I WOULD like to add my voice to the debate on limiting the number of subjects a student can take in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination. There is no reason to limit a student to 10 or 12 subjects.

I am a principal and in my school fewer than 10 per cent of students take more than 11 or 12 subjects.

Most do not take more than 10. The few additional subjects are offered because Lembaga Peperiksaan has introduced many new subjects.

These subjects include Information Technology and English for Science and Technology.

These additional subjects have kindled students’ interest in these subjects, and to restrict or limit them now would not be fair.

Also, if students wish to take up to 17 subjects, we should encourage them, not dampen their quest for knowledge by imposing restrictions on them.

Many students at 17 are not sure what they want to do in life, and so an exposure to many subjects would offer them greater choices.

Furthermore, not all students who take extra subjects apply for Public Service Department scholarships.

So, if the stated purpose is to create a level playing field for PSD to use a common yardstick to select scholarship candidates, they should not do so by curbing a student’s choice of SPM subjects.

Rather, PSD should devise new ways and criteria for awarding scholarships. That is its job.

Students should be encouraged to expand their horizons. That is their right.

V.M. , Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – July 1, 2009