KAPIT: Parents have been urged to focus on their children’s education as knowledge and skills are key to their success in the future. “The role of education has clearly changed from its traditional functions. Students nowadays not only attend school to learn but also to be educated with the required knowledge as they are the future leaders and assets of the country,” said Bukit aid Bukit Goram assemblyman Jefferson Jamit Unyat.
“Our education system must also be dynamic and progressive and need to go through the process of change and reform in line with the national education policy. “We need to produce students who excel and achieve high standards of competency to realise our aspirations and the national education agenda,” said Jamit when officiating at the ‘Student Excellence Award and Graduation Ceremony’ of SK Kapit held at the school hall yesterday. He added that various efforts have to be made to develop students’ thirst for knowledge as it was vital to prepare the younger generation to meet the needs of the 21st century. “Parents also need to do some self-reflection, set good examples for the children rather than delegating the responsibilities to teachers and schools alone.
“In addition, the school management has to give focus on creativity and innovation in teaching and learning. To produce high quality education, teachers need to make a paradigm shift in teaching and learning approaches that encourage students to think creatively and innovatively.
“We need to move away from the approach of the factory model of education production to the model creation of teaching and learning, encouraging the mind, a test of creativity and innovation, which can elicit students’ abilities in solving problems through reasoning,” said Jamit. Meanwhile, he said that the award ceremony was one of the ways to encourage and motivate students to continue striving for academic excellence. “I take this opportunity to congratulate the students who had excelled in their studies and hope that this achievement will not end here.
“To those who failed to make it this time around, this is an opportunity for you to strive harder and prove that you can be the winner in the future. “I also call on all parties to work closely together towards achieving academic excellence. In addition, good rapport between the school and parents is vital based on a sense of shared responsibility, mutual need and always suppor ting each other,” he said. On his role as the elected representative, Jamit said: “I make every effort to attend school functions in my constituency whenever invited.
It is my responsibility to emphasise on children’s education. To students, I advise you to concentrate on your studies and aim for the highest level of education.” He said there was no difference between schools in the rural and urban areas.
“Rural schools are equally good in terms of manpower and the teachers are professionally trained to teach the young. What is important, change the mindset, believe in yourself. You are not inferior, rural students are not lacking, you can do it provided that you work hard and concentrate on your studies. More importantly don’t feel shy to ask the teacher, if you have any questions,” said Jamit.
At the function, he revealed that the construction of a multipurpose hall funded under the Rural Transformation Project (RTP) amounting to RM400,000 has been approved. He also allocated RM10,000 to the school to carry out various activities to further enhance the school’s academic performance. During the function, Jamit presented certificates to UPSR students and prizes to high achievers in both academic and curricular activities. Also present were Kapit education officer Ringgit @ Gawan Saut, the school’s headmaster John Rimbar, members of SK Kapit Parent-Teacher Association, teachers and parents.
