It is unlikely that the education ministry will be reviewing its decision to increase the number of subjects for students at the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level from 10.

This stand is set to disappoint Tamil and Chinese language educationist groups as the 10-subject limit would mean the students would have to forgo vernacular subjects.

These groups have raised concerns that with the limit, students, especially in the Science stream, will be unable to take the vernacular language literature paper, which would have been the 11th subject.

To overcome this, the education ministry today suggested that schools conduct their own vernacular examinations for students who were unable to sit for it at SPM level.

Director-General of Education Alimuddin Mohd Dom said, by doing so, school teachers could gauge the ability of the students concerned and issue certificates based on their efficiency and proficiency in vernacular languages.

"I suggest students take school-based vernacular examinations if they are not able to sit for it when the 10-subject limit for candidates sitting for SPM begins next year.

"Learning is an ongoing process and students intending to take vernacular subjects can always continue, upon completing their school," he told reporters today.

New policy from next year

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced recently that starting next year, SPM students would only be allowed to take a maximum of 10 subjects.

Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said that in line with the decision, there would also be changes in the grading system.

Alimuddin said the majority of public and private-owned institutions of higher learning felt that 10 subjects would be the most appropriate number in the SPM examination for students to further their higher studies.

"I feel the decision to cap the number of subjects a student can take in SPM, will not hamper students from pursuing critical courses such as medicine and engineering," he noted.

MIC: Not acceptable

In an immediate reaction, MIC vice-president Dr S Subramaniam disagreed with this suggestion, stating that he will be raising the matter in the cabinet meeting.

The Human Resources Minister said Education Ministry officials had discussed the suggestion with him previously but he had flatly rejected the idea then.

"We discussed the suggestion at length and found that it was not agreeable," he said in a statement today.

Subramaniam said the Indian community wanted Tamil Language and Tamil Literature to be part of the SPM as has been practiced before.

Yesterday Subramaniam chaired a meeting with some 20 Indian non-governmental organisations who demanded that the two subjects (Tamil Language and Tamil Literature) be included in the SPM.

- Bernama