Bring it on

There has been a lot of hoopla about the new grading range for the SPM. Bottom line is, if you have the capacity, the aptitude, what is rightfully yours will be printed on your result slip. I don't see the worry; in fact I say, bring it on. Till recently, many have questioned the quality of the As churned out. This will be the first step, hopefully, in determining the quality of the A . If you are a student of that calibre, you will reap the results.

Some worry that they are going to lose out on a scholarship because there are plans in the work to award scholarships based purely on academic merit. In this instance, they say give us the straight A+ (s) and we'll show you the scholarship. Once again I say, if that is the case, so be it. Plus, this is only for ONE of the many categories of scholarships offered to students of this nation. This is the term for this particular scholarship - they have the right to dictate the type of candidate they want under their wing. Life is all about terms, conditions, expectations.


True genius and talent cannot be denied nor smothered under a blanket of bureaucracy, plus phone calls and recommendations can only carry one so far in life. For now, the best thing you can do is prepare for the battle ahead, the SPM. Focus on winning that round. Sharpen your tools, master your skills, beat the system; end game - emerge triumphant. At the end of the day, your will to overcome obstacles, be it mental or physical, will be the true gauge for winning the scholarship of life.


Saturday October 3, 2009
New grade of A+ for SPM
By KAREN CHAPMAN

PETALING JAYA: A new grading system for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) will be implemented from this year.
Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said the change would provide a detailed breakdown of excellent candidates who obtained grade As in the examination.
“The change means there will now be a new grade of A+. Previously, the highest grade possible in the SPM was 1A,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Under the present system, students are graded as 1A, 2A, 3B, 4B, 5C, 6C, 7D, 8E and 9G while the new grades would be from A+ to G (see chart).
Alimuddin said the change was based on feedback from various quarters that the existing system did not provide a more detailed breakdown of excellent students.
“The change in the grading system will enable more qualified candidates to be chosen for training programmes and new scholarships, such as the one announced by the Prime Minister recently,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said in June that a new category of Public Services Department scholarships would be introduced next year based purely on merit, regardless of race.
Alimuddin said the Cabinet approved the change in the grading system last month.
“This will not affect the examination at all as it only involves a change in the grades given,” he said.
He said school principals have been directed to explain the new grading system to students sitting for the SPM this year


http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/10/3/nation/4835675&sec=nation