IPTAs will be given sufficient time to implement new Muet requirements
PETALING JAYA, Oct 17:
Local public institutions of higher learning (IPTAs) will be given
sufficient time to introduce the new conditions for the Malaysian
University English Test (Muet) next year.
Deputy Education Minister P.
Kamalanathan said the ministry would give the time to make full
preparations to implement the new requirements.
“We will give the IPTAs sufficient opportunity and time to implement the decision (new condition for Muet requirements).
“The IPTAs should not see the upgrading
of the Muet grades as a burden,” he told Bernama after attending the
graduation ceremony of Form Five students of the Sekolah Menengah
Kebangsaan Damansara Utama here today.
He was commenting on worries voiced by
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed
Mustafa Ishak that the new requirements would result in a shortage of
students to fill the places in several areas of study offered by local
universities.
Kamalanathan said the IPTAs should not
worry about the new Muet requirements because the ministry would
continue to work hard to help students equip themselves with a command
of English before enrolling into the universities.
“We will not leave them on their own and
the ministry will do whatever is needed to help them improve their
English, even at the school level.
“This is the ministry’s responsibility.
We will work with the IPTAs and secondary schools on ways to improve the
standard of English among schoolchildren,” he said.
Last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Tun Razak, when tabling Budget 2015 announced that beginning next
year, the new minimum entry requirement for IPTAs, previously at Band 1,
was now Band 2 for arts and social science studies (graduation
requirement of Band 3); science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(Stem) was Band 3 (graduation condition Band 4), while Band 4 was fixed
for law and medical studies (graduation condition Band 5). – BERNAMA
