A question on compound interest in a Malaysian examination paper for 11-year-olds has sparked serious debate on social media about the syllabus for mathematics taught in schools.

Mr Hasrizal Abdul Jamil, an educator, had reposted a photo of the Year 5 – the equivalent of Primary 5 in Singapore – question paper on his Facebook page.

One question goes: Mrs Zeti takes a loan of RM200,000 from a bank with a compound interest of 5 per cent per annum. Calculate the amount she has to pay after 3 years.

Along with the post, he said in Malay that “parents with young children will have to think of a way to educate their children in the future”. He went on to say that the syllabus was tough and “killing students’ interest to learn”.

A parent who goes by the username Aimi Nawi first posted the photo of the maths paper on Facebook on Aug 9.

She said that her child had attempted the exam questions on interest and that she was concerned.

While her child had used the correct method to calculate compound interest, she said that the six-digit number in the question was too big for the 11-year-old to calculate.

“Parents, if you have money, send your child to tuition,” she advised.

She went on to say: “The syllabus is too difficult. Children may require tuition to be able to handle the tough syllabus, but there are some parents who have to work extremely hard for just enough money to survive. As a result, such parents cannot afford the luxury of tuition for their children.”

“Tuition is a privilege for the rich,” she added.

While many netizens seemed to agree that such questions are tough for 11-year-old students, some said that such a syllabus is meant to prepare children for the future.

They even pointed out that knowing how to calculate compound interest would be a useful and practical skill to have when the children grow up.

“This question gives awareness that borrowing money means one has to pay interest in return. Teaches children to start saving early. Let’s think positively,” said Facebook user Norasimah Omar.