At this high-performing rural school, parents don't only pay PTA fees

Parental involvement in learning at a rural Sarawak school is a key factor in making it one of the top-performing schools in the country.

Unlike the usual approach where parents only donate to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of their children's schools, at SK Ulu Lubai in Limbang, Sarawak, parents also teach and participate in school activities.

"I fully utilise the school's PTA to benefit the children’s education," said SK Ulu Lubai headmaster Jaul Bunyau.

Cikgu Jaul, who has been the headmaster of the school for 21 years, last week received the Sarawak Chief Minister's Award (AKKMS) 2019 for his efforts in transforming SK Ulu Lubai into a high-performing school.

Cikgu Jaul (extreme left) receiving the Sarawak Chief Minister's Award (AKKMS), in the headmaster category on Nov 15, in Kuching.

 International awards

The recent award is not the only one won by the remote school, which has 27 students and nine teachers.

Located 50km from Limbang town, and accessible only by boat and timber trails, SK Ulu Lubai is remotely located.

However, this has not stopped it from winning some 227 awards and recognitions - 40 were international awards, 28 national, 44 at the state level and 115 at the district level.

Those achievements include the Commonwealth Education Good Practice Award 2009, the Wenhui Award for Educational Innovation 2011, Best School Award 2007, recognised as the part of the cluster of excellent schools (SKK) in 2007 and as a high performing school (SBT) in 2011.

Faizul bin Zuraimi@FaizulZuraimi

"A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others."

Last weekend, I had the pleasure to host Cikgu Jaul Bunyau at @LanBerambeh , the man who transformed a remote school in Sarawak to one of the best performing schools in Malaysia.

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Parental involvement

One of the programmes involving parents is "Ai Kitai".

Ai Kitai, which means "our drink" in Iban, usually refers to an Iban custom of gathering longhouse residents to drink tuak (rice wine) together.

However, the school's Ai Kitai programme does not involve tuak but is a collaboration between parents and educators to monitor children in the longhouses.

Through this programme, the parents will ensure that televisions will not be turned on in the longhouses until 9.30 pm.

"Parents and teachers will continue to monitor the children to ensure that all homework assigned is completed," said Cikgu Jaul, 56.

Parents monitor their children completing their homework in the Ai Kitai programme.

 Besides that, there is also the "Adopt A Class Programme" where parents help to decorate their children’s classrooms.

Another interesting programme is the "Segulai Sejalai" programme started in 2017, where parents are invited to teach a class.

In the Segulai Sejalai programme, which means "closely together", parents are invited to teach so that they can understand the challenges faced by teachers in educating their children.

"At that point, we can see students racing to raise their hands to answer questions because they want to show their abilities to their parents," Cikgu Jaul said.

Other programmes, including using “dictionaries as their friends” and encouraging students to speak English at home and in school, have also helped the school achieve a 100 percent pass rate for UPSR English from 2003 to 2018.

Parents also teach in the school's Segulai Sejalai programme.

Condition, location is not a barrier

SK Ulu Lubai was once a modest school in terms of infrastructure, comprising only old wooden buildings. The only concrete structure was the toilet.

Senior principal assistant Nurul Izzah Afifah Ahmad Yousob, when contacted, said the school is now equipped with massage chairs and a gymnasium.

The gymnasium was completed using cash prizes from awards won by the school.

Cikgu Izzah said the school used the cash prizes from awards, such as the RM5,000 prize from the Chief Minister's Award, to improve the facilities.

"Facilities such as the gym are meant to train school athletes while the massage chairs are for the teacher’s lounge," she said.

According to Cikgu Izzah, Cikgu Jaul always aspires the best for the school, even though it is small and located in a remote area.

Cikgu Jaul also wants to teach his students that living in a rural area is not a barrier to success.

"He won every award because he aspired and desired to do better and to prove to his students that we can still make it, even if we’re from a remote area," Cikgu Izzah said. - Mkini