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Friday, May 29, 2009

10-subject limit for SPM from next year


This is an extract from The Star, Friday 29 May 2009


10-subject limit for SPM from next year

NILAI: From next year, students sitting for the SPM examinations will only be allowed to sit for a maximum of 10 subjects.
The grading system for the examination will also be improved to better reflect the academic achievements of the students.
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the ministry decided to do away with the open certificate system, which allows students to sit for as many subjects, as the majority only took 10 subjects or fewer.
“Records show that some 90% of students sitting for the SPM exam take 10 or fewer subjects,” the Deputy Prime Minister told reporters yesterday after laying the foundation stone for the new RM1.3bil Education Complex at Bandar Enstek near here.
“We want to streamline this as it will also be an easier way to determine the awarding of scholarships.”
Some 450,000 students sat for the SPM exam last year.
Muhyiddin said teachers would also be able to focus better if students were only allowed to take up to 10 subjects because they would not be burdened with teaching other subjects.
“Parents also will not have to rush their children for too many tuition classes.”
On the grading system, Muhyiddin said instead of giving students 1A, B or C, their grades would include A+, A and A- from next year to make it more effective in deciding who was most qualified for a scholarship.


Do you agree with the 10-subject limit and the new grading system?

Something to Ponder: It’s not string of A’s that counts


This is an extract from The Star, Saturday 23 May 2009.


It’s not string of A’s that counts
Foreign universities prefer those who excelled in extra-curricular activities


PETALING JAYA: Foreign universities are looking beyond a string of A’s in SPM as they prefer all-rounders who also excelled in extra-curricular activities.
British Council education director Peter Clack said some British universities were “put off” by the number of A’s which Malaysian students boasted about.
He welcomed the Government’s move to limit the number of subjects students could take in SPM. “It’s quite worrying to see that the academic side is seen as more important than the mental and emotional sides of education. Hence, parents put a lot of emphasis on the exam results. This should be discouraged in any way possible.”
Jerry Tan, general manager of education advisory body Studylink Sdn Bhd, agreed with Clack. “Foreign universities are skeptical about the number of A’s which Malaysian students are achieving. The admission depends a lot on interviews,” he said. He said the universities would offer scholarships to students with 10A’s if they were all-rounders. Tan hoped the Government would end the open certificate practice as local colleges were raising the bar in offering scholarships.
Coordinator of the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (Educational Advising Centre) Doreen John said US universities looked for all-rounders rather than just excellent SPM results. “Were they head prefects before? Did they do something for the community?” she asked.
Generally, US universities require students to sit for entrance examinations after SPM, such as the SAT Reasoning Test, while British and Australian universities require students to complete a foundation course before commencing a degree program.
Note: I wish all policy makers, educators, parents and students in Malaysia read this...

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

We won!!



Congratulations to SMKKK1 on winning the state challenge of RHB New Straits Times Spell-It-Right Challenge! SMKKK1, which was represented by Ahmad Zaim Ismail, Muhammad Ibrahim Yaacob, Siti Sofia Khairuddin and Nurul Farida Che Ismail, won the top prize in the schools’ category. They put up a good fight and received RM2000 for their effort. The second place went to SM Ugama (A) Maahad Muhammadi Lelaki while SM Agama Naim Lilbanat took the third place.
In the individual category, though we didn’t get any of the three top spots, Nurul Farida made it to the finals. She was one of the seven finalists in the contest, which was held at KB Mall on May 16.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Express Yourself! "Happy Teachers' Day!"

Happy Teachers' Day to all teachers at my beloved SMKKK 1, especially the teachers who taught me..=)

Wonderful Teacher

With a special gift for learning
And with a heart that deeply cares,
You add a lot of love
To everything you share,
And even though
You mean a lot,
You'll never know how much,
For you helped
To change the world
Through every life you touched.
You sparked the creativity
In the students whom you taught,
And helped them strive for goals
That could not be bought,
You are such a special teacher
That no words can truly tell
However much you're valued
For the work you do so well.

--Author Unknown

Sent by:
Budie Dharma Bin Azman
5 Adil 2007

Express Yourself! "To the Honoured Teachers"



Teacher,
The one word that describes an educator,
Responsible for every teaching,
Always patient when there is an obstacle,
Determined to educate us children,
Always relate with reality,
Caring and supportive,
Sometimes she can be strict,
But fair at the same time,
There is always happy and joy,
Not only that you are fun,
But also energetic and lively.

You are my mentor,
You made me realize
That the world could not change itself,
But with your help and mine,
We may achieve that goal.

