MRSM Trial PMR 2007

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 1 - Ears
Question 2: Form 1 - Matter
Question 3: Form 1 - Heat
Question 4: Form 3 - Sulphides & Carbonates
Question 5: Form 3 - Electricity
Question 6: Form 3 - Reproductive System
Question 7: Form 3 - Animals Classifications
Question 8: Form 2 - Evaporation
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SBP Trial PMR 2007

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 3 - Flower
Question 2: Form 3 - Fractional distillation
Question 3: Form 1 - Matter
Question 4: Form 3 - Menstruation
Question 5: Form 2 - Acid and alkali
Question 6: Form 2 - Stability
Question 7: Form 2 - Plants classificaions
Question 8: Form 3 - Relationship between resistance and current
Download here

English teachers in rural areas to get extra incentives

THE STAR

SEREMBAN: English teachers will be given additional incentives to teach in rural schools, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said these incentives would be over and above those already accorded to teachers currently serving in rural areas.

“We have no choice but to do this as the command of English among pupils in rural schools is poor,” he said.

Muhyiddin said the ministry had yet to finalise the additional incentives.

He said the ministry would also send the best English teachers to these schools to help pupils.

“The ministry has in principle agreed to place the best English teachers in these schools. Good English teachers will be given priority if they want to move to these schools,” he said.

Muhyiddin said the concept would be similar to “Teach For Australia” where good teachers volunteered to serve in remote areas to help pupils who did not have access to facilities common in urban areas.

“We will model our programme after the one in Australia. Teachers must be prepared to make sacrifices and we will in return grant them additional incentives,” he said.

Since 2007, teachers posted to remote areas were given a special allowance of either RM1,500, RM1,000 or RM500 depending on the location they were in.

He was speaking to reporters after opening the National Headmasters’ Education Convention and the National Headmasters Council delegates conference here.

Muhyiddin said the ministry would also set up special English laboratories and encourage English literature in schools.

Another measure is to get retirees to teach.

“We are also looking at the content of the curriculum to ensure the teaching of English is effective,” he said adding that teachers would also be encouraged to use teaching aids such as the linguaphone.

(Linguaphone is one of the world’s leading language training provider of self-study and assisted learning language training solutions).

On the additional 13,000 English teachers the ministry hoped to recruit in the next few years, he said most would be from public and private universities and language institutes.

He said less than 10 per cent would be foreign teachers.

New English curriculum in schools by 2012

THE STAR ONLINE

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry will draw up a new English curriculum that will be implemented in schools by 2012.

“We’re calling experts from the universities, NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and various bodies to discuss how we can establish a good English curriculum,” ministry director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said when officiating a National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) seminar Friday.

“This will be done in a span of four to five months from now.”

Alimuddin urged the public not to worry about a perceived decline in the standard of English when Mathematics and Science are taught in Bahasa Malaysia.

“I’m sure with the new strategy of Memartabatkan Bahasa Malaysia, Memperkukuhkan Bahasa Inggeris (Upholding Bahasa Malaysia, Strengthening English) and new approaches to teaching English, standards will improve,” he said.

Alimuddin said there had also been some negative feedback over his previous comment to siphon time away from other subjects for English, adding that the ministry would consider restructuring the entire timetable.

Alimuddin also announced that five teacher training colleges would be training teachers solely for English Language in three years’ time.

They are Institut Pendidikan Bahasa-Bahasa Antarabangsa, Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia Kampus Dato’ Razali Ismail, English Language Teaching Centre and two others in Sabah and Sarawak.

MRSM Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 3 - Sun
Question 2: Form 2 - Support System
Question 3: Form 2 - Food Web
Question 4: Form 1 - Density
Question 5: Form 1 - Air Around Us
Question 6: Form 1 - Heat
Question 7: Form 2 - Lever
Question 8: Form 3 - Germination of Seeds
Download here

Apa dah jadi budak sekolah zaman sekarang?

NST ONLINE

DUNGUN: Two 13-year-old girls were beaten up for 30 minutes by a group of schoolgirls at, of all places, a mosque last month.

The assault was recorded on a mobile phone and the matter was reported only two weeks later after a family member of one of the victims came across the video clip on the Internet.

The attack took place at 2.30pm on June 18, after Azani Jushar-miela Mohd Jaafar and her friend were forced to ride pillion on motorcycles ridden by three of their schoolmates, aged 14.

