10 Things You Need To Know About The Cancellation of UPSR, PT3 and Postponement of SPM 2020

Today Education Minister Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin announced the cancellation of UPSR, PT3 and postponement of SPM 2020 to early 2021. Here's what parents need to know for now.

1. School sessions will be postponed until we are more certain of a recovery situation

2. School reopening will be announced 2 weeks beforehand.

3. For now, school reopening will only involve examination classes SPM, SVM, STPM, STAM and other equivalent overseas exams.

4. Teachers, parents and students are to follow SOPs on safety, cleanliness and social distancing when school reopens

5. SPM,  SVM and STAM will be postponed to the first quarter of 2021

6. STPM Semester 2 will be rescheduled to August 2020 whereas Semester 3 will be held on the first quarter of 2021.

7. New intakes for institutes of higher education including Asasi, Matrikulasi and diploma programmes will be postponed to July or August 2021. Degree programmes will be postponed to September or October 2021.

Update: In a Press Release dated 16 April 2020, the ministry further explained that the postponement of intakes are for those taking SPM 2020 whereas intake dates for those who took SPM in 2019 will proceed as planed. (Refer to press release at the end of this page)

8. UPSR and PT3 2020 will be cancelled.

9. Progression to Secondary School: With the cancellation of UPSR, the MOE will introduce a new method of assessment (which is not solely focused on academic performance alone) for admission to full boarding schools (SBP), Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA), Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) and Royal Military College (RMC),

10. Progression to Upper Secondary: With the cancellation of PT3, a new method will be introduced to assess students for upper secondary school. Results from this assessment will be used as one of the criteria for admission to specific schools such as full-boarding or technical schools.

We did a quick poll on this and at this time of writing, 345 parents voted in agreement of this move with 30 dissenting.

For full details, please refer to the press statement from the Ministry of Education, Malaysia below or visit the official site:

Ministry of Education Malaysia official website
Ministry of Education Malaysia Facebook Page
Ministry of Education Malaysia Twitter

Free Children's Book to Explain about COVID-19 in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese

The Movement Order Control in Malaysia has just been extended another 2 weeks to 28 April 2020. That means children will be home for another 2 weeks. They will be restless and some of them may be confused. It is not easy to explain something that you cannot see with the eye to children. What is COVID-19? Why do we have to #stayathome ? Why can't we go to see grandpa/grandma?

Children can feel anxious especially if they overhear their parents talk about the daily statistics on the number of cases as well as the demise of more people due to it.



The World Health Organization in collaboration with more than 50 organizations including the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Save the Children and more has come up with a book to explain COVID-19 to children.

This book has been translated into many languages including English, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia, to reach as many children as possible including

Entitled "My Hero Is You", the book talks about hand washing, staying at home, social distancing etc in simple terms to help children understand the current situation with the help of a fantasy creature called Ario.

This book is suitable for kids from age 6-11 years old.

It is written and illustrated by Helen Patuck, who together with her project team drew on the sharing from 1700 children, parents, caregivers and teachers from all over the world to make sure that the story and its messages are relevant to children from different backgrounds.

Download links (The book is free to download)

My Hero Is You (English version)
Engkaulah Adiwiraku (Bahasa Malaysia Version)
你是我心中的英雄 (Chinese Version)

Interestingly, the Bahasa Malaysia translation is translated by Dr Feisul Idzwan Mustapha from our own Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia or Ministry of Health Malaysia. :-)

Below is the audio version, a public reading by Howard Donald. You can put this on together with your book for kids to listen and read at the same time. Howard Donald is an English singer, songwriter, drummer, pianist, dancer and record producer. He is a member of English pop-group Take That and a judge on the German reality talent show Got to Dance.