Special children to have better learning opportunity at centre

Posted on March 31, 2011, Thursday

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=111661

 

HAPPY MOMENT: A recipient admiring the school bag contributed by Morliah (centre) while Gordon (left) and Supaih (right) look on.

LAWAS: A district day care centre for children with special needs ( OKUs) is working closely with the relevant authorities to provide training and guidance since it opened early this month.

Datuk Dayang Morliah Daud Awang Daud who is Perkim Lawas branch chairperson and Sabati secretary said this is the first step of providing the much needed care, attention and education for this special group of children here.

She urged parents to send their children to the centre to enable them to be trained and empowered with skills for the later to be more self-dependence and educated.

The centre in town has started with a pioneering batch of 10 participants, and this would gradually be expanded correspondingly with the demand and manpower required.

“We are appealing to parents with OKU children to given them a chance to get the training and guidance as the centre is working closely with the Health Department and other authorities,” she said.

The centre is also engaging parents to learn the proper ways of caring for these children as advised by doctors from Lawas Hospital which is also training the staff on good practices of managing and training.

The centre has decided to start with 10 trainees and is in the process of getting the services of trained teachers and staff in the respective needs of these groups of handicapped children.

Morliah, who is also the centre’s chairperson, visited the centre yesterday to hand over personal donations from herself and her husband Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, who is also Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management.

The Lions Club Lawas and Syarikat YWP Corporation Sdn Bhd represented by managing director Gordon Chung Pei Nam also stepped forward with their donations to support this centre in caring for the OKU children.

Morliah, said the registration as a Community Rehabilitation Centre (PDK) with the authorities has already been undertaken and it is waiting for the approval.

“We are in the process of getting experts to help guide these kids in living skills and self-dependence, enabling them to hopefully be involved revenue-generating activities such as agriculture, livestock farming or any other skills which can earn a living,” she said.

She said that many corporations, NGOs and individuals are eager to contribute towards the centre to care and empower the less fortunate children in the district and the committee is working securing a permanent premise for this charitable cause.

Accompanying her in the visit were Lawas District officer Mohd Supaih Hamdan who is also the committee deputy chairman, Florida Angelia Sim of the Education Department, community leaders and parents.

Meanwhile, Morliah also handed over an air conditioner and her personal contribution for Special Classes for the OKU students at SK Pusat Lawas for a more conducive learning environment.

Only a stepping stone to greater things

Thursday March 31, 2011

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/31/focus/8382825&sec=focus

 

CONGRATULATIONS to those who have done well in their SPM and STPM examinations. To those who did not get what they expected, it is not the end of the road.

Those who did poorly would want to re-consider repeating or the next path to take.

It is most important to explore one’s full potential and fields of interest.

The conventional thinking is to pursue the safe careers, namely, medical-related, accountancy, legal practice, technology and engineering.

While parents must properly guide their children, it is important that a freer hand be given to them to choose their career path.

The less preferred professions – the arts, vocals, acting, literature, theatre, dance, musicals, stylist, sports and many more – can also be rewarding, life fulfilling and money spinners.

At the end of the day, it must be emphasised that doing well in the SPM and/or STPM is only a stepping stone to greater things.

Academic qualification is not the only way to guarantee success later on. regardless of academic qualification, one must be just plain smart and hard working.

Those who did well in the SPM and STPM examinations must not be complacent as the complexities in the working structure and/or business environment can never be taught and fully understood in school or from text books.

Learning never stops after we leave school thus we need to embrace the fluid changes in technology, methodology and practices.

There is a need to adapt quickly regardless of what paper qualification one has.

NG SHU TSUNG,

Kuala Lumpur.

Teach children to avoid our generation’s mistakes

Thursday March 31, 2011

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/31/focus/8383192&sec=focus

I WRITE in response to “The cane helped shape better citizens” (The Star, March 29) and do not agree that caning is the only option to produce quality people in society.

First of all, it is not just parents who fear having their “lovely children” caned by strangers. It is the right of these kids to

not have strangers cause bodily harm to them.

To me, caning is violence. Children are afraid of it and so do not repeat mistakes to avoid it, but they do not really learn from it.

