With a sigh ( Pt 7 b ) – Prebet sapu

Selamat berpuasa kepada pelawat pelawat Muslimin dan Muslimat yang kami berdua hormati

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Finally Almanar has a fair share of orphans and children of poor families. Numbering about 80 and made up of pupils in Form 1, 2, 3 and 4, they belong to the first intakes into the new home, Darul Akhyar (of my earlier post),

In order to assess the level of their knowledge, particularly in English and Mathematics, I have taken it upon myself to conduct all classes and necessitates opening of evening classes for the first time. On me it has been particularly taxing on two counts. Until now I had never considered sacrificing my evening hours, and that I now have. Secondly, as Darul Akhyar would not have its promised transport facility until next week I volunteered to help out, anxious to get on with the classes as early possible.

Watch the picture of that beautiful white multi-purpose vehicle in the picture below. We acquired that last year. Among its many uses we thought of the great opportunity to load the vehicle with fruit when we go to Makcik’s kampong during the next durian season. I could imagine having a stall in front of Almanar selling durians! That is what a fruitful imagination is all about – making money.

----------- Prebet sapu

We never bargained for the vehicle to run as a ‘prebet sapu’ (illegal taxi). But that was exactly what happened for about one month. Do not laugh when I relate a typical day in July.

The last happened for days ago. A group of 27 pupils had to attend class at Almanar at 3.30 that afternoon. In the absence of any help Pakcik did a wonderful job fetching them from Darul Akhyar, a mere one kilometer distance from Almanar. Instead of loading that vehicle with durians I managed to cram into it 9 children of assorted sizes, finely separated between sexes, to travel the short distance from Darul Akhyar to Almanay. In 15 minutes flat I made three trips to transport all the 27 kids. Two hours later I repeated the acts to send the children back.

Then came the evening class. At eight I was at the wheel again also making three trips, this time to shuttle 28 kids of Form 1, one more; that meant ten passengers on one of three trips. Of course at the end of that I had to send them back. How they giggled and laughed and the poor driver shouting hoarse to keep quiet!

To them it was great fun, at the end of which the boys kissing the driver’s hand and the girls thanking Pakcik voluminously – and a couple of them were heard to add, “ I like you Pakcik.”

But the strain of that one month had begun to tell on the driver of the ‘prebet sapu’. Pakcik had to stay in bed for 24 hours, canceling classes for three days! Thankfully that was the last.

============

-------------- Part of Form 1

The new group of Form 1 pupils from Darul Akhyar consists of 28 children, ten of whom are boys. It is so satisfying to me to realise that this group is the 16th group of Form 1 to have joined Almanar over a period of 17 years of its life. It gives me a greater satisfaction to realise that this group of 28 has fourteen orphans and the rest belong to poor families of gardeners, rubber-tappers, broken homes and so on. The same goes with the rest of the 80 kids from Darul Akhyar - orphans and children of the very poor. Helping children such as these was the very objective Almanar trust (private) was established in 1992. Alhamdulillah.

Nevertheless I cannot help drawing sighs of regret to see how poorly these children were treated academically during their six years of primary education. Let us look at the 28 pupils in Form 1. In their UPSR exam at the end of 2010 this group can only boast of 1 A and 2 B grades in English. For the five subjects examined, only one pupil scored 4 A grades, and three pupils scored 3 As each. Nine children achieved only C,D and E grades, and of course, ‘my poor little thing’ can only boast of 5 E’s.


-------- Poor little thing's smile of hope

==============

Sintaicharles, a fairly regular visitor from Sarawak, left the following brief comment against my last posting.

“ Pakcik, I got 3Ds and 2Es in UPSR.”

It is slightly better than Pakcik’s ‘poor little thing’ but definitely worse than some of my new group described above.Yet, today, he is a damned good teacher in English, if I must say so without any reservation. And this man from Sarawak even exhibited an exemplary attitude as an educator. This is reflected in his earlier comment against Pakcik’s posting:

“Nine years ago, out of pity, I taught a very naughty boy how to read and write everyday after school. However, many colleagues insinuated to me that I was an empty vessel trying berlagak pandai mendidik budak yang tiada harapan lulus SPM'.I was hurt by what they said and soon gave up tutoring that boy.
Now, come to think of it, I should have persisted in teaching that boy. I lacked the spirit of Pakcik.”

