21 A's in SPM... now this is just getting out of hand!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this article in The Star:

21 A's! What the heck was the student thinking? I remember during my years, where the most keng student in the class took 10 subjects and we were like "wah you take 10 subjects ah!" See, most of us opted for 9 subjects. Some even went below that to the minimum of 8 subjects. So to get an achievement of straight A's (average 9 A's) was considered amazing. But today we have students who actually take 21 subjects and gain 21 A's. OMG. I wonder how big is his certificate going to be to fit all those A's.

Seriously, is education all about getting a string of A's? I won't judge this student. Who knows, he may actually be a well balanced person in life. However, I feel that this development is unhealthy as it places too much emphasis on academic achievement, leaving almost no room for creative and physical development. What use is an A in "English for Science", "Mathematics", "Advance Mathematics", etc. if one can't function well in university, speak up and think critically to solve issues at hand? Many SPM leavers who enter university for the first time face difficulties catching up to the demands of the new environment. Many still rely on handouts, "tips", step by step guidance, all the trappings of the primary and secondary education system.

Now that Tony Pua has been elected as an MP, let's hope that he will bring his plans for educational reform to national highlight and hopefully we will soon see a change in this country's educational policies!