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A very good afternoon to you, my beloved students, I'm glad so many of you
turned up for this afternoon's talk. At this moment, all your thoughts and
activities are geared towards doing well in your SPM examination. Once the SPM
exams are over, some of you may feel lost. The purpose of my talk is to explain
the options which are open to you after you have sat for your SPM exams.
What you do after your SPM exams depends very much on whether you want to
further your studies. For those who want to stop schooling after SPM, it is
important for you to pick up some skills that will enable you to get a job. Some
of you may want to enrol yourself for practical courses like tailoring and
hairdressing. Others may want to become apprentices in electrical shops and car
repair shops. Some may choose to have a career in the fast food line. As for
those who prefer to work in offices, it is essential for you to be computer
literate. Many offices are computerised. You need to learn word processing
skills and perhaps, book keeping as well. When you have formal training, you can
get better pay for your services.
From an informal survey I did among the Form Five students in this school, I
found that the majority of you want to continue your studies after your SPM.
Many options are open to you. You can join a twinning program. This program
enables you to complete one or two years of tertiary education in Malaysia and
the rest in a university overseas. Many private colleges cater for this segment
of the student population. For example, Inti, Metropolitan, Stamford, and KDU.
One of the selling points of twinning programs is that you can get a degree of
your choice in a shorter time. It is like a short cut which bypasses STPM. Well,
go ahead if your parents can support you.
What about the rest of you who do not want to get a degree overseas? If you
want to get a degree from a local university, you can either choose to do your
STPM or apply for a place in the Matriculation or Diploma programs. If you opt
for Matriculation or Diploma programs, you do not need to go through STPM. I
know many of you feel that it is futile to go through two years of STPM and
later not qualify for a place in local universities. I've heard groans that it
is difficult to score in STPM. Well, a grown-up baby no longer solely depends on
milk. As you move from Form Five to Form Six, you cannot depend on memorizing to
score. In fact, STPM is a very well-coordinated pre-university education
program. It would stand you in good stead regardless of whether you get your
tertiary education in Malaysia or overseas.
For those of you who are not able to make it to a university, don't lose
heart. STPM is part of a foundational education for everyone. In these years,
you develop critical thinking skills which prepares you for working life. At the
end of the two years, you get a certificate which entitles you to a higher
salary scale than an SPM-holder.
SPM is a stepping stone to other achievements in life. Ponder upon what I've
said and be clear about what you want to do after SPM. A clear goal is like a
lighthouse in a storm.
Thank you. |
