THE Meteorological Services Department says that floods are going to be big and bad in Kelantan this year (NST, Nov 13).

I sympathise with the thousands of students sitting the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia examinations in Kelantan and other flood-prone areas.

How can anyone be in a right frame of mind for exams when they have to face the difficult and unpleasant floods at the same time?

Isn’t the stress of the exams bad enough?

Although various measures have been taken so that the affected students are able to sit the exams, I doubt if these candidates can perform at their optimum level. I wouldn’t want to be in their (wet) shoes.

Are their unfavourable conditions taken into account when these candidates’ papers are graded?

Can we not amend our school calendar so that examinations do not coincide with the annual year-end floods?

Surely the experts from the Meteorological Services Department and the Education Ministry can put their heads together and come up with something more suitable so as to avoid this annual clash of exams and floods.

Perhaps the school term could start in May so that the SPM and STPM exams are held in March-April each year.

SUE THOMAS, Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – November 17, 2008