The limit the number of subjects to be taken for next year’s SPM examination is one of the most ill- conceived ideas mooted by the government in recent times. The decision was unilaterally decided without consulting any students’ or parents-teachers’ associations.

Limiting the number of subjects is like government deciding the future of the students. It is like clipping their wings - saying you can only do so much – you can only be a teacher not a principal or a lecturer. The full potential of a student cannot be decided by the government.

Students nowadays are more exposed and knowledgeable than the previous generations. In every country of the world, governments are forever looking out for bright sparks amongst the people to nurture them to lead the people into the next era but here, we are limiting their capabilities.

Day in and day out, we hear and read of various polls being carried out – polls on Malaysians’ favourite food, polls on maids’ day off, polls on mobile phones expenditure etcetera.

Not a single soul thought of getting the parents’ or the public’s viewpoint before deciding on this SPM subject limit which will potentially affect the future of our beloved country.

Recently, a local newspaper carried out an interview with my the mother of a 15 A1’s student in the 2004 SPM examinations. I am agreeable to the points brought up by her.

She reiterated that the government should not limit the number of subjects for SPM students but instead create more scholarships and offer loans to deserving students taking into consideration their socioeconomic status, academic performance, extra-curricular activities and whether or not they hail from a rural background.

Only above-average students are taking multiple subjects for their SPM examination. They are also coerced by the school to partake in various extra-curricular activities.

By the nature of our school streaming system, these good students are placed in science stream. In fact, they are the ones taking extra subjects (non-science subjects) like English Literature, Accounts, Basic Economics and Commerce.

Without these student taking these subjects, the teachers trained to teach them will be redundant as the arts stream students tend to take the minimum number subjects as they are the weaker students based on our school streaming system.

The government should realise that by limiting the number of subjects, it only makes it easier for the Public Services Department to process the scholarships applications.

It is not making it easier for the students to display their full academic brilliance to obtain scholarships and entrance to various prestigious, renowned world-ranking universities.