Education vs. Employment: The SGD Dilemma

Over 900 Johor students have abandoned their SPM examinations, lured by lucrative employment opportunities in Singapore, reflecting a larger national crisis where 8,076 candidates skipped their final exams.

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More than 900 Form 5 students in Johor have chosen to skip their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, opting instead to become daily commuters working in Singapore.

According to State Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin, this exodus is primarily driven by the attractive Singapore dollar exchange rate.

The situation is further compounded by Singapore’s employment policies, which don’t require SPM certificates as a mandatory condition for work.

While Aznan noted a slight decrease in numbers compared to the previous year, he expressed concern that the core issue of students abandoning their education for immediate employment remains a persistent challenge.

In this matter, schools and parents play crucial roles and should emphasize to young people the importance of completing their education and obtaining the SPM.

Aznan made these remarks in response to Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek’s comments while attending the Johor Student Care Assistance Program event.

Tak apalah. Apalaaaaah sangat SPM tu… budak2 skrg tak heran pon tak amik SPM. Kan boleh jadik tiktoker, youtuber, influencer, food reviewer. Nie semua dream career for Gen Z. 🙄
— ♔ PeruStormDancer (@hervynyanti) February 11, 2025

Over 8,000 Students Skip SPM Nationwide, Ministry Reports

This local trend reflects a broader national concern, as the Education Ministry reported that 8,076 SPM candidates were absent from all written papers in the 2024 SPM examination.

Fadlina revealed in Parliament that 6,231 of these absentees were from schools under the ministry’s jurisdiction.

According to Fadlina’s written response in the Dewan Rakyat to Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat), the main reasons for candidates’ absenteeism include work, family problems, health issues, death, and moving abroad.

The ministry is taking this issue seriously, analyzing annual attendance patterns for SPM exam candidates who registered for at least six subjects.