You are also beautiful
Not only on the outside,
But also on the inside,
Because you possess those features,
The features which makes you a GREAT teacher.

Poem by,
Faten Azuddin
5 Azam

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Express Yourself! "Dream"




Dream, a word that everyone holds in their hands. A word which guides us on the right track towards a brighter future and a magical word of motivation.We use the word 'dream' to keep us encouraged yet we do not have the right criteria to actually grasp that word. Dream is often linked with our ambitions, objectives, visions and missions. To achieve it,we must have these criteria which are determined, inspiring, self-confidence and self-belief.

Our dream should be inspiring so that it can act as a ladder for us to climb onwards, not the other way around. We must choose the right dream so that it will complement us. If we chose the wrong one, the 'dream' can turn into 'nightmare' for us because it degrades us into something more pitiful. In the end, a good dream can be an inspiration to us.

Dream needs to be accompanied by our determination to actually achieve it. If we are not determined, we just let everything pass like that, it would not help us at all. For instance, if we fall down in the lowest ranking in our class, we should stand up like a hero/heroine and fight through all the 'gate guardians', who are our friends in the class. By doing so, our dream will shine brighter for us and we are one step closer to our dream. It is never late to try like Susan Boyle from Britain's Got Talent 2009. The main point is determination determines our dream.

Besides that, we also need the one I mentioned above that is self-confidence. Whoever does not have one should try and search for it - it never runs from us. Self-confidence is always waiting for us which is inside ourselves. If we have self-confidence like Susan Boyle, we can leap the precipice no matter how high it is. Susan was mocked by one of the judges and most of the audiences's expressions meant this,"Hey,what is an old 40's woman doing on the stage!?". Then, Susan proved them wrong by having their knees weak with her angelic voice! So, we too must have self-confidence in order to succeed our dreams.

If we have all the criteria above, then it means that we are safe but what about our dreams? Let us say that a fisherman's daughter wants to be an engineer, she will certainly be laughed by others but do not judge a book by its cover. She might prove them all wrong about poors having huge dreams. We must be strict with ourselves, do not let others influence us by shaking our ladders to our dreams. Stay firm and we will soon reach our dream and they will know that an 'old book' has an infinite knowledge in it. We must show them that they are 0% true. We must live by the principle of 'do not judge a book by its cover'.

In conclusion, we must have the criteria mentioned above in order to succeed in life. There is no stop for us until we reach our dreams till death do us apart with our dreams. Everyone has their own dreams,stay with it and work hard to achieve it.

Ahmad Zaim
5Adil

Sunday, May 10, 2009

What makes a Good Teacher?


Dear teachers and students,

What do you think makes a good teacher?



Let's see what children around the world say about what makes a good teacher in a book entitled What makes a Good Teacher? , which was published by UNESCO. Take note of what a student from Malaysia says. Do you agree with him? How does his opinion differ from others? Think about it...

Friday, May 8, 2009

Poem Recital & Essay Writing Competitions

12 students took part in the poem recital competition held on 29 April 2009. The winner was Muhammad Syamil Mohd Zaki from 5 Budi. The second prize winner was Muhammad Hafiz Haikal Mohd Zuber (5 Bestari) and his classmate, Nor Syazwani Ab Hamid was in third place.

The English essay-writing competition had received an overwhelming response from the students. The judges had a tough time choosing the best essay on the topic “PPSMI should be continued. Do you agree?”. They finally chose the essay written by Nurul Fattiya Aqila Fuzai (5 Azam) as the first prize winner for upper secondary level. The second place went to Noor Sussie Suzierra Mohd Ramiezu (5 Adil) and the third prize winner was Ahmad Amirul Abd Aziz (5 Cekal). For lower secondary level, the first prize winner was Nur Atikah Syahirah Shari (3 Adil) and the second place went to Nurul Aida Saidi (3 Adil).

Friday, May 1, 2009

Public Speaking Competition


The Public Speaking Competition, which was recently organized by the English Language Panel had attracted seven entrants – and what a seven they were! The judges were impressed as the contestants had only one to two days to prepare for the competition. Congratulations to all of them!
In the event, the winner was Siti Sofia Khairuddin from 5 Bestari. The second-prize winner was Nur Hidayu Suhaimi from 3 Adil while third place went to Ahmad Helmi Mahama Rowi from 5 Adil.




Click on the link below for more information about Public Speaking Competition / Plain English Speaking Competition
http://www.brisbanelegacy.com.au/pesa.html