THE weakness in mastering the basic concepts of science and mathematics among primary school children is believed to be one of the main factors behind the drop in the number of students opting for science subjects in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, academicians said.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Centre of Education and Diversity senior lecturer Anuar Ahmad said the weakness caused many students to find science and mathematics difficult and, therefore, erode their interest to study these subjects in secondary school.