Make School Assistance Incentives a Reward for Student Attendance – Academic Expert

KUALA LUMPUR: School management needs to have a continuous attendance monitoring mechanism involving class teachers and counselors to detect the reasons for student absenteeism, ensuring the effective implementation of compulsory secondary education policies.

The Director of the Academic Development Division at the Department of Academic and International Affairs, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suriyani Ariffin, said early intervention, at appropriate intervals, should be introduced to identify at-risk students as early as possible. Educational institutions can empower parents through existing Parent-Teacher Associations (PIBG) programs, such as parent-teacher engagement weeks held periodically.

“This program is not just a regular meeting but includes sessions to help parents understand their role in providing academic support at home, including the use of technology such as student attendance monitoring apps. Communities such as school alumni or local leaders can also motivate students,” she told BH.

Previously, the Ministry of Education (KPM) was reported to be drafting a Compulsory Secondary Education Policy aimed at addressing issues related to student attendance and dropout rates, which would ultimately enhance the country’s education quality.

The Minister, Fadhlina Sidek, stated that the policy is expected to be presented at the upcoming Dewan Rakyat session next month.

Suriyani also suggested that interventions in the form of incentives, such as small scholarships or attendance allowances, be considered for students from low-income families to reduce the economic burden that may contribute to absenteeism.

Regarding additional measures to ensure the integrity of exams such as the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) is not compromised by leak allegations, she proposed strengthening the implementation of tighter monitoring systems. This includes using digital analytics systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) to detect suspicious patterns in exam results.

Meanwhile, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Educational Diversity Studies, Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Izwan Mahmud, stated that the content of the policy must instill educational values related to awareness among students, parents, and the community.

“Enforcement measures must be fair and equitable, considering the diversity in terms of family background, socio-economic status, and demographics.

“Periodic effectiveness monitoring should be conducted by creating special teams at every level, from macro to micro, involving KPM, State Education Departments (JPN), District Education Offices (PPD), schools, parents, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industries, and local communities,” he said.

He also emphasized that schools need to be inclusive, involving parents and the community in school activities, including empowering parents and the community to participate in school management.

“It is not about the whole picture, but only focusing on the development of children’s potential. Schools need to strengthen the role of PIBG so that the association can contribute to efforts in addressing this issue.

“If necessary, change the name and function to align with the inclusive administration of the school. In this context, inclusivity refers to the openness of school management in mobilizing expertise, not just from within the school but also involving the local community, parents, and NGOs.

“For example, from time to time, experts from the community can come to the school to conduct suitable student development activities,” he said.

Meanwhile, to protect the integrity of the SPM, KPM is recommended to train officials with high integrity values.

“Provide skills enhancement, skills adaptation, and skill diversification training to officials regularly. Additionally, enforce the law by taking action against officials found guilty to serve as a lesson to others,” he said.