Yesterday, the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) and the Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid suggested that schools respect the emotions and feelings of all pupils who were receiving their 2017 Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination results.

According to them, every student deserves to be given attention and celebrated despite their results. This, he claims, would help in preventing the students from feeling disappointed.

Although the advice is good and should be applauded, I wonder if both parties are sincere in their appeal for schools to show equal attention and care for all students despite their level of achievements.

My youngest son left school last year after completing his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination. Throughout his 11 years of schooling, just like his elder sister who left school two years prior to him, examination-oriented achievement always played a key role in determining how a student is treated.

Since our schools have adopted the streaming system, it has been a norm to categorise students who perform better in examinations into ‘A’ classes while the non-performing students get shuffled into the last few classes.

This happens in primary as well as secondary schools.

I remember talking to my son’s futsal buddy a few years ago when I asked if both of them were classmates.

“No aunty. Arshad is in 3 Amanah. I am in 3 Fasih,” he said as his smile faded. “I am not as smart as Arshad la, aunty.”

I instantly felt really bad for the boy....