jiinjoo
26-04-2004, 09:01 AM
Keeping away from the news module for a while. Here's something we can all ponder. This is a showcase of the power of a man's will.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Columns/20040425073424/Article/indexb_html
New Straits Times ?Columns
PAHIT MANIS: Village reaches milestone in education with builder's help
Ahmad A. Talib
April 25:
TRANSFORMING one of the poorest schools in Perak's poorest district from a non-performer into the best in the area within seven years is no mean feat.
But it was done and what it needed were a dedicated educationist and a philanthropic developer.
Retired teacher Haji Mazlan Mat Yassin knows every nook and corner of Kampung Selamat, Bukit Merah, near Taiping.
He has dedicated his life to helping children improve their studies. In the last five years, this retired teacher spent a large amount of his time, working on both parents and students, convincing them of the benefits of education.
And to a large extent, he has been successful in his noble quest.
I met him some days ago and learnt his story.
Property tycoon Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar, who owns a big development project in Bukit Merah, was affected by the poverty in the district.
He asked Haji Mazlan to help the people of Kampung Selamat. But his method was not to give jobs or money but to create an education module with one objective - get the schoolchildren to excel.
Kampung Selamat is one of the poorest villages in Perak Tengah, which, in turn, is regarded as one of the poorest districts in the State.
A survey five years ago showed that almost 50 per cent of the schoolchildren went to school without pocket money; none ever had tuition or extra classes; and 77 per cent had only one set of school uniform.
The poorly stocked school resource centre ensured the majority could not access reference material.
Further compounding the issue was the observation by Haji Mazlan that the schoolchildren were not keen on studies. They were more interested in fishing and games.
One primary school girl could not attend school because her mother, who did odd jobs to make ends meet, needed her to look after the house and younger ones. But Mustapha and Haji Mazlan intervened to help and the girl has gone back to school and the mother, with Mustapha's financial assistance, stopped working. From a kampung that boasted very little educational success, Kampung Selamat's students are now wining accolades for academic excellence. And why not? In 1996 when Mustapha and Haji Mazlan started working on the kampung, only 20 per cent of the kampung's children passed the UPSR.
In 2002, the school had an 83.3 per cent success, followed by 85.7 per cent in 2003.
The school came out first among primary schools in UPSR passes in the Kerian District, an achievement that has made the kampung folk proud. The kampung flag is also flying high because two of its students entered universities (the first ever for the village); seven entered colleges and polytechnics; 19 are in full-residential schools including Muhamad Farid Abd Rauf, the kampung's pride and joy, who has gone to the Malay College Kuala Kangsar.
School headmaster Mohd Mokhtar Mat Piah and village chief Abd Kadir Abdullah, two other individuals and a host of kampung folks, are always eager to tell stories about their schoolchildren's success.
In fact, the kampung itself has transformed. The community hall is fully utilised, there's regular gotong-royong to clean up the kampung mosque and playground and parents are now more involved and supportive of their children's schooling.
If in the past they hardly paid any attention to their children's school work and activities, today they are as tough as the teachers. And happy to be so.
The success of Mustpaha and Mazlan's model at Kampung Selamat has triggered enquiries from other corporate figures. Rather than giving fish daily to the kampung folk, the model concentrates on teaching them how to fish.
You can't go wrong with education and a positive attitude. In fact, a large company in south Perak, which prefers to remain anonymous for the time being, is in the preliminary stages of adopting a village with the same objective of boosting education performance in mind.
I'm sure the kampung folk will see a dramatic change in their children's studies.
Equally important is the change the whole kampung will undergo when the programme commences.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Columns/20040425073424/Article/indexb_html
New Straits Times ?Columns
PAHIT MANIS: Village reaches milestone in education with builder's help
Ahmad A. Talib
April 25:
TRANSFORMING one of the poorest schools in Perak's poorest district from a non-performer into the best in the area within seven years is no mean feat.
But it was done and what it needed were a dedicated educationist and a philanthropic developer.
Retired teacher Haji Mazlan Mat Yassin knows every nook and corner of Kampung Selamat, Bukit Merah, near Taiping.
He has dedicated his life to helping children improve their studies. In the last five years, this retired teacher spent a large amount of his time, working on both parents and students, convincing them of the benefits of education.
And to a large extent, he has been successful in his noble quest.
I met him some days ago and learnt his story.
Property tycoon Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar, who owns a big development project in Bukit Merah, was affected by the poverty in the district.
He asked Haji Mazlan to help the people of Kampung Selamat. But his method was not to give jobs or money but to create an education module with one objective - get the schoolchildren to excel.
Kampung Selamat is one of the poorest villages in Perak Tengah, which, in turn, is regarded as one of the poorest districts in the State.
A survey five years ago showed that almost 50 per cent of the schoolchildren went to school without pocket money; none ever had tuition or extra classes; and 77 per cent had only one set of school uniform.
The poorly stocked school resource centre ensured the majority could not access reference material.
Further compounding the issue was the observation by Haji Mazlan that the schoolchildren were not keen on studies. They were more interested in fishing and games.
One primary school girl could not attend school because her mother, who did odd jobs to make ends meet, needed her to look after the house and younger ones. But Mustapha and Haji Mazlan intervened to help and the girl has gone back to school and the mother, with Mustapha's financial assistance, stopped working. From a kampung that boasted very little educational success, Kampung Selamat's students are now wining accolades for academic excellence. And why not? In 1996 when Mustapha and Haji Mazlan started working on the kampung, only 20 per cent of the kampung's children passed the UPSR.
In 2002, the school had an 83.3 per cent success, followed by 85.7 per cent in 2003.
The school came out first among primary schools in UPSR passes in the Kerian District, an achievement that has made the kampung folk proud. The kampung flag is also flying high because two of its students entered universities (the first ever for the village); seven entered colleges and polytechnics; 19 are in full-residential schools including Muhamad Farid Abd Rauf, the kampung's pride and joy, who has gone to the Malay College Kuala Kangsar.
School headmaster Mohd Mokhtar Mat Piah and village chief Abd Kadir Abdullah, two other individuals and a host of kampung folks, are always eager to tell stories about their schoolchildren's success.
In fact, the kampung itself has transformed. The community hall is fully utilised, there's regular gotong-royong to clean up the kampung mosque and playground and parents are now more involved and supportive of their children's schooling.
If in the past they hardly paid any attention to their children's school work and activities, today they are as tough as the teachers. And happy to be so.
The success of Mustpaha and Mazlan's model at Kampung Selamat has triggered enquiries from other corporate figures. Rather than giving fish daily to the kampung folk, the model concentrates on teaching them how to fish.
You can't go wrong with education and a positive attitude. In fact, a large company in south Perak, which prefers to remain anonymous for the time being, is in the preliminary stages of adopting a village with the same objective of boosting education performance in mind.
I'm sure the kampung folk will see a dramatic change in their children's studies.
Equally important is the change the whole kampung will undergo when the programme commences.