That is Sintaicharles’s attitude and the general attitude of his colleagues.

To this fine teacher who started from a low beginning, I would like to tell him this:

Perhaps, Sintaicharles, you have now learnt something from what you called ‘the spirit of Pakcik’, a pseudo teacher who has never been taught all about the sophisticated teaching techniques and what ‘exam formats’ are all about. You are one person of my own heart, an example of one who does not believe in the need for a good early start to succeed. It is YOUR SPIRIT, Sintaicharles, that I need to plant in those Melayu punya children. I thank you and I say forget those colleagues of yours. Sadly, after having qualified, attended courses after courses they lack the natural attitude every educator should possess in the first place.
`

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

With a sigh ( Pt 3 ) - good news ?

Two news items left me heaving sighs of different kinds.

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A) ‘Sekolah pelajar hamil tetap ditubuh’ ran the head-line in a local daily.

That is truly fantastic. This will help girls who have prematurely ventured into marital activities. The presence of this ‘special’ school will offer these young mothers a chance to continue their studies - especially in Biology, I suppose!

Thinking aloud, if such a school proves successful, with many of them churned out as experienced gynecologists by our universities of ‘ bertaraf antara bangsa’, many more girls may see this as an incentive to ‘qualify’ joining this very exclusive school – (nauzu billah)

--------------

At the end of our class one day last week a Form 1 girl whispered gleefully to Pakcik that a Form 3 girl she knew had given birth prematurely and was now out of school; and she is from a poor family. So would the ‘dream’ school solve such a family’s problem?

Shouldn’t I draw a sigh of relief that someone has found a brilliant answer to one of our increasingly serious social ailments?

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(B) ‘Kekalkan UPSR, PMR’ runs the front-page head-line of another daily.

Malay Consultative Council (Majlis Perundingan Melayu) which represents 126 Malay NGO’s wants that the two current examinations be retained.

The final decision has not been made but I hope the power that be will hear the voice of this large group. Thus far I have refrained myself from making any comments on the current hotly debated issue.

We have been having enough issues with our current education system to delve into more. To me our efforts ought, in the first place, to be coordinated to improve the quality and competency of present and future teachers to enable them to be truly qualified to teach effectively the subjects they are assigned to. Secondly, the principles and heads of schools must have the skill in managing an organisation. We can win half the battle by improving weaknesses in these two areas. Improving salary scales and more opportunities for promotion may not help much. It is worse if promotions are politically influenced and nepotism is allowed to flourish. How often do we hear that ‘so-and-so should have never been there’?

Teachers introduced into schools around 1950's and 1960’s were a class of their own. They were trained at various centres in Malaya (then) including the two very famous training colleges in Tanjong Malim and Malacca, and the two premier colleges in Kirkby and Wolverhampton. At the end of their training they were credited with just diplomas, not the glorified degrees of today. But they were excellent and dedicated educationists.

What did the authority in those years do right? Do we have to reinvent the wheel? Kereta lembu used to have hard wooden wheels. If there is one today it would have tyres and tubes, or tubeless for that matter!

Many would not agree with my comments. Of course we are all entitled to make. After all I was never trained to be an educationist. But I am sure many would join me in giving a salute to MCC or MPM for their stance.

And here I heave a sigh of relief.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk Kemanusiaan

A sad side to it

The face of the girl stepping into the Photostating shop looked familiar. I was surveying her face when she turned and noticed me. Almost spontaneously she showed sign of recognition. Seeing a blank on my face she asked politely, “Pakcik, lupa saya?”

I apologized and for that she offered to introduce herself. Her name is Fauziah (not her real name). She used to attend tuition classes at Almanar. As an aid to jog my memory she mentioned two boys’ names who joined Almanar in early 2005, Azmi and Fazil (also not real names). Unlike these two boys who stayed on until PMR and continued to visit Almanar, she stayed on for a few months only. There was a tinge of regret in the way she said it. She knew, mentioning the two boys’ name would help. There are among the success story of my earlier posting ( 2009 SPM – Against the trend!). Azmi has 9A’s to his credit in his SPM and Fazil 8A’s.

