 am
With our students scoring 20A+++ regularly, Malaysia of course must be producing two Nobel prize winners every year….our education system is a complete washout. Everyone knows this except the UMNO Education Ministry.
#26 by johnnypok on Tuesday, 16 March 2010 - 10:25 am
If the passing mark is raised, or if the papers are marked in Singapore, only a small percentage will do well, and majority will either fail miserably or obtain disgraceful results.
We should be ashame to announce and to publish this kind of news, because the standard of education is very low (compare to Singapore), and we have a big number of unemployable graduates (due to their stupidity). We also have many idiots who bought their “Dr” title.