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Transformations in my school's culture over the past five
years |
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My alma mater is known as one of the leading schools in Malaysia, with a
reputation for excellent academic results and an active participation in sports.
Over the past five years, there have been significant changes in the areas of
leadership, emphasis on sports, cultural activities, and academic curriculum.
These changes have contributed greatly to the vibrancy of school culture.
The most notable change has been in the school's leadership. Our former
principal, Mrs. Johnson, earned our respect through her kind and friendly
demeanor. She would often walk around the school and chat with students to get
to know them better. She also had a good relationship with the staff, who were
always supportive of her plans for the school. However, when Mrs. Johnson was
posted to the Ministry of Education five years ago, we were sad to see her go.
Her replacement, Mr. Lee, was initially met with skepticism. We were used to
Mrs. Johnson's friendly approach, and Mr. Lee's professional manner was a stark
contrast. However, with time, we realized that Mr. Lee's different style had the
same goal as Mrs. Johnson's, which was to make our school the best in the
country. He won our respect and support, and his leadership led to our school
being ranked as the top school in the country for four consecutive years.
Another change that Mr. Lee brought about was a different focus on our
co-curricular activities. Before his arrival, we participated in all sports,
regardless of our skills. This meant that our resources were spread thin because
we had twenty different sports on our school calendar. Mr. Lee reviewed our
sporting achievements and decided to focus on twelve of the most popular sports
to consolidate our position in the sporting arena. Students were redeployed to
their preferred sports, and they received intensive training. In no time, they
posed a serious challenge to the champions at the school level. As a result, we
won the title of "Top Sporting School" for two years in a row and are looking
forward to making it three times in a row this year.
Our school had never been particularly concerned with cultural activities,
perhaps because it was an all-boys school. However, Mr. Lee ensured that we
received a regular dose of culture by inviting cultural performances to our
school during the assembly. We were introduced to Chinese opera, Malay wayang
kulit, Indian classical dances and instruments, as well as folk dancing.
Initially, these performances were met with derision because the prevailing
opinion was that boys did not need them. But we came to realize that we stood to
gain from understanding more about our local culture. Our attention was
gradually arrested by these weekly performances, and we added a new dimension to
our development.
Our curriculum also underwent an overhaul, with the incorporation of Thinking
Skills at every level and into every subject. The Ministry of Education had
emphasized the need to imbue students with Thinking Skills to enable them to
become proactive and creative working adults. This shift in mindset was welcomed
by teachers who lamented that the testing system had been created for exam-smart
students. They embraced the use of Thinking Skills in lessons, and project work
replaced tedious homework. As a result, lessons became livelier and more
creative, and we became more independent in problem-solving.
Over the past five years, my alma mater has blossomed into a more dynamic
learning environment. All students have been given the opportunity to develop
their potential with expert guidance, whether in studies or sports. It has
become a school that I am proud to be associated with. |
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