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PRIMARY EDUCATION |
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PERSONAL FILES SCHOOL NEWS AND IDEAS PHOTO GALLERY
"Knowledge is power"
"Knowledge is light"
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Sekolah Rendah Islam ABIM
Sometimes, life can lead you to unexpected twists and turns. You'll never know for sure what will happen next. By the end of standard one, my family and I headed for United Kingdom.
The Temple Primary SchoolWell, here I was in the UK. It took a while to get adapted to the surroundings, especially when winter was coming along its way. Not long after that, father sent me straight to school. If you've watched 'Harry Potter' the movie, then you'll have have no problem at all in imagining how big this school was...except that it's not really as big as Hogwarts School! With no basic English, I felt like an outsider; whatever people spoke of was not understood. However, there was a specialist teacher who was specially assigned to help foreign children in mastering English. Her name was Mrs. Anderson. Everything was different here. We never carried homework back home. So there was no need to worry about 'unfinished homework'. There were swimming lessons once in a week, and the class was just splendid. I made new friends. Later that year, my family and I moved to another part of Manchester which was called Salford. Hence, I was transfered to another school. The Friars Primary School
The new school where I was sent to was a Christian school. I think that's why they called it 'The Friars Primary School' (check what 'friars' mean). Every Friday morning they held a prayer led by someone called 'Father'. I never joined in their prayers of course! Like my previous school, the education system was tension-free. My friends and I learnt about Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, or basically the history of Great Britain. We even learnt about the Ancient Egyptians; how they lived, what skills they possess, the pyramids,and etc. The approach of learning here posed creativity among children. At an early age like this, teachers rarely spoon-feed their pupils, but instead, the pupils have to find the answers themselves. About four or five months later, my family had to move again. This time, we moved North East from Manchester towards Newcastle Upon Tyne. Our new home was situated near St.James' Stadium - the home of fanatic football fans. It was also close by the North Sea. Anyway, within two or three days, I was again sent to a new school...Westgate Hill Primary School. It was an enormous ancient building built in the 1890s, and yet it stood bold and firmly on the ground. One year and a half later, my family and I returned to Malaysia. We didn't return for good but only for a short while. Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan King Edward III t was good to see grandma and grandpa again. I missed 'kampung' so much but our stay was only for three months. So it was some sort of vacation for the rest of the family. However, it wasn't quite a vacation which I had in mind; not long after our arrival here, I was registered to a school in Taiping, my mother's hometown. The new school was Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan King Edward II. Hence, there I go again with a new school, new uniform, and so on. Throughout that time, I stayed with my grandparents in Taiping while the rest of the family went elsewhere. Grandma would fix breakfast every morning, and then I would be driven to school on grandpa's old white Datsun. It was an unforgettable routine.The new school was alright. It was an all-boys school. Basically, the subjects taught comprise of maths, Malay language, English, Islamic education, and etc. I had no problems adapting to the atmosphere in class, though I must say that it was sometimes boring. Surprisingly, some teachers doubted whether I could read or speak Malay. Even my classmates treated me as if I was a foreigner. In the evening, I had to go to 'Kelas Fardhu 'Ain' at Masjid Daerah Taiping. From there, I learnt tajwid, khat, and basic Islamic teachings. When three months was over, it was "Bye, bye King Edward" and "Bye, bye Malaysia". Westgate Hill Primary School
Before I went to King Edward, I had already been at Westgate Hill Primary School. Thus, when I returned to Newcastle, I went to the same school. Like any other schools in the UK, the methods of teaching was the same; the approach they applied urged students to think in a creative and critical manner. I think that's what I like about schools in the UK. Once, a few of my classmates and I were involved in a little experiment; we were assigned to make a bridge out of a piece of A4 manila card, and the bridge must be able to hold a weight ranging from 5 to 10 kilogrammes. We were not allowed to use glue or scissors but just our heads and bare hands. It seemed impossible at first but in the end we managed to make it. At Westgate Hill, I remember learning about Ancient Greece; the myths and legends, the belief of its people and way of life, etc. As for science subject, it wasn't just about learning science discoveries from references but it also concerned proving them through experiments. Everyday was merely full of new findings and discoveries. It would be unlikely to be bored of school! The teachers were also sporting and motivating.Time was flying so fast that I did not realize how quick it was to be at the end of standard six. I later continued form one at Gosforth East Middle School. Gosforth East Middle SchoolDon't be surprised why I've included this school under primary education. Although I was already a first former at that school, I would've still been in standard six back in Malaysia. Here at Gosforth East, we had to wear our school uniform. Among the subjects included were English, Mathematics, social studies (Geography and History), Science, and even French. One thing that I found amusing about this school was how the points of a team house was gained; in order to obtain points for one's team house, he/she must try to do whatever assignment appointed as best he/she could.
Every Monday we had 'Games' session. During this session, our coach trained us some of the basic skills of hockey, volleyball, and rugby. It was one of my favourable sessions at school. Hmm...sadly I didn't have the chance to develop those skills. Not long after that, it was time to leave for Malaysia.
Year 1996...Although UPSR had already passed, my father insisted me on going to school. The reason behind this was because he wanted me to get used to the ways and approach of teaching in Malaysia. I was sent to the nearest school which was Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Bandar Baru Bangi. There was no formal teaching when I went there because UPSR was over. However, I did learn a few newer things - mostly on basic knowledge of Islam.
"Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day...Teach a man to fish and he can eat for a lifetime"
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