Indeed, linking herself to that group helped me to place her. But she must have suddenly realised her mistake. I would quite naturally ask how she fared herself in the exam. She never bargained for that I am sure. In an undertone she murmured that her results were not so good, obtaining only 3 subjects with A grade, P.Islam, B.Melayu and Geography. To exonerate her lack luster she quickly volunteered, “You remember Akmal,( not real name) don’t you? She also left Almanar like me. She obtained just 2A’s , in Pendidikan Seni and Islam. She got E grades in English and Maths.” So there were others who performed worse!

Indeed Fauziah did not do badly. Many have done very much worse. But to Pakcik it was a shame for she had the potential to do better. To illustrate my point, let us examine briefly the progress of the four children in the five years they were in the secondary school. They had just completed their UPSR exam. They were at par with each other at the start.

Student	UPSR 2004	PMR 2007	SPM 2009
Azmi	2A's; 3B's	8A's	9A's
Fazil	2A's; 2B's; 1C	8A's	8A's
Fauziah	3A's; 1B; 1C	2A's	3A's
Akmal	2A's; 3B's	2A's	2A's

The two girls faltered all the way and something had inspired the boys to prove their worth.

I feel sorry for the girls and for many others. I would have less pity if they had come from well-to-do urban families. But here in the backwater of great development, it is not just their future but at stake is the future of their parents and families as a whole, and the community.

I feel truly sorry for Fauziah and Akmal. What had gone sour for them?

This was what Pakcik feared and this was one of the reasons why Almanar was established sixteen years ago, to lend a hand to the needy. Our system, with the rigidity of established rules, formats and guidelines, and often lacking in caring and humane approaches, may indeed put some children at a disadvantage. And these may be the very children who are the most deserving to be given help and guidance.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

End of the Tunnel ( Part 6 ) - A glimmer long way ahead

Pak Cik wrote in December last year (‘Whither Goest Thou?’) about three pupils, one boy and two girls, who performed well in their UPSR examination when the odds were against them. Their parents had resigned to the fact that as far as their children were concerned, irrespective of their achievement, they would continue their Form 1 studies at the nearest normal secondary schools. To them life is painful enough without having to gloat over an expensive dream.

Assured of sponsorship, however, and with persuasion from concerned teachers, the families relented. The teachers helped to apply for entry of the three good performers into the better known boarding schools. Today, Pak Cik am happy to report that the three musketeers have started life in a better environment.

Three of these four are fortunate

The sole boy among the three is in a prestigious Sekolah Menengah Sains (Kuala Terengganu) and the two girls are in two MARA schools (MRSM Pasir Tumbuh and Besut). There they have begun their Form 1.

The boy is lucky to qualify for a special scheme whereby his parents are required to pay nothing from day one. All the initial fees on registration were waived, boarding and all.

The two girls, as expected, had to get things prepared and have a specific initial sums ready to be settled on registration. These were what the parents dreaded most, apart from the unknown requirements in the course of their children studying and living there.

The reactions of the families on receiving one thousand ringgits each from Almanar were beyond belief. The feel of that sum of hard cash in hand was probably a dream. An old friend of Pak Cik living more than one hundred kilometers away, one I had not seen and talked to for over three years, chose to ring me up a few evenings ago. He wanted to relate a story how he came across a man who was a total stranger to him. The man was proud to talk of his daughter going into MRSM and of a man who helped with an unexpectedly enormous sum!

That signals the start of Almanar sponsorship. What would be the on-going requirements and future commitments for these three children will have to be monitored. At this stage, there is no necessity to cry for any donation. It is gratifying for Pak Cik to know that out there, generous individuals are ready to chip in. Pak Cik will not hesitate to speak of the need when it comes.

For the moment let us hope the children will perform as they should for a better future. Their families can now, probably for the first time, afford to own a dream - that at the end of this long dark tunnel surely there is a glimmer of hope.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

p/s:

What about Pak Cik’s own two grandchildren who earned themselves a trip to Bandar ‘Cat’ after their UPSR? Well, they were adamant that they had no wish to leave their home environment. What they wanted most was to be with their respective elder brothers at the Victoria Institution, the day school in Kuala Lumpur. So we save money.

The four cousins and grandma

Whither Goest Thou?

