SPM Tamil: Sharp decline in students raises serious concerns
KUALA LUMPUR: Despite ongoing active campaigns urging the Indian community to enrol their children in Tamil-medium primary schools, a troubling trend is emerging at the secondary school level, as the number of students taking the Tamil language and Tamil Literature papers in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination continues to plummet.
For years, Tamil NGOs and Indian-based political parties have aggressively campaigned to tackle student shortages in Tamil schools, positioning vernacular education as the key to preserving the language’s permanence in the country. They have consistently funnelled financial aid, issued challenges, and made formal appeals to strengthen these schools. However, while these efforts successfully channel students into Tamil primary education, a significant disconnect occurs once they transition to secondary schools and prepare for their SPM examinations.
SPM Tamil – Alarming Statistics.
Recent data highlights a dramatic and steady decline in the number of students taking the Tamil language examination at the SPM level. In 2017, a total of 9,422 students registered to take the Tamil paper in the SPM exams. Just three years later, in 2020, that number dropped to 8,824. The downward spiral has accelerated sharply, with data from last year (2025) revealing that only 7,422 students sat for the Tamil subject. Of an estimated 13,000 students from Tamil primary school backgrounds, the vast majority are now actively opting out of taking Tamil at the SPM level.
This phenomenon has raised critical questions within the community, prompting educators to identify two primary reasons behind the shift.
1. The Weight of Science Stream Curricula
The first major obstacle is driven by academic stream choices and workload. While parents are eager to give their children a foundation in Tamil in primary schools, they show little interest in ensuring their children take Tamil at the SPM level. High-achieving students transitioning from Tamil schools predominantly enter the Science Stream in secondary schools to keep their pathways open to competitive university courses such as medicine and engineering.The Science Stream already demands a heavy workload, requiring students to take nine or ten subjects. Students and parents fear that adding Tamil as an extra subject creates an unnecessary, overwhelming burden. Furthermore, because these students are already fluent in Tamil from their primary school days, they feel they do not need an exam certificate to prove their proficiency, especially since a Tamil distinction is not a prerequisite for pursuing medical or engineering careers.
2. Shift in Parental Attitudes and ‘Arts Stream’ Stereotype
The second factor lies in shifting parental mindsets and in structural academic tracking. Many parents feel that by sending their children to a Tamil primary school, they have already fulfilled their cultural duty and responsibility towards the Tamil community. When SPM approaches, they encourage their children to drop the Tamil exam to avoid extra stress, believing that a Tamil paper adds no real economic or professional value to their child’s future prospects.
Consequently, sitting for the SPM Tamil paper has largely become a practice confined to Arts Stream students. Educators note that students who choose Tamil are often those who are tracking into the arts, humanities, or social sciences. For these students, securing a distinction in Tamil serves as a strategic boost to their overall SPM certificates, improving their chances of securing limited spots in arts faculties at local tertiary institutions, particularly the prestigious Universiti Malaya (UM).
Because the Tamil language subject is increasingly seen as beneficial only to Arts Stream candidates, the student base has shrunk significantly. Academics and teachers warn that unless a structural shift occurs in how the subject is perceived and credited, the numbers will continue to decline, endangering the language’s long-term academic standing.
-R.Mutharasan
