From: rezal@leland.Stanford.EDU (Rezal Adzly Abdul Rahman)
Subject: Re: Best School in Malaysia
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 20:38:57 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.000202.14033@mercury.unt.edu> ooi@sol.acs.unt.edu (Reika Kii) writes:
>
>	Best schools in Malaysia?  I heard that a lot of leaked SPM
>questions were from the so-called best schools mentioned in previous
>posts.  Is that true?  I also heard that students in those top Malay
>boarding schools were given the questions in SPM (before they took
>SPM) for the current year so that they could do well in SPM.  Is that
>true also?  Are they really the "best schools"?  And, of course, I do
>believe there're top students in those "best schools".  I'm just 
>wondering if what I heard from others is true. 
>
>
>-Reika-

	The is a difference between spotting questions and examination
	leaks and it is a common mistake to be confused by the two.

	An examination leak occurs when somebody receives a hardcopy
	of the exam before it was held or any other related material
	which may divulge the contents of the exam EXPLICITLY.

	The reason that most students did well in the so-called best
	schools was because most of these schools also had among the
	best teachers who not only submitted questions to be included
	in the standardized nationwide exams but have also had
	extensive experience in correcting the exams. Based on their
	experience and statistics, they have had the ability to spot
	the questions which will be asked on the exam. They of course
	relay this knowledge down to their students and if the
	students fulfill their part of the bargain, they are reassured
	of at least a decent passing score if not distinctions.

	In know do the school authorities promote illegal activities
	(at least not in my school, MCKK) such as exam leaks in order 
	to proof their mettle. If other people doubt the results, then
	so be it. There are other ways to measure a student and
	his/her achievements.

	As Azlan had put it, on the whole, the so-called "best
	schools" do produce pretty good scores compared to your
	average high school. Individual achievement may vary from year
	to year. for example in 1987, the best student in my school
	achieved 8A1s and 1A2. In 1988 (my year) , the best student
	scored 10A1s (inc English 1119) which undoubtedly put him 
	beyond the reach of just about 99.99% of the students taking
	SPM in 1988.

	Sports and other co-curriculum activities like debating are
	also emphasized as to ensure the making of a well-rounded
	student. Most of the "best" schools have several District
	(and an occasional State) title to their name in several
	kinds of sports. While the common preconception is that one's
	success in sports in inversely proportional to one's academic
	reputation (a rule that definitely does NOT hold at Stanford,
	check out Summer Sanders!), the "best" schools have managed to
	produce people who excel in both categories.



-- 
+============================================================================+
| Rezal Adzly Abdul Rahman          "A ship in the harbor is safe but that   |
| rezal@leland.stanford.edu          is not why ships are built for..."      |
| alfisti@white.stanford.edu           				             | 
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