By now all discussions and excitement over the results of UPSR examination should have petered out. For the children concerned and their families, it is still an unsettling time. It is so until the children are placed in their respective schools by mid-January. Strange enough, Pakcik have my concern that has nothing to do with my own family.

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In April this year, Pakcik received an SOS from a primary school situated about 25 km away. The school serves a relatively poor community. There were just 40 pupils in standard 6. Could I help with a group of 20? UPSR results over the past years had been dismal, often a year without a single pupil with 5A’s; the best year on record was when 2 pupils scored that elusive result. How ironical it was when the country as a whole and the state of Terengganu in particular had been jubilant over great successes through the years.

Somewhat with a heavy heart but duty bound, Pakcik obliged the school. So the next five months saw Pakcik driving that 25km distance once a week. That was all I could afford. However, the sight of cheerful faces of about 20 small boys and girls, the age of my two younger grandsons in Kuala Lumpur, welcoming Pakcik, was reward enough. All the same as I watched the innocent faces I could not help asking myself, “Why should I do this for these children and not for my own flesh and blood?”


Finally, on the day the UPSR results were announced, an excited call came through just to tell Pakcik that THREE children from that school scored 5A’s. Of 40 candidates, this small number gives a success figure of 7.5%, a far cry from the state’s acclaimed performance of 15.3%. There was a celebration, nevertheless, as that was a new record for the school.

Yet away in Kuala Lumpur, the school headmistress of one of Pakcik’s grandchildren could not conceal her disappointment that only EIGHTY candidates of her school scored 5A’s, a drop from the previous NINETY; how ironical that was when in my corner of the country, a school celebrated over an increase of ONE pupil from TWO to THREE, a whopping 50% increase!

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Who are the three pupils who jointly broke the school record?

1. A girl whose very poor father passed away barely two months before her UPSR exam. Without hard counseling and coaxing by her teachers the distraught girl would have abandoned school for good there and then.

2. A girl whose parents operate a small village food-stall.

3. A boy whose father braves the South China Sea in a small boat at the mercy of the weather – for a few ringgits a day or nothing.

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One would expect the poor families to rejoice over the success. It came as a shock to learn that they would not allow the children to get into any boarding schools. They could ill afford the few hundred ringgits to prepare their children to join one. After all the village secondary school had been there for ages, within easy reach and for free. So what was the fuss all about? Their children and other children had been conditioned to accept this reality.

I was saddened by what I heard. Would the families concerned allow their children to go into boarding if there was a sponsor who would take care of all expenses, was my next question. The answer to Pakcik’s question came a few days later. Yes, in that case the families would allow the children to leave home. Accordingly, their teachers have helped to submit the necessary applications for the three children. .

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It is Pakcik’s hope that the three children will get admission into a boarding school, giving hope for a better future for themselves and their families. It is strange that Pakcik have no such concern for my own flesh and blood. It is of no consequence that they do not wish be separated from their parents, but these three from this community do. Perhaps, this may be a prelude to Almanar starting the sponsorship/anak-angkat scheme, an idea that Pakcik have been towing with for some time.

----------------------------

Will 2010 promise another record-braking year for this school and its poor children? Pakcik have been requested to continue helping next year’s standard six but teachers see gloom ahead. I was horrified to be told that of the new group of about 40 pupils moving from standard 5 to standard 6, TEN pupils, or 25% of them, do not know how to read and write! “ Pakcik’d better believe this”, I was warned. I can only give a sigh – negeriku, tanah tumpah darahku, kebanggaanku.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

P.S.:For their past good performance the four boys of Pakcik’s clan earned a short trip ‘overseas’ early this month to see ‘Cat’.

The End of the Tunnel – In Sight (Part 4)

“How can I accept this boy with 1A, 2C and 2D at UPSR?” I questioned and moaned.

English ----------D
Mathematics --- D
Science --------- C
Malay ( comp)-- C
Malay (writing)- A

On the basis of these results, after six years at school, what chances has he in the academic world? He is already on the alien rocky moon surface, not just a non-level playing field. For that matter can he qualify to compete in a feather-weight championship, if boxing is the game? These were the questions running through my mind ten years ago. Sadly, the same questions still run through my mind today despite several claims made that ours is a state having spectacular UPSR results for years and years. UPSR results such as shown above, and even worse, are still prevalent today.

