Retiring

Reporting For Duty - 14 January 2019

Reaching PPD Manjung in Sitiawan at around 9am and introduced myself to the Deputy PPD En Muzaffar Shah bin M. Rajamal. We discussed about school leadership and how schools in Manjung district perform generally. I adjourned to the school thereafter.

NPQEL (National Professional Qualification For Educational Leaders)

Posing for a shot with fellow college mates at IAB, Genting Highlands

An offer letter to undergo a course on NPQEL was received in February 2018. It was a 15-week stint in IAB Genting Highlands. It was an experience worth remembering. 

Famed education editor of The New York Times, the late Fred Hechinger, who died in 1995 quoted:,

“Over the years, as a reporter, I have never seen a good school with a poor principal, or a poor school with a good principal. I have seen unsuccessful schools turned around into successful ones, and regrettably, outstanding schools slide rapidly into decline. In each case, the rise or fall could readily be traced to the quality of the principal”.

Presenting a topic on student developmental in one of the assessment sessions

 https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/06/14/developing-excellence-in-educational-leadership/

A Trip To The Education Office

Kinta Utara District Education Officer Tn Haji Hasni presenting the appointment letter to me on January 10, 2019.  

January 2019, 3.55pm - Received a call from my school SMK Seri Keledang that I had to be at the District Education Office at 11am the next day. I met up with Tn Hasni and his deputy Tn Hj Jamaluddin. We had a cordial discussion about the current education scenario. An appointment letter was given to me, stating that I would be posted to SMK Methodist (ACS) Sitiawan as a Principal. This would be a challenge which I looked forward to overcome. 

  

How ACS Sitiawan Started

Founded in 1903 by Rev. B.F. Van Dyke as an orphanage, it was expanded into a full-fledged school by a succession of missionaries. The name Anglo-Chinese School was given to the school by Rev W.E. Horley in 1916, changing the name from Industrial School Sitiawan.

Some of the buildings on the school grounds were built prior to World War II, including the present ACS Primary School Hall and the four classrooms attached to it by a corridor. Construction of the Hall was started in 1931 by Rev D.P. Coole and completed in 1938.

During the Japanese Occupation, the school was used to teach the Japanese Language.

When the school was first started there were four students.

The original location of ACS was the site where the present Chung Hwa Association Building now stands. SMK ACS celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003 making it the oldest school located in Kampung Koh. 

(https://www.utar.edu.my/dssc/newvillageproject/Kampung_Koh.pdf)