PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA - A new curriculum will be introduced at the primary school level in 2010 to make it more holistic and less examination-oriented for pupils.

This will lead to less emphasis on the UPSR examination as pupils would be assessed more on their schoolwork.

Eventually this could mean that a school-based assessment makes up a higher weightage of the UPSR at around 70% to 80% while the actual examination score would carry a lower weightage.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the new curriculum would replace the existing primary school integrated curriculum (KBSR), which was first introduced in 1983 and subsequently reviewed in 2000.

'The new curriculum will be based on six key areas to produce holistic individuals,' he told reporters after releasing the third report card based on the National Education Blueprint 2006-2010.

The six areas were: communication; spiritual attitude and values; humanitarianism; science and technology literacy; physical and aesthetics; and personal development.

Elaborating further, Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom told The Star that Year One pupils in 50 schools nationwide have been using the new curriculum under a pilot project.

He said the pupils were being assessed using several approaches, including psychometric tests, school-based assessments and achievements in extra-curricular activities and sports.

He said that once the teething problems are ironed out the pilot project would be extended to Year One pupils in 500 schools nationwide next year.

'This will be further extended to all Year One pupils in primary schools in 2010 or 2011 if we need more time to iron out any problems,' he said.

Hishammuddin said the implications of the new curriculum would include changes in the timetable, syllabus and curriculum, while teachers would be trained to broaden their skills.

The emphasis in Years One and Two, he added, would be on ensuring pupils master reading, writing, arithmetic and reasoning skills, acquire scientific and ICT knowledge, and develop their creativity.

In Years Three, Four, Five and Six, pupils would learn more complex skills and knowledge.

Alimuddin explained that this meant that pupils would not just be tested on what they have learnt in a centralised examination.