Teacher turns boat into classroom

 

A teacher in Kinabatangan, Sabah, is using a boat as his classroom to ensure his students do not miss their lessons during implementation of the movement control order (MCO) as face-to-face teaching and learning sessions could not be carried out.

Nasir Mohamed Jamal, 39, of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Desa Permai, also uses the boat to send the learning modules to his students every week.

“I, as well as my other colleagues, take the initiative to send the Teaching and Learning at Home (PdPR) module by boat once or twice a week to the students.

"This is because conducting PdPR is impossible because we do not have (good) broadband service," he said when contacted by Bernama.

With a bag containing the PdPR modules and a foldable table, Nasir, who teaches Science, Physical Education and Health Education, would row the wooden boat himself along Sungai Kinabatangan to his students' houses.

There is no jetty along the river for him to get off the boat, so he has to be careful when manoeuvring the boat in the shallow water along the river bank to pick up his students.

He would take the students’ body temperature, as well as provide hand sanitiser and face mask, when the students get into the boat to begin their lesson.

Nasir, who is from Padang Rengas, Perak, and has been with SK Desa Permai for 10 years, said the situation in the interior areas made him, as well as other teachers at the school, more determined to ensure their students do not miss their lesson.

“We will tell the students on the importance of education and for them to further their studies to succeed in life and bring changes to their community," he added.

- Bernama