KUALA LUMPUR — 8,076 candidates for the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination were absent for all their written papers as of Feb 6, according to the Ministry of Education (MoE).
Of the total, 6,231 were candidates from schools under the ministry, it said in a written parliamentary reply.
“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.
The ministry was replying a question from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (Kuala Langat-PN) who asked about the reasons behind SPM absenteeism and measures taken to address the issue.
In its reply, the ministry said it had implemented several intervention measures to address absenteeism among SPM candidates.
This included daily monitoring of student attendance through the Student Attendance System (eKehadiran) in the Student Database Application (APDM) to facilitate school-level interventions.
A task force has also been activated at all levels, while student status is 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 ministry has also implemented early detection measures for Form 4 students at risk of dropping out to ensure their attendance in the 2025 SPM examination. – February 13, 2025