SEREMBAN: After weeks of anxiety, 17-year-old Juana Johnson can finally heave a sigh of relief as her wish to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination in November has been granted.
The aspiring graphic designer was devastated when a teacher informed her last month that she was not eligible to sit for the examination because her nationality was in doubt as her parents Gabriel Johnson, 55, and Mariah Nathan, 50, had not been registered as Malaysians at birth.
Juana was forced to stop school and would have missed the examination had it not been for the intervention of Malaysian Public Service Society president Andrew Raju, who highlighted her plight in The Star on Aug 31.
“After her parents approached me, I went to the Education Department for help but was told to go to the Education Ministry.
Wish granted:Andrew showing Juana the letter he received from the Education Ministry, which allowed the teenager to sit for the SPM examination in November. “An officer later contacted Juana’s parents and told them that she could not be allowed to sit for her SPM as she was not considered a citizen but Juana had not faced any problems when she sat for her Penilaian Menengah Rendah and Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah examinations,” he said.
Andrew then approached The Star and the decision to bar Juana from taking the examination was reversed.
“After the article appeared, I received a call from a ministry officer informing me that Juana would be considered a special case and would be allowed to sit for the SPM.”
Juana, who resumed classes on Sept 3, is currently sitting for her SPM trial examination.
“I am glad to be able to go back to school and sit for my SPM. My teachers and friends have also been helpful but I have a lot of catching up to do,” she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment