Over 8,000 SPM 2024 Candidates Absent From Written Exams - MOE

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- A total of 8,076 candidates for the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination were reported to have been absent for all their written papers as of Feb 6, according to the Ministry of Education (MOE).

In a written reply published on the Parliament website today, the ministry said that of the total, 6,231 were candidates from schools under the MOE.

“Based on an analysis from the School Attendance Management Application, the main reasons for candidates’ absence during the 2024 SPM examination include working, family issues, health problems, death, and moving abroad,” it said.

It said this in response to a question from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat), who asked about the reasons behind the absenteeism and the measures taken to address the issue.

To address absenteeism among SPM candidates, the MOE said it has implemented several intervention measures, including daily monitoring of student attendance through the Student Attendance System (eKehadiran) in the Student Database Application (APDM) to facilitate school-level interventions.

In addition, a task force has been activated at all levels, while student status is being monitored through a dashboard system to ensure attendance in the SPM examination and optimise appropriate intervention measures.

“Focused activities, such as the Ziarah Cakna Programme and parent consultation sessions, are also being implemented. This collective effort reflects the optimal action taken by all parties,” said the ministry.

The MOE has also implemented early detection measures for Form 4 students at risk of dropping out to ensure their attendance in the 2025 SPM examination.

-- BERNAMA