Rather, they suppress feelings of anger and humiliation that will eventually be released

in some other form, maybe on another student, maybe in society where schools have no say.

Instead of beating them, sit down and discuss their mistakes with them. Try and understand them instead of merely branding them as immature and doing something just to spite others.

Advise them wisely, as grown-up educators should. If they spend most of their days in school and are constantly in fear of being caned for mistakes, then what is the point of education?

Principals and teachers are in schools to educate. Not just reading from text books and setting pop quizzes, but rather to produce quality students.

Children look at teachers and principals and act by example. So parents and teachers should check themselves first instead of putting the blame on the children’s behaviour.

Schools have no right to beat children. If they wanted action taken, inform the parents and let them handle it. Unfinished homework/bad behaviour etc? There’s always detention, suspension and, eventually, if things get out of hand, expulsion.

We constantly see teachers and principals as poor victims of the unpredictability of children’s behaviour. But if we treat children with disrespect, we cannot demand respect from them. To humiliate them by caning is to make the situation worse.

Instead of this archaic way of punishment, can’t we treat children like adults, talk to them as adults and be a role model to them?

Give children a chance and you’d be surprised at what you might learn from them. We lose our youthfulness, forgetting the true joy of just living because we are constantly tied up with the realities of bills, work and making more money.

It is time we listen to and invest time in having quality dialogue with our children. understand and discuss world issues with them and hear their thoughts like you would with any of your friends and work colleagues.

Today’s children are not the children of the past, and so should not be treated in the same way. Parents and teachers should now, more than ever, practise quality teaching.

Not just in their school subjects, but also to teach them how to be people, how to love, how to respect, how to practise tolerance and understanding, how to care for all people, the environment, and to speak their minds.

The world today is a cruel place, with human beings killing one another and causing so much pain and despair to others. It is up to us to show them why they should ensure they never make our generation’s mistakes.

The cane is a thing of the past. If we want to continue to grow, and if we are so desperate to make the world a better place for our kids and grandkids then it is time we get off our high horses and start making that change.

AUDREY LIM SHI PEI,

Subang Jaya.

Ministry considers putting nutritional content info on canteen meals

Thursday March 31, 2011

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/31/nation/8381940&sec=nation

By LESTER KONG
lester@thestar.com.my

 

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry is looking into introducing nutritional content labels on some food items sold in canteens in schools.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the labels would show details such as calories, carbohyrates, proteins and fat content.

“It’s not a requirement yet. We are just encouraging them (schools) to do it,” he told reporters after presenting the 2010 Clean Canteens Awards yesterday.

Liow said the process of introducing the labels would not be easy.

“They (canteen operators) will need additional knowledge and it will involve extra work to put in all the labels. We will do it slowly but surely,” he said.

He said several ministry officials would be undertaking the task.

He added that there was a joint committee under the health and education ministries checking on food in canteens and making changes periodically.

Liow also said 122 school canteens were ordered to be closed temporarily so that the premises could be cleaned, while 22 were permanently closed under Sect 18(d) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.

Of the 311 reported cases of food poisoning last year, 50% (157) occurred in schools, he added.

Liow said canteens that failed to clean their premises after warnings could be fined up to RM10,000, jailed two years or both upon conviction under the Act.

He added that all school canteen operators had to pass a course to receive the 1Malaysia Food Safety Certificate.

On another matter, Liow said that all six consignments of pork and poultry imported from Germany from January to March were free of dioxin contamination.

He said the Malaysian Food Safety Information System analysed meat samples from all countries before allowing the meat to be sold locally.

Liow warned that any party involved in the import, distribution, storage and sale of food containing harmful ingredients could be penalised under Section 13 of the Food Act 1983 with a maximum RM100,000 fine, 10 years’ jail or both.

It was reported in January that nearly 5,000 farms in Germany were closed after large amounts of animal feed were detected with the poisonous chemical dioxin.

Dioxin has been classified as a carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) by the World Health Organisation’s International Agency on Research of Cancer.

Malaysia imported 40,826.4 tonnes of pork and 55,950.5 tonnes of chicken last year.