The boy in question is generally known as Lan. Being somewhat lanky, taller than many of his peers, he is sometimes called ‘Pak Lan’. Now, two months after the UPSR exam results were known, a relative of his approached Pak Cik for his admission into form 1 class at Almanar. Almanar is never fussy over UPSR results. One with 3B and 2C is good enough to be admitted, but Lan’s performance cast great doubt over his ability to keep up with the rest. I expressed my reservation so. Just as I was marshalling more arguments to justify my turning down his request, he dropped the bomb-shell.

“Dia anak yatim (He is an orphan),” was a simple statement, an assault against which Pak Cik can never have a defence. Almanar, as a rule, has to bend backwards for an orphan, full stop.

It was a sad story. Lan’s father, a general worker, was killed when a lorry crashed into his motorcycle three years earlier. His mother refused to entertain the idea of allowing her son to have a stepfather, how hard her life might be to raise her loved ones. Perhaps, Lan’s performance in UPSR exam was a reflection of the hard life that followed.

Thus, Lan became a new form 1 pupil at Almanar. His withdrawn nature gave Pak Cik a cause to worry. But he followed every lesson diligently, getting from Pak Cik a bit more attention than the rest of the class in English and Mathematics. Over the weeks and months Lan grew in confidence, absorbing practically everything being dished out to him. His performance graph was climbing steadily. By the end of form 3 he must have committed into memory not less than 2500 new English words, as expected of Almanar’s pupils.

Then came the big surprise. PMR exam at the end of 2003 saw Lan getting away with the following results:.

English ------------- A
Mathematics ------- A
Kemahiran Hidup -- A
+ 5 other subjects - B

So Lan had done it his way.

Last week, after a long silence, Lan surfaced from nowhere at Pak Cik’s house, Nuri. He was a picture of confidence, wearing a thin layer of dark beard under his chin, a token of maturity, perhaps. His appearance was a reunion of some sort for the two of us. We had a lot to talk about of the years he was at Almanar.

“All has gone well, Pak Cik, and in November, God willing, I will get my diploma in Mechanical Engineering. What do you suggest I do then, Pak Cik?”

Yes, it is just a Diploma, nothing glamorous, a far cry from a degree in medicine, accountancy and so on. But he was a poor candidate to begin with, hardly qualified as a feather-weight competitor – yet a champion in his own right he will soon be. I am happy for him and his loving mother.

“Get a job first and look after your mother. She has waited long enough. Later on, with some practical experience, you can think of going further to be a full fledged engineer.”

“Thank you, Pak Cik. I think I will do that,” he responded. His grin began to fade as he picked up his hankerchief to dab his watery eyes. Was it the tender thought of his mother ? Blessed is a son who thinks so.

Having regained his composure he whispered,“By the way, Pak Cik, I top my class in English!” That was meant to be a reward for Pak Cik.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

The End Of The Tunnel – In Sight- (Part 3)- It is His Lucky Day

An old office colleague, now a successful entrepreneur, turned up from Kuala Lumpur with his family, grandchildren and all. How pleasant it was for us, living in this quiet part of the world, to receive such a visit and sit lingering over a lunch. Before parting he passed Pak Cik a sum of money in cash plus one cheque, saying that it was to be used at Almanar for whatever purpose I found it appropriate. That was two days ago, a visit unexpected and fund unsolicited.

Yesterday afternoon, an ex-Almanar pupil came over to consult Pak Cik over an offer she received for a one-year foundation course for medicine. On successful completion of the course, the sponsors would send him to an overseas university. SPM results will only be known in two months’ time. That a pupil is selected today for such a highly demanded course must reflect an expection of an excellent SPM result. He must also have satisfied his interviewers at a session a month ago. I have known him since he joined Almanar five years ago after getting 4A and 1B in his UPSR exam. Three years later he obtained 8As in his PMR which earned him a place in a prestigious boarding school. So to all intents and purposes he is a good bet. So all things considered, Pak Cik advised him to accept the offer.

Alas, there was a snag, an immense problem to him, as a matter of fact. He was advised that some expenses, including the registration fee, had to be borne by him. A normal family may not bat an eye over a sum of the size quoted. But for a bread-winner, working at a factory and with eleven mouths to feed, the sum creates a major obstacle. How on earth can the family afford the sum which must be ready on registration in less than one week? How timely it was that a do-gooder came to Pak Cik’s house just one day earlier. Pak Cik handed my ex-pupil some cash from what I had received, telling him that it was not out my pocket. He cried bitterly over the unexpected gift. God works in a mysterious way.