They were taken to the Felda Kertih mosque, some four kilometres away, and once inside, were beaten up by their seniors for almost 30 minutes. It was one of their attackers who recorded the assault on her handphone.

Both girls had to find their way home after the attack, and they kept the incident from their respective families.

This was until Jusharmiela's elder sister, Azani Juhaiza, 23, who had returned from Kuala Lumpur, heard rumours from neighbours that a video clip of the attack on her sister was on the Internet.

The clip was also being spread among students in the district.

Jusharmiela then confessed that she and her friend had been attacked over a misunderstanding with one of the seniors.

She also admitted that she had been traumatised as a result of the incident.

"I also found out that my sister and her friend had been suspended from school for three days last week, while two of her assailants were dismissed and another suspended for a few weeks," said Juhaiza.

Jusharmiela lodged a report at the Kuala Terengganu police headquarters at 8.30am yesterday.

State Criminal Investigation Department chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Fauzi said the case would be transferred to the Dungun police station.

Johor Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 1 - Cell
Question 2: Form 1 - Matter
Question 3: Form 2 - Digestion
Question 4: Form 3 - Transport System in Plants
Question 5: Form 2 - Force/Work/Power
Question 6: Form 3 - Calcium Carbonates
Question 7: Form 1 - Classification of Animals
Question 8: Form 3 - Voltage & Current
Download here

*answers available

*Next Post : Trial PMR 2007

Pahang Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 1 - Cell
Question 2: Form 2 - Food Web
Question 3: Form 3 - Phloem & Xylem
Question 4: Form 1 - Matter
Question 5: Form 3 - Fractional Distillation
Question 6: Form 3 - Current & Resistance
Question 7: Form 1 - Elements & Compound
Question 8: Form 1 - Heat
Download here

answers available

Sarawak Trial PMR 2008

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 1 - Cell
Question 2: Form 1 - The various resources on Earth
Question 3: Form 2 - Electrolysis
Question 4: Form 2 - Food Test
Question 5: Form 3 - Flowers & Pollination
Question 6: Form 3 - Electric Circuit
Question 7: Form 1 - Animals Classifications
Question 8: Form 2 - Solutions

Download Paper 1 & 2 here

Terengganu Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 1 - Matter
Question 2: Form 1 - Method of Separation (Compound & Mixture)
Question 3: Form 2 - Animals Support System
Question 4: Form 2 - Digestion
Question 5: Form 1 - Oxygen in Respiration & Combustion
Question 6: Form 3 - Fractional Distillation
Question 7: Form 2 - Lever
Question 8: Form 2 - Germination of seed
Download here

*answers included

Negeri Sembilan Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 2 - Ears
Question 2: Form 3 - Reproduction
Question 3: Form 1 - Combustion
Question 4: Form 2 - Electrolysis
Question 5: Form 3 - Electricity
Question 6: Form 2 - Stimuli & Responses in Plants
Question 7: Form 1 - Cell
Question 8: Form 2 - Heat
Download here

*answers included

Melaka Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 2 - 5 senses
Question 2: Form 1 - Respiration
Question 3: Form 3 - Effects of Smoking
Question 4: Form 2 - Force/Work
Question 5: Form 2 - Digestion
Question 6: Form 2 - Electrolysis
Question 7: Form 1 - Sources of Energy
Question 8: Form 3 - Voltage, Current & Resistance
Download here

Kelantan Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
40 Questions

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 3 - Reproduction - Flower
Question 2: Form 1 - Composition of gases
Question 3: Form 2 - Acid & Alkali
Question 4: Form 2 - Interactions
Question 5: Form 3 - Growth
Question 6: Form 1 - Heat
Question 7: Form 1 - Density
Question 8: Form 1 - Combustion
Paper 1 & 2 Download here

It's BM from 2012

NST ONLINE

PUTRAJAYA, Wed:
The Cabinet has decided that all national primary and secondary schools will teach Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Melayu beginning 2012.

Vernacular schools, meanwhile, will teach the subjects in either Chinese or Tamil respectively, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin announced here today.He said the policy will be implemented in stages for Year One, Year Four, Form One and Form Four in 2012. The changes do not involve Form Six and Matriculation students.All examinations for Science and Mathematics will remain bilingual until 2014, so as to not jeopardise the performance of students under the current policy - Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English or its official abbreviation PPSMI (Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris).

"The Government made this decision after studying in detail the result of studies and close monitoring of the PPSMI by the Education Ministry and independent bodies since the policy was implemented in 2003," Muhyiddin said.

