"Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today announced that 20 schools — 14 secondary and six primary — had been accorded the status of high performance schools (SBTs).
These schools were chosen from among schools that showed outstanding performance in the field of academia, co-curriculum and niche areas.
-The Malaysian Insider, 25th of January 2010
I was highlighted of this through a post by a former schoolmate in Facebook. I was dumbfounded (surprised / perplexed - mix it all together) after reading the announcement made by the DPM.
Outstanding performance? They've got to be kidding me, as I flipped to the next page still in disbelief.
Why? The last name on the list does really ring a bell (a huge one) in my head. I lived there, almost entirely for 5 years. It's the place I'd love to be associated with, for the darks or for the glitters. This time around, it sparkles with pride. (Oh, and I'm still in disbelief).
Though it taught me with good values, I did pick up valuable lessons (I wouldn't label it as bad but valuable instead) through out the 5 great years I've spent over there. As I narrated the super adventures (if one could see my expression as if I was describing a scene from Indiana Jones) of the hostel on the hill, my wife put a pause just after it reached its climax - pulling back my feet to the ground telling me it is the current generation who deserves the accolades and recognitions, not some guys in their 30s or late 20s who are being nostalgic about their youth period.
Who wouldn't be proud of it? Even Rome wasn't built in a day.
Anyway, yesterday was the first day for the month of February, a Federal Territory day. I went early in the morning to Dataran Merdeka in a hope to snap some photos of colorful celebration being held over there. It was disappointing as there were only bunch of kids in uniforms, contesting for the parade. At least, I can snap something out of my everyday life, I thought. So I spent few good hours watching them, on and off the contest parade. On the contest, they were a group of disciplined kids, parading by orders by their leader but when off the contest, they turned to a bunch of kids who always wanted some fun. And while having fun, they were learning.
It hit me.
I was them, some good 13 to 23 years ago. I would say that I even had quite a fair share of fun back then. Where has it all gone? Lost in the pursuit of money?
Recently, it was also announced that the government is thinking on lowering the age limit for a kid to enter a formal school and one of the reason stated is so that the person will leave the university at a young age to prepare them for the job market. Do we go to school or university to be filled with precious knowledge or to be prepared merely as a working class society? The pursuit of money? Or a life modelled the way you wanted it to be? I still remember my former head student (yes, of that said school) once told me that you don't have to pursuit for the money, as long as you are knowledgeable, it will come to you no matter what.
And again, it brought me back to the fun times of my learning days. Having been a Muzaffarian, I am always proud for the school that has taught me - The Life. And being the few on the list who got suspended from the school that is considered "The Ivy League of School" in the whole nation (I read it in a comment somewhere), somehow I'm putting myself in a league of its own!
To all Muzaffarians, the current and the formers - YEAAHHH!!
**It was quite touching last weekend when I bumped into my former primary schoolmate. He was one of the two good friends I had back then. 18 years and we still remember each other. He's Indian. Mistake me not, I'm not being a racist. I'm just stressing that we truly live the spirit of 1Malaysia back then.
For your information, the other is a Chinese.
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