Pak Cik, as a facilitator, an intermediary can only pray that one day this pupil will be a doctor, one with humility and huminity – Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

Judging from the way he has performed thus far, he will, in a matter of time, be out of the long dark tunnel. And so is Pak Cik’s continued expectation of you all, ex-Almanar pupils. But do not hope for it without sustained effort, your own sweat.

P/s:
Pak Cik cannot at this point disclose this pupil’s identity. Hopefully, I will be able to do so when he has gone through the tunnel, Insya' Allah.

At long last, the end of the tunnel - Part 2

(Out to sea with tears and toil)

A good twelve years ago, a boy of thirteen joined a group of new Form 1 pupils at Almanar. He had just passed his UPSR (Standard Six) examination. Like the rest of the group his result was not good enough to qualify for admission into a boarding school. But he was certainly better qualified than his father, a simple fisherman. It was not an easy life for a fisherman of 37 to feed his family of six children. The mother had to help out to make ends meet by working as a hired hand preparing fish for making keropok. The boy was simply called Hazri.

Hazri, today, with Abdul Aziz (Form 1), the size Hazri was when he joined Almanar 11 years ago

A very conscientious and responsible man indeed Hazri’s father was. He might be lacking in education but he knew its value in life. He was what he was because he had no proper education. For that reason he was determined to see a change in his family. Hazri was his first boy. The boy must have education. It was his dream that this boy would never have to weather the South China Sea day in and day out, come rain and shine, for an elusive catch. He left a legacy of words in his first son's memory, “ Carilah apa pekerjaan pun. Jangan sekali-kali mengikut cara ayah ke laut! Belajarlah.” ( Choose whatever profession you wish but never be a fisherman like your father! Study.)

A neighbour, who had a son of Hazri’s age but with better UPSR result, suggested that Hazri be sent with his son to a ‘paying’ tutorial class in town. Alas, it was hard enough for Hazri’s father to keep the family in one piece. The father had to content having his son receiving free tuition at Almanar, a small and unknown one-man show in the village. The father could only hope that the old ‘Pak Cik’ of Almanar would succeed in helping his son. It was a further relief to him that Almanar allowed his son the use of a new bicycle. Two and half years later the father was struck by cancer. That was just about six months before Hazri’s PMR (Form 3) examination. Life was even tougher for the family. At one stage Hazri did not turn up for classes at Almanar. That worried Pak Cik because the boy had shown great promise in his study. The boy could not afford to miss class.

In explaining the reason for his absence from Almanar class, the fifteen-year-old boy related to Pak Cik how sad he was when, one evening, he found the family with no rice to cook. Determined to do something he approached the owner of a chicken farm nearby for a manual job, washing the premises. At least he could earn a few ringgits a day. To his disappointment the ailing father found out what he had been doing. Absenting from Almanar class was a sin. “Biar kita berlapar. Jangan engkau dibuang kelas oleh Pak Cik!” ( Let us starve but never let Pak Cik find reasons to dismiss you from his class! ). That was the man’s firm order, his commitment towards education, That at all cost his son would never ever have to go to sea. On one of Pak Cik’s visits the frail man, lying helpless and in pain in bed, had little to say other than a few broken words of thanks for helping his son.

It was during a fasting month when the ailing father was admitted to hospital in a critical condition. Just before the time to break fasting Hazri’s voice came through the phone to say, “ Pak Cik, ayah dah nazak …” And, it so happened, that was the eve of the day the PMR results would be released. Pak arrived too late at the hospital.

At the burial ground on the following day, when his father’s body had been safely laid to rest, Pak Cik told Hazri to pull himself together. He should get his PMR results from school that same afternoon. He had to look ahead, as a man his father wanted him to be. Dutifully Hazri went to get his exam results and immediately called at Pak Cik’s house. It was a day too late. His father would be proud to see his son’s performance. ( May Allah bless his soul ) With the results Hazri gained admission to a MRSM college at form 4. He was definitely on the right course – further away from the sea that his late father dreaded most.

