KUCHING: No secondary schools in Sarawak have been directly affected by floods in the ongoing Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, says Sarawak Education Department (JPNS) director Omar Mahli.
He said there have been no reports of severe weather so far despite the Northeast Monsoon season that is expected to last until March.
“As of now, I have not received any reports of bad weather, and no secondary schools have been affected by floods thus far.
“We hope the examination process proceeds smoothly until Feb 6,” he told reporters after visiting SMK Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Gapor on the first day of the SPM written exam here today.
He added that the department has implemented an “umbrella operation” managed by the national examination board to address potential disruptions caused by disasters, particularly floods.
“Most secondary schools in Sarawak are not severely impacted by floods. However, road closures due to heavy rain can pose challenges. Only a few schools have been affected.
“If any schools are affected, backup e-centres are available for candidates to sit for the exams to ensure all candidates can take their SPM examinations,” he added.
Omar further noted that six schools in Sarawak have been identified as being at risk of flooding, including SMK Bau, which has experienced road closures.
However, he said the school itself remains safe for boarding students.
“If students cannot access the school due to road issues on a particular day, we have alternative centres to ensure they can sit for their exams.
“In Kuching, two backup centres are on standby. If SMK Bau is affected, students will be relocated to SMK Lake, which is not too far away.
“For SMK Jalan Arang, the backup centre is SJK Chung Hua Batu 4 1/2. Although SMK Jalan Arang is in a residential area, if flooding occurs and roads are inaccessible, we have a nearby primary school ready to accommodate students,” he said.
This year, Sarawak has 35,424 registered candidates for the SPM examinations. Of these, 33,040 are from government and government-aided schools.
The remaining candidates are those from schools under other agencies, private institutions registered with the Ministry of Education (KPM), independent candidates, and state religious schools.
The written examinations, which began today and will run until Feb 6, span 16 days and cover 82 subjects with 116 examination papers.
A total of 255 examination centres have been set up across 207 schools statewide.