He said studies showed that PPSMI was never implemented as originally hoped. Instead, teachers were using both English and Bahasa Melayu to teach Science and Mathematics, and the gap between urban and rural schools in the two subjects grew wider after PPSMI was implemented.The Education Ministry monitored PPSMI in 2008 and found that only 8 per cent of teachers used English completely when teaching Science and Mathematics.

On average, English use was 53-58 per cent of the total time allocated for teaching the two subjects.The percentage of students that received grade A, B and C for Science and Mathematics in the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) exams also declined last year, in both urban and rural schools.Muhyiddin said the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study 2007, meanwhile, revealed that Malaysian students in Science slipped from 20th place in 2003 to 21st in 2007. For Mathematics, our students dropped from 10th placing in 2003 to 20th in 2007.

"Based on these data, the Government is confident that Science and Mathematics should be taught in a language that is easily understood by students, which is Bahasa Melayu in national and secondary schools, and Chinese and Tamil in vernacular schools," Muhyiddin said.At the same time, measures will be taken to strengthen the teaching and learning of English in schools, he added.

These include:

* Increasing the number of English teachers by 13,000, especially for rural schools.

* Teaching assistants for English will be allocated for large classes of more than 35 students in Years One and Two.

* Time allocated for English in Level 1 (Year One to Three) for national schools will be increased 90 minutes to 330 minutes a week, while for Level 2 (Year Four to Six) to 300 minutes a week.

* Time allocated for English in Level 1 at vernacular schools will be increased 100 per cent from 60 minutes to 120 minutes a week, and for Level 2 from 90 minutes to 120 minutes a week.

* Time allocated for English in Form One to Six will be added 80 minutes from 200 minutes to 280 minutes a week.

* Time allocated for Malaysian University English Test (MUET) in Form Six will be increased 80 minutes to 400 minutes a week.

* Time allocated for English in Matriculation courses will rise 100 per cent from three hours to six hours a week.

The ministry will also introduce a Contemporary English Literature Programme For Children to inculcate the reading habit and introduce elements of literature. English labs will be set up in schools to help students learn the language more effectively, incorporating information technology through the use of appropriate software.

To expose students to scientific terms, elements of science and technology will be absorbed into the teaching of English."With this decision, the Government is offering a new approach in the teaching of Science, Mathematics and English.

The Government believes that this new approach will strengthen Bahasa Melayu and English proficiency, and increase the capability of students to master science and technology, which is important for the country’s future," Muhyiddin said.

Math and Science back to Bahasa, mother tongues

THE STAR

KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet has decided that the medium of instruction for Maths and Science will revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and mother-tongue languages in national-type schools from 2012 onwards.
The reversal of the Teaching of Math and Science in English (PPSMI) policy will be done in stages, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said on Wednesday.
He however added that there will be greater emphasis on learning the English language.
English literature will be re-introduced, as will subjects on grammar and composition.
Beginning 2012, students in Year One and Year Four in primary schools, and Form One and Form Four in secondary schools, will learn Math and Science in Bahasa Malaysia.
The change will not affect those in Form Six and Matriculation.
The two subjects will be taught in two languages until 2014 for other students, he said.
“The gap between rural and urban students has widened since PPSMI started.
“Only 19.2% of secondary teachers and 9.96% of primary teachers were sufficiently proficient in English,” he said, explaining the Government’s decision to revert to the old system.
On efforts to emphasise the learning of English, the number of English teachers would be increased by 13,933 -- retirees would be hired, as well as foreigners if need be.
Primary schools will also increase English classes by 90 minutes a week.
There have been calls from various groups for the policy to revert to before 2003, when the subjects were taught in Bahasa Malaysia in national schools, and either in Chinese or Tamil in national-type schools.
The issue has seen a rare alliance between Malay and Chinese educationists, who are against the switch, although there are also calls by many parents and entrepreneurs for English to be maintained.

DPM to make announcement on the use of English to teach Mathematics and Science (PPSMI)

THE STAR

MUAR: The Cabinet will decide today (8 July 2009) on the use of English to teach Mathematics and Science, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said he would table a paper on the matter to the Cabinet, which would then decide on it.

“Whatever its decision, it will not be due to pressure from any party or groups and it should not be viewed as politically inclined.

“The Education Ministry has carried out studies and I will table the results before the Cabinet tomorrow,” Muhyiddin said after attending the Gerak Bakti UPSR programme here.

