KOTA KINABALU: The number of students absent from the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination in Sabah dropped to 905, down from 984 in 2023.
Sabah Education Department director Datuk Raisin Saidin attributed the improvement to early intervention efforts and consistent outreach to students at risk of dropping out.
He said most absentee cases involved students from low-income (B40) families, especially girls facing family-related issues, with some already married or needing to work.
Despite these challenges, schools distributed study materials, made home visits, and provided counselling to encourage students to sit for the exams.
Raisin said proactive identification of high-risk students as early as Form 1 and ongoing family engagement remain key to ensuring every student completes their 11 years of basic education.