The rest was history. Today Hazri stands tall among the young men in the city of Kuala Lumpur, working as a graduate in Mechanical Engineering. He will probably, one day, hire a boat and set off with his family from his old wooden house by the sea towards the island resort of Redang. This time he will remember the great many trips charted by his father in fair and foul weather – for a different purpose, that Hazri, his son, would never be like his father.

As a matter of interest Pak Cik asked Hazri what had become of the neighbour’s son who had an edge over him in many ways twelve years ago. With a grin on his face he simply muttered, “He is a factory worker.” Such is life.

Deserted and lonely when the fisherman is gone

And Pak Cik pray that Hazri of this world will understand and appreciate the spirit that lies behind Almanar’s motto, lest he forgets that one day he, too, will have to contribute to the society in whichever way he can:

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

Note

To be sure that Hazri did not find anything objectionable in the above writing Pak Cik had him go through it before posting. He wished that I record the following points:

Hazri today

"PAK CIK HASSAN" sounds short and simple but there is much to talk of him as far as I am concerned - a god-father to me. I first met him 12 years ago. I still remember the first time I studied Maths and English with him. I had zero knowledge in English and was poor in Maths. I was lagging behind but he handled me like a baby, teaching simple English grammar and Maths. He never gave up even when I asked silly questions. He helped me financially as well.

For me there is no other word than “Thanks a lot Pak Cik. You changed my life. You taught me to have positive views on life. You guided me in religion and even discussed political issues. You have helped me to fulfill my late father’s dream – that I would never be a fisherman like him. I could not have done it without your help.”

Pak Cik, once again thank you very much. May God bless you, Mak Cik and family with good health.To those pupils out there at Almanar make the best of Pak Cik. Believe me, as your senior (1st batch at Almanar) you can't get from school what you can get from him.

-Hazri-

2002 PMR Results

They Have Done Themselves Credit
Almanar takes great pleasure to congratulate twenty odd Form III pupils who sat for their PMR examination at the end of 2002. They formed the third group to join Almanar at Form I for the special classes in English and Mathematics and for general guidance in other subjects.

The group passed with 100% A grade in Mathematics . Half of them obtained grade A in Bahasa Inggeris, grade B for the rest.. One candidate obtained 9A’s, three 8A’s and three 7A’s. To appreciate the height of achievement of this group of pupils one must take into account the level of their earlier generally average-to-low UPSR performance.

For instance, the UPSR result of the person with 9A’s is AABCC (B in Mathematics and C in Bahasa Inggeris) . One candidate who achieved 8A’s at PMR level can only boast of BBBBB at UPSR level , whilst one with 7A’s+1B at PMR (B in Bahasa Inggeris) obtained BBBBD (D in Bahasa Inggeris) at UPSR level.

On the basis of their performance in the recent PMR examination, a surprising number of 17 of them have left their very ordinary Sekolah Menengah to start their new hostel lives at the following centres :

2 to Sek. Sains asrama penuh in Kuala Terengganu.
4 to MRSM in Pahang and Terengganu
3 to Sek. Men.Tekniks in Kedah
1 to Sek. Men.Tekniks in Perak
3 to Sek. Men.Tekniks in Pahang
4 to Sek. Men. Tekniks in Terengganu

The above performance and that of previous groups associated with Almanar justify our conviction that the lack lustre UPSR results among many pupils do not necessarily reflect their true academic potentials. Many are victims of circumstances and environments, and they, therefore, deserve to be accorded a second chance. For their determination and hard work, and now that they are being given a second chance to continue excelling themselves, we wish all these boys and girls success.

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Where they are :

Sek Menengah Sains Kuala Terengganu
Azmi HashimNor Hamimah Abd. Kasim

MRSM, Kuantan
Mohd Ridhwan Said
Fara Waheda Jusoh
Rose Aitul Adilah M Zaki
Nurul Shuhada Hassan

Sek Men Tekniks in Pahang
Amir Musa
Nor Farhana Zakariya
Nor Hafiza Mamat

Sek Men Tekniks in T Intan
Azida Abd Aziz

Sek Men Tekniks, Alor Star
Mayuni Mohd
Mazliani Abd. Aziz
Nor Baitie Razali

Sek Men Tekniks in Terengganu
Kamaliza Sidik
Nor Hasmidar A. Samad
Noor Akmal Mohamad
Zuriawani Mamat