“While we decide on the use of English in the teaching of the subjects, we also need to look out for our children’s future,” he added yesterday.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said he had met and compiled views from various groups and non-governmental organisations on the matter, among them former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said all views would be submitted to the Cabinet, adding that it would not decide hastily and would give importance to the needs of students and the country’s educational system.

“Tomorrow evening, I will outline in detail the ways for English to be taught. The Cabinet decision will be final,” he added.

Sources familiar with the decision said that Muhyiddin, who would meet the press after lunch, felt that it was time for a firm decision as the matter had dragged on long enough and a further delay would just “add to the confusion”.

There have been calls from various groups for the policy to revert to before 2003, when the subjects were taught in Bahasa Malaysia in national schools, and either in Chinese or Tamil in national-type schools.

The issue has seen a rare alliance between Malay and Chinese educationists, who are against the switch, although there are also calls by many parents and entrepreneurs for English to be maintained.

One ministry official said there were three ways for Muhyiddin, who had looked at all the arguments and found all sides had merit, to resolve the issue.

“Firstly, he could decide to maintain the present system and set another deadline for a further review. Secondly, he could reverse the medium of instruction to that of pre-2003.

“Thirdly, he could make the teaching of Mathematics and Science in primary school in Bahasa Malaysia and the vernacular languages, and in English for secondary schools,” said the official.

However, sources said the third option was the least likely as it would make it difficult for the students, who would already have a poor command of English.

They said Muhyiddin had expressed his disappointment with the standard of English taught in schools as he was well aware of its importance.

“Whatever the decision, improving the command of English will be given great importance,” said the official, adding that Muhyiddin would have to be mindful of the political implications of this issue before deciding.

It is a balancing act between the importance of the national language and the need to arm children with English to face the globalised world.

Re-inventing education

THE STAR

THERE is a need to review, revamp and re-invent the development and delivery of education, allowing for greater flexibility and creativity.

Limkokwing University of Creative Technology president Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing said it was time for a new Commonwealth model to be considered.

“One that effectively accommodates the different needs of a country; one that builds the people first and then the economy.

“This re-invention must happen if there is to be transformation so that every young person is purposefully educated, and has a part to play and a stake in moving their country forward,” he said at the stakeholders’ forum during the recent 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers.

The other forums held were for youth, vice-chancellors and teachers.

Dr Lim said this was an urgent mission as holding on to irrelevant systems and models will continue to serve only a tiny fraction of those in the Commonwealth.

“Urgent because only by unleashing the massive talents of one billion young people and opening up opportunities to them, can we truly say we achieved the Common – Wealth which literally means our ‘common well-being’,” he said, adding that this was the founding principle of the organisation.

“It should be our common mission going forward if we are to stay true to the spirit of that word — Commonwealth,” he added.

Dr Lim said many governments in the Commonwealth adopted the British system of education “wholesale” even after independence, because the systems and methodologies were already in place.

“It was a one-size-fits-all solution that worked at that time.

“The British system, as good as it was, is not applicable to many Commonwealth countries that are struggling to develop,” he said.

Dr Lim said what was common was really not common at all as it did not take into account the differing socio-economic development stages of the countries.

It did not take into account that other than a colonial past, most of these countries had little in common in terms of heritage and traditions with the West.

“What we have in common is our history, our bonds to the United Kingdom and the legacy of the English language,” he said.

It also did not take into account that in many parts of the Commonwealth, a Western style education was accessible only to the wealthy and privileged — in a nutshell, the elite, he said.

This, he added, reinforced the divide between rich and poor people within a country and between communities.

But, he added, problems do not go away, they fester and become bigger problems.

“What then do we call education systems that are at odds with the reality of life for most of the world?” he asked.

In many Commonwealth countries, Dr Lim said millions have not stepped into a classroom while enrolment and completion ratios of education are among the lowest in the world.

“What is very clear is that very few get started and even fewer make it to the finishing line.

“The question we must ask ourselves must be are we doing enough in education and it’s not just about whether we are spending enough,” he said.

Tips and Techniques for self study

Report Card Day has come and gone for most schools. Students sitting for SPM PMR would have gotten either praises J or scolding L from their parents.
Here’s some study tips for those of you starting to panic, worry, sweating, pressured etc etc.

First Key
Focus 100% on only 1 thing at any given time.
Concentrate fully on that task for that time. DO NOT allow anything to distract you, and that means NO sms, NO phone calls, NO chatting.
Let’s say you decide to learn Chap 3 of Form 4 Physics – Pressure for the next 1 hour. Then please commit to Focus 100% on that for 1 hour.
Most people (and that includes adults too) live through distraction the whole day. The world is getting more and more ADD, probably due to more and more distractions in our lives. Therefore, many people do not realize the POWER and EFFECTIVENESS of focusing 100% on something, even though it’s only for a short period of time.

