2010/01/27
By Azura Abas and Lydia Gomez
KUALA LUMPUR: The high-performance schools announced by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday have generally produced innovative and creative programmes, not just in academic studies but also in co-curricular activities.Checks by the New Straits Times on some of these 20 high-performance schools yesterday showed that these activities have benefited the students as well as the schools.
Sekolah Menengah Sains Tuanku Syed Putra in Kangar, for example, boasts of its “accelerated learning programme” to bring out the best in its students.
Sekolah Kebangsaan Zainab 2 in Kota Baru, meanwhile, focuses on volunteerism through its own programme “Assisted Teacher” to help slow-learners cope with their lessons.
The school management also goes to great extent to rope in volunteers for the purpose.
For the management of the fully-residential girls’ school Tunku Kurshiah College in Seremban, the endless series of brainstorming sessions, innovative strategies plus a host of other own activities created for students have, indeed, borne fruit.
The school has been synonymous with outstanding academic results and co-curriculum.
Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara, meanwhile, has been emphasising on the need to care for the environment, among other things.
But all these high-performance schools have to sustain their momentum and prove that they can improve their performance.
Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said they had the next two years to do so or risk having the status revoked.
He told NST that the schools would be monitored closely as they had certain key performance indicators to achieve in five areas — academic excellence, ability to create distinctive personalities, winning national and international awards, forming strong relationship with institutions of higher learning, and establishing strong bond with the communities.
(Source:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20100127081700/Article/index_html)
