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US graduates to teach English in Sabah schools BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

US graduates to teach English in Sabah schools

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:54 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: For the first time, Fulbright US English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) will be expanding its wings to Sabah and Sarawak, having increased the number of ETAs from 75 to 100 who arrived in the national capital yesterday.

The latest group of 100 Fulbright ETAs just arrived to begin their 10-month assignments at primary and secondary schools across Terengganu, Johor, Pahang, Perak, Sabah and Sarawak.

US Ambassador to Malaysia, Joseph Yun said: "I'm pleased to welcome 100 talented young Americans who will dedicate themselves to helping teach English in schools throughout Terengganu, Johor, Pahang, Perak, and for the first time in Sabah and Sarawak.

"As this programme continues to expand, the bonds and friendships the ETAs make will bring our two countries together and help us better understand each other," said Yun.

Based on its great success, the ETA programme has been expanded to East Malaysia and the number of ETAs has also increased from 75 to 100, making it one of the largest ETA programmes in the world.

The programme is administered jointly by the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) and the Malaysian Ministry of Education, and supported by the US Embassy.

Fulbright English Teaching Assistants are graduates of leading universities throughout the United States.

Each ETA will have direct, sustained contact with hundreds of students in their schools.

The United States provides technical support to the ETAs through visits by English language teachers and advice on curriculum.

The ETAs will bring with them the latest teaching materials, provided free of charge by the US Department of State.

The ETA programme is intended to enrich and enhance English instruction in primary and secondary schools by providing American native speakers who strengthen English language education as well as mutual understanding.

In addition to their classroom work, the ETAs organise extra-curricular clubs and activities conducted in English while also gaining a deep understanding of the Malaysian culture by living and working in towns and cities throughout the six states.

The objective of this programme is to fulfill the Fulbright programme goal of increasing mutual understanding between Americans and other peoples of the world.

For more information, contact MACEE at http://www.macee.org.my/

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Dept welcomes proposals on education system improvement

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:54 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: The State Education Department will always welcome any proposals from any groups or parties to improve the education system in Sabah, including the request for SK Api Api to be converted to a Chinese-medium school.

However, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) must be followed, said its director, Datuk Jame Alip, when referring to a statement made by Deputy Education Minister I Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching on the request to convert SK Api Api to a Chinese-medium school.

The request was made by various quarters who claimed that the existing Chinese primary schools had run out of space to cater to the increasing number of pupils entering Chinese schools each year.

"SK Api Api was gazetted by the government as Sekolah Kebangsaan to cater to the need of students in the city centre. Existing schools like SK Tanjung Aru and SK Sri Gaya are also facing the same situation where pupil intake is increasing every year.

"The long-term plan to convert these schools into a one-session school is also one of the reasons why SK Api-Api was gazetted as a Sekolah Kebangsaan," he said to The Borneo Post yesterday.

However, Jame said the Education Department welcomed any suggestions from the public to ensure that a right decision would be reached for in the future.

He added that the various quarters who requested to convert SK Api Api should come to the department and discuss with him on how to find the best solution on the issue.

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School canteens not raising prices yet

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:54 AM PST

by Christy Chok and Azmie Lim. Posted on January 7, 2014, Tuesday

TAWAU: The school canteens here have not raised the prices of food and drinks despite the increase in the price of sugar with the reduction of government subsidy this year.

A check by The Borneo Post at the canteen at Sabah Chinese High School revealed that the prices of food and drinks have yet to be raised.

"I'm not going to increase the prices as it would burden students further," said the canteen operator, Uncle Liau.

As the prices of food and drinks in the canteen come under the purview of the school's board of governors and the canteen operators are operating under a contract with the board, there was no indication that there will be any increase in the prices.

The Ministry of Education said on Sunday that it would probe a report that canteen operators have hiked the price of food items sold in schools nationwide.

Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said a committee chaired by Director-General of Education Tan Sri Abd Ghaffar Mahmud would probe the allegation.

A student, Jessica Hii, hoped the school canteen operator would not raise the prices of food and drinks although the prices of cooking materials have increased. She said a price hike would affect the students who have yet to earn any income, and the whole community.

Madam Liew Sze Mei, headmistress of SJKC Hing Hwa, noted that the canteen operator of her school had not raised the prices. However, she said she would not be able to control the hike if the school canteen operator is forced to buy cooking materials at a higher cost.

Mrs Chin, a mother of a 10-year-old pupil, also noted that the school canteen here has not raised the prices of food and drinks, and hoped they would not do so in the immediate future.

Headmistress of SJKC Sin Hwa, Madam Vera Voo, said that her school canteen operator had yet to hike the prices as they are complying with the contract with the school board.

"As our school is advocating a culture of 'less sugar' consumption, we are monitoring the school canteen to ensure they use less sugar in their food and drinks," she added.

Samson Bin Sahibul, headmaster of SK Andrassy, Kg Tass here also disclosed that the school canteen operator at their school has not increased the prices.

School canteens in Lahad Datu have also not raised the prices of their food and drinks.

The new canteen operator of SM St Dominic, Jamilah Mustapha, said that she would not increase the prices of her food and drinks despite the rising operating cost.