Govt to disburse funds of more than RM73mil for schools

Thursday March 31, 2011

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/31/nation/8386374&sec=nation

By SHARON LING and NG AI FERN
sarawakstar@thestar.com.my

 

KUCHING: Schools in Sarawak will receive financial assistance totalling over RM73mil from the Federal Government as soon as possible.

Announcing this yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said a sum of RM25.68mil would be disbursed to 130 mission schools.

Of this total, an initial grant of RM50,000 would be given to each mission school while the rest of the allocation would be given out later.

“We will hand over the funds to Barisan Nasional representatives in state constituencies where there are mission schools to be distributed to the principals or school boards.

“So the first round of RM6.5mil will be given out as soon as possible,” he said after meeting state Barisan Nasional leaders at the PBB headquarters here.

Muhyiddin, who is Education Minister, also announced allocations of RM20mil for 167 Chinese primary schools and RM28mil for 1,266 national schools in the state.

The funds are for upgrading and repair works for the schools, he said.

Welcoming the allocations, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the Deputy Prime Minister understood the overall picture of the schools’ condition in Sarawak.

“Many schools are old and in need of repair. For instance, Chinese and mission schools are showing signs of deterioration after a number of years and require assistance.

“However, a lot of assistance is needed so the Deputy Prime Minister is giving a little at a time to solve the problem,” he said.

Kekurangan diri bukan halangan cipta kejayaan

Khamis , 31 Mac 2011

http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/Kekurangandiribukanhalanganciptakejayaan/Article

Oleh Hazwan Faisal Mohamad
bhnews@bharian.com.my

TAHNIAH kepada pelajar Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2010 yang berjaya memperoleh keputusan cemerlang seperti diumumkan baru-baru ini. Keputusan SPM kali ini menunjukkan peningkatan apabila semakin ramai memperoleh gred cemerlang (A+, A dan A-) dalam semua mata pelajaran iaitu 10,488 daripada 467,970 calon.

Ia menunjukkan peningkatan daripada 7,987 pada 2009 dan bagi gred cemerlang tertinggi (semua A+) atau 403 calon berjaya memperolehnya berbanding 255 pelajar pada 2009. Antara yang berjaya termasuk dua pelajar cacat penglihatan Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas Setapak (SMPKS), Kuala Lumpur iaitu Tang Kah Hung dan Ahmad Shahide Ruslan yang mendapat 10A. Tang dan Ahmad Shahide, masing-masing memperoleh 6A+, 3A, 1A- dan 4A+, 4A, 2A-, sekali gus muncul pelajar cemerlang SPM 2010 peringkat Kuala Lumpur serta menjadi pelajar pertama berjaya memperoleh keputusan semua A di sekolah berkenaan.

Ternyata kekurangan diri bukan penghalang untuk mencipta kejayaan. Mula cacat penglihatan ketika berusia 17 tahun, Tang berkata, beliau tidak menyangka memperoleh keputusan itu kerana hanya menyasarkan 9A.

Walaupun pernah berputus asa dengan mengurung diri di rumah selama tiga bulan selepas menjadi buta akibat penyakit tumor otak yang dihidapinya sejak Tingkatan Dua, Tang bangkit menyambung pelajaran selama setahun di Persatuan Orang Buta Malaysia untuk mempelajari kaedah penggunaan Braille sebelum mendaftar di sekolah pendidikan khas itu.

Apa yang menarik ialah kebangkitan Tang selepas disahkan buta hingga berjaya memperoleh keputusan cemerlang, yang tidak ramai pelajar normal dapat lakukannya.

Pengetua SMPKS, Che Fatimah Che Abdullah menyifatkan Tang pelajar yang sentiasa berfikiran dan bertindak positif.

Semangatnya luar biasa dan tidak mudah menyerah kalah dengan apa jua halangan dan aktif di kelas dengan bertanya guru jika tidak memahami apa yang diajar. Beliau juga mesra dan mudah mendapat kawan menjadikannya disenangi ramai. Ia terbukti ketika ditemu bual di sekolah itu, baru-baru ini beliau tidak lokek berkongsi rahsia kejayaan dan sentiasa mengukir senyuman.

Tidak pernah terlintas di fikiran Tang untuk menjadi buta, namun takdir menentukan segala-galanya dan beliau menerima apa yang berlaku dengan hati terbuka.