Second Key
Use Time Budgeting Technique.
Budget a time for your lesson. Let’s take the example of learning Chap 3 of Form 4 Physics – Pressure. Let’s say you decide to allocate 3 hours to complete the chapter, then stick to the 3 hours. Meaning you don’t give yourself excuses and do something else in that 3 hours. (toilet break is acceptable J)
It doesn’t matter whether the time allocated is enough or not. What matters is you learn the habit of FOCUSING 100% on a given task. I guarantee after FOCUSING 100% for 3 hours, you’ll definitely see significant improvement of understanding in that Chapter.
Please stop after 3 hours. Don’t over shoot your budgeted time. Learn to be disciplined.
You can be flexible – but please understand that if you’re always flexible with your time, you’ll not have enough time to finish your syllabus. Learn to balance flexibility with discipline.

Third Key
Chunk Down your lessons.
Slice your budgeted 3 hours into smaller lessons. Preferably complete the lessons within a day or 2. Maximum 3 days if the chapter is long.
For example – you may decide to study 1 hour each lesson. You can study 1 hour in the morning, 1 hour in the evening and then another hour the next morning. (Remember to give 100% FOCUS to the subject matter in that 1 hour)

Fourth Key
Don’t sit.
That’s right, you heard me the first time. Stand up and look down at your books on the table, or hold the book up with your hands and read it standing over your desk. Do that periodically over your lesson time – I suggest to stand for 5 – 10 min. Or better still, hold the book or your notes and pace a while around your table.
Why? You’ll be less sleepy this way.

Fifth Key
Create a study environment that you like.
If you like music, then study with music. If you like to munch snacks, then study with snacks. If you like cold, then study with the air-cond blasting. (BUT – please make sure you’re giving 100% FOCUS to your lessons and not your snacks!)
Try it out – You’ll be amazed with the Power of 100% Focus

Credit to http://epitomeofsuccess.wordpress.com/

SBP Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 1 - Matter
Question 2: Form 1 - Respiration
Question 3: Form 2 - Food Test
Question 4: Form 2 - Animals Support System
Question 5: Form 3 - Transpiration
Question 6: Form 3 - Growth
Question 7: Form 3 - Electric Circuit
Question 8: Form 2 - Force
Download here

Selangor Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 2 - Ears
Question 2: Form 1 - Combustion
Question 3: Form 2 - Digestive System
Question 4: Form 2 - Air Pressure
Question 5: Form 2 - Acid and alkali
Question 6: Form 3 - Generation of electricity
Question 7: Form 2 - Plants Support System
Question 8: Form 3 -Transpiration
Download here

Perak Trial PMR 2008

Paper 1
Download here

Paper 2
Question 1: Form 2 - Ears
Question 2: Form 3 - Blood Circulatory System
Question 3: Form 1 - Matter
Question 4: Form 2 - Lever
Question 5: Form 2 - Digestive System
Question 6: Form 1 - Heat
Question 7: Form 3 - Asexual Reproduction
Question 8: Form 1 - Combustion
Download here

SPM: 10 subjects max from 2010 onwards

THE STAR

It’s official -- all students will be able to take a maximum of only 10 subjects in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination from 2010 onwards, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The only exceptions would be students in the joint science and religious stream who will be allowed to take 11 subjects next year until the curriculum is streamlined by 2011, after which they too will be able to take a maximum of 10 subjects.
“This means all students would be taking a maximum of 10 subjects in the SPM from 2011 onwards whether they are in national, independent or private schools,” he told reporters after chairing the Commonwealth ministerial meeting at the 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the six core subjects in the SPM -- Bahasa Melayu, English, Islamic Education or Moral Studies, History, Mathe­matics and Science -- would remain the same.
“However those in the science stream are exempted from taking Science so this means they take five core subjects and can choose five elective subjects,” he said.
The same applies to those in the religious stream as they would be exempted from taking Islamic Education, while those in the joint science and religious stream were exempted from Islamic Education and Science.
He said changes would be made to the SPM open certificate introduced in 2000 where students could take six core subjects and any other elective subject as long as there was no clash in the timetable.
Muhyiddin said the rationale behind the decision was to ensure students had more time for extra-curricular activities.