She said that not all students could afford expensive food and any increase would burden them.

"It's true that the prices of some food items such as sugar and chicken have been increased. However, we could still balance the cost and the price," she said.

A form five student, Emma Lim, said the prices of food sold at her school canteen were still the same as last year's.

She said that the foods sold at the canteen were still affordable but any increase would burden parents as they would have to give extra pocket money to their children.

"I hope the prices of food will remain the same despite the increase in the prices of goods as it will not only burden the students, but also their parents," she added.

Another form five student, Sui Lin, said that the prices of food at her school canteen had remained the same since school opened on January 3.

She hoped that prices will remain the same until the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Astria Ece, 48, said her two children had not complained about the food prices at their school canteen.

Astria said she still gave the same amount of pocket money to her children and they had never complained that the money was not enough to buy food at their schools.

"I heard that the price of food items in school canteens will rise but I hope it will remain the same as it will burden us.

"The price increase of goods such as sugar and others is already burdening us. Another increase will burden us further," she said.

Astria hoped that the government will monitor prices and look for alternatives to reduce the burden of parents if prices are raised.

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Price hikes bad for BN – Ghapur

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:53 AM PST

TAWAU: The authorities have been urged to intensify their monitoring and enforcement on greedy traders who raise prices at will.

Kalabakan member of parliament Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh said traders who increased the prices according to their fancy should be penalized.

"I received a report that there were goods with a 40 per cent price hike or more, including in the district," he said yesterday.

"Though some say the case started from middleman, what is important is that monitoring and enforcement should be intensified," he said.

He said he had received many complaints from the public about price hikes which indirectly affected the good name of Barisan Nasional (BN).

"Some say, after the election, all the prices of goods went up. This is not good for BN. Therefore, we want the relevant agencies to intensify enforcement," he said.

He also called on the public to use their right as consumers to boycott unscrupulous traders.

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Sulu Sultanate offers ‘win-win solution’ in Sabah row

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:53 AM PST

MANILA: The Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo on Monday offered the Malaysia government what it said is a "win-win solution" to resolve the territorial dispute over Sabah.

An online report in the Manila Times yesterday quoting Sultan Esmail Kiram II as saying that the Sultanate is considering the proprietary aspect of the conflict.

Kiram said Malaysia must recognize the Sultanate's ownership of Sabah and in turn, it will not withdraw Sabah from the Federation of Malaysia.

"Malaysia is Muslim, the Sultanate is Muslim, the problem can be discussed between Muslims. If Malaysia wins, the Sultanate wins," the sultan said.

Sultanate's secretary general Abraham Idjirani said the proprietary aspect has two issues: sovereignty and ownership.

He said the sultan's solution indicates that sovereignty over Sabah remains with the Malaysian government.

Other options being considered by the Sultanate is the filing of cases before an International Court of Justice (ICJ) and a London court.

John Castriciones, one of the Sultanate's legal counsels, said they are also looking at filing a case with a London court.

Castriciones said the British turned over North Borneo or Sabah to Malaysian federation in 1963.

He said the case aims to stop Malaysia from using funds, properties, assets sourced from Sabah.

The Sultanate earlier expressed willingness to negotiate with the Malaysian government to solve the dispute over Sabah.

Kiram said he had approved the recommendation of the Advisory Council of the Sultanate to push for a peaceful and civilized resolution of the Sabah claim.

He directed the chairman of the council to create a negotiating panel preparatory to the formal negotiation of the territorial dispute between the Sultanate of Sulu and the Federation of Malaysia.

The membership of the panel will be announced by the Sultanate in the next few days.

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Committee on SK Api-Api school conversion – Teo

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:53 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang hopes that Chinese political parties and Chinese education organizations will work together to turn SK Api-Api into a Chinese primary school.

Teo said he would gather the relevant organizations and Chinese party leaders under Barisan Nasional (BN) to form a committee to handle this matter.

The setting up of a committee to look into the application to turn SK Api-Api into a Chinese school was suggested by The Association of Sabah National Type Chinese School Management Committee (Sabah Dong Lian). The proposal was raised during a courtesy call on Teo by Sabah Dong Lian members led by its chairman, Ben Lim Kiat Kong, here yesterday.

Lim also hoped that Teo would lead the committee.

"I will take the initiative to gather (the relevant parties).

"As to who leads the committee, that will be decided in the meeting," he said to the media after the courtesy call, adding that the committee would be set up as soon as possible.

Teo said Chinese political parties and education associations would need to work together in this matter as the associations could provide information and statistics while political parties could bring the issue up to the government.

Meanwhile, Lim informed that the percentage of bumiputra students in the 10 Chinese primary schools in Kota Kinabalu had increased from 27 per cent in 2009 to 33 per cent this year.

He said more non-Chinese parents were sending their children to Chinese primary schools to learn Mandarin.

However, many of the Chinese schools in the city are overcrowded.

Lim said an average class at SJK(C) Shan Tao had around 55 students, while the ideal student number per class is 35.

On the other hand, the student number at Sekolah Kebangsaan maintained at 35 per class, he said.

Hence, Lim said an additional Chinese primary school in Kota Kinabalu would not only benefit Chinese students, but bumiputra students as well.

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