Of SPM and JPA

Currently the government is trying to put a limit to the number of subjects a student takes, and to try to rectify the thousand-year-old problem of JPA scholarship awards.

All I can say is, please walk the talk. It seems that in our country, the month between May to July will be the Complain and Appeal period, where hundreds(if not thousands) of deserving students are set aside while even more not-so-deserving students rejoice.

Among the silliest reason given is : Not only academic prowess is assessed, co-curicular activity is also assessed, which is why some students with 6A(1and 2) triumph over a student with 14A1s. This is absolute nonsense. Unless I am mistaken, they are giving out SCHOLARship, not LEADERship or COCURICULARship. Scholarship priority should therefore be given to students with the makings of a Scholar. Not prioritised to those who join 10 co-curicular activities!

Of course, if the student can only study and don't have co-curicular activities, then padan muka la. But to choose a mediocre student to receive scholarship just because they're have more co-curicular activities will produce mediocre scholar as well. Worst, it will produce no scholar at all!

Being good in studies doesn't mean you are good in leadership and other qualities, likewise, being good in co-curicular activities does not make you good in studies. SInce the main purpose of giving scholarship is for the scholar to study, it should be given to the obvious choice!

To add salt to the injury, even if the students hold many post in co-curicular activities, they are not necessarily good leaders! They have a post in the society, but how they work and bring up the society is a totally different thing! We cannot say they are good just because they hold a post in the society!

Some students take 21 subject and excell in them all! COngratulations! But for me, it only shows that you don't have a plan yet for your future, what you want to be. In form 4 students should actually have a rough idea the life they want, and focus on it. If you take 20 subject (The silliest is taking Science when you have already taken Physics,Chemistry and Biology) it show that you have a very good hippocampus but an underdeveloped cerebral cortex :). You quietly tell me that you fail to recognise that sometimes, quality is important, not quantity.

I was in this JPA dilema in 2003 after my SPM. My application for JPA is rejected despite my 9A1s(I am not silly enough to take 20 subject back then) and excellent co-curicular activities,not forgetting that I gave the most(but not very valid i think,looking back) opinion during the silly "globalisation" JPA interview. MCA couldn't help me. So, no choice la, go form 6. 2 years later, I graduated with a 4.00 pointer in Biology, and the dilemma start again. WHat if the public Uni reject me again? Thankfully, luck is by my side, I am inducted into medical school:)This time it is my turn to reject JPA and took PTPTN instead:D

When will this JPA and string-of-As issue will ever end, i don't know, for as long as i remember, every year more and more young brilliant people resents the government. Soon, it will not be hard to find a successful Malaysian in foreign countries...but hard to find one back at home.