Proses pembelajarannya juga kini berbeza berbanding ketika normal. Jika dulu mampu menghabiskan satu muka surat tidak sampai tiga minit, kini beliau mengambil masa lebih enam minit untuk membaca setengah muka surat menggunakan kaedah Braille.

Braille ialah kaedah yang diperkenalkan untuk membantu orang buta membaca dan menulis pada 1825 warga Perancis yang buta, Louis Braille. Tang sempat menunjukkan penggunaan mesin Braille, ternyata sukar untuk melakukannya jika tidak tahu apatah lagi belajar menggunakan kaedah itu.

Tidak dapat dibayangkan usaha yang dilakukan Tang membaca semua buku untuk 10 subjek diambilnya. Sudah tentu memerlukan pengorbanan dan kesabaran tinggi untuk melakukannya.

Sementara itu, rakannya Ahmad Shahide, 20, rabun sejak lahir akibat penyakit katarak. Beliau yang juga bekas ketua pengawas di situ tidak pernah menjadikan kelemahannya alasan untuk gagal, malah kalau boleh mahu dilayan sama seperti insan normal.

Baginya, sesiapa saja boleh berjaya asal gigih berusaha, bijak menguruskan masa dan berdisiplin yang menjadi kunci kejayaannya.

Katanya, akibat penyakit rabun itu, beliau terpaksa memakai cermin mata berkuasa tinggi, tidak cukup dengan itu perlu membaca buku sedekat mungkin.

Ahmad Shahide yang berasal dari Lenggeng, Negeri Sembilan itu juga tidak boleh membaca buku untuk tempoh lama kerana pening. Justeru, beliau menggunakan CCTV yang mengimbas buku dan disiarkan di skrin televisyen untuk dibaca.

“Saya harap kejayaan ini mendorong pelajar senasib untuk turut berjaya,” katanya yang bercita-cita menjadi guru Matematik

20 pelajar ponteng ditahan

31 Mac 2011, Khamis

http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2011&dt=0331&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Timur&pg=wt_02.htm

Oleh YATIMIN ABDULLAH
utusankelantan@utusan.com.my

DUA pelajar ditahan dalam operasi cegah ponteng sekolah oleh PPDKB bersama beberapa agensi kerajaan dan NGO di beberapa sekolah sekitar Kota Bharu, kelmarin.

 

KOTA BHARU 30 Mac – Seramai 20 pelajar ditahan dalam operasi ponteng sekolah yang dijalankan oleh Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah (PPD) dengan kerjasama empat agensi lain dan sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) di sini, kelmarin.

Dua daripada mereka turut dikesan positif dadah dalam operasi yang bermula pukul 8.30 pagi sehingga pukul 2 petang itu.

Pegawai Pelajaran Daerah, Che Abdul Aziz Daud berkata, kesemua pelajar terbabit berusia 15 hingga 17 tahun termasuk seorang perempuan, ditahan ketika melepak di beberapa kawasan sekitar daerah ini.

Katanya, antara kawasan menjadi sasaran adalah sekitar Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Kota, SMK Mulong, SMK Dewan Beta dan kawasan Telipot.

“Operasi ini digerakkan dengan kerjasama polis, Ikatan Relawan Rakyat (Rela), Jabatan Kesihatan, Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu-Bandar Raya Islam (MPKB-BRI) dan Kelab Sukarelawan Bantuan Kemasyarakatan Kelantan (KSBK).

“Ini merupakan operasi kedua selepas Ops Didik pada Januari lalu. Jika sebelum ini, pelajar ditahan diberikan nasihat tetapi kali ini mereka terus diserahkan kepada polis untuk tindakan lanjut,” katanya ketika ditemui di sini semalam.

Menurut Che Abdul Aziz, penglibatan pelbagai agensi kerajaan dan NGO dalam operasi itu membuktikan semua pihak peka dan prihatin dengan masalah ponteng sekolah di kalangan pelajar di daerah ini.

Beliau turut meminta mana-mana pihak supaya menyalurkan maklumat kepada PPD mengenai gejala ponteng sekolah di kalangan pelajar, selain bersama-sama menanganinya.