Those who have opted to remain at their old school :

Farah Amirah Mat Deris ( 4 A’s )
Jazul Hafiz Jefri Jaafar ( 5 A’s )
Iza Emilia Mohamed ( 4 A’s )
Masitah Abd Latif ( 7 A’s)
Syaliza Dhamira Amad Rosli ( 2 A’s )
Syeikh Izzat Hamimi S Mohamad ( 2 A’s )

Introduction

Almanar Trust The Almanar Trust (Amanah Almanar) was established in 1994 by the family of Hassan Abdul-Karim from Kuala Terengganu. The aim of this small private body is to provide academic support to deserving individuals who have slipped through the formal channels due to various circumstances. With this goal, help is given to students from the primary and lower secondary levels. In certain areas like Batu Rakit and Mengabang Telipot, there are many Form 5 students who do not have the capability to achieve sufficient grades in the SPM to take them further to Universities. Their grades certainly do not allow them entry to study medicine or technical degrees. The root of their failure lies in their weakness in key subjects especially English and Mathematics. This weakness is not due to the students' lack of intelligence, skill or desire to succeed. For most, it is the absence of proper guidance and teaching of the fundamentals of these subjects. This weak foundation at the Standard 6 level aggravates any chances of a strong understanding of these subjects at Form 1 and beyond. The situation is made worse when they are left to the mercy of a class of weak students and delinquents. Although they excel in other subjects, they are denied the chance to further their education in the fields which they are more capable and interested in, because they have not achieved the level required in English and Mathematics. Therefore during the initial stages, Almanar focused on the plight of students such as these. At the end of 1996, a building was erected to the name of Almanar. It has four classrooms, the biggest of which could contain up to 30 students. In addition to supporting the two main subjects, English and Mathematics, Almanar also houses reference books for all the other subjects, novels, selected magazines, a computer and overhead projector. The students are encouraged to use and take ownership of the facilities. There are those who have finally found a conducive studying environment which they did not have previously. For the fraction of students who are willing and talented but are hindered by financial means, assistance is given by Almanar in the form of bicycles, medical help etc. Challenges One of the two main challenges has been the reliance on just one person to provide all the support. At the beginning of 2001, there are over 140 students who require attention, everyday during the morning and afternoon sessions. The number of students is expected to grow. To address this issue, steps have been taken to get cooperation from centers of higher learning in the local area, including Univesiti Kolej Terengganu, Teaching College etc. Assistance in the form of more educators will allow Almanar to broaden its teaching scope to include subjects other than English and Mathematics. The second challenge and the more difficult of the two, is trying to get total commitment from the students to give their best under the guidance of Almanar. It is difficult to convince them, including their parents, to fully utilise the free facilities provided by Almanar. The First Chapter In the middle of 1997, a group of 20 students were selected from a local secondary school. Selection was made by the teachers based on their potential and relatively good UPSR results from Standard 6. Unfortunately, this pioneering group dwindled to 10 by the time the PMR exams (Form 3) were taken in 1999. They had been with Almanar for two and a half years studying English and Mathematics. Three students were also replaced during that time making a total of students who had quit or stopped due to the lack of commitment to 13. Despite this, the results of the remaining students were encouraging. Eight of the ten students attained A's for Mathematics. In English, 4 achieved A's and 4 achieved B's. This resulted in 8 of them being awarded places for full boarding schools starting from Form 4. However, only 6 accepted the offers. With these results, support is no longer necessary beyond Form 3. They now have the proper foundation to succeed at higher levels of the subject. The headmaster of the school acknowledges the positive impact that Almanar has had on these students. Heads and teachers from many of the local schools now play an active role in selecting and promoting their students to the services provided by Almanar. Onwards From this initial effort, Almanar has carried on taking students annually from Form 1. From experiences gathered in the last three years, students from Standard 4 are now being admitted to Almanar. This new approach, earlier into their academic life, will provide them with an even more sound foundation in English and Mathematics. In September 2000, 40 students from the said level was selected. Almanar is still changing and evolving. Its strengths and weaknesses are constantly evaluated, providing the future direction of Almanar's growth.

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