Sarah’s reflections and learning.....

“Malaysia boleh!” Malaysia can do! This parallels my own school’s motto: “We can do it!” and I was profoundly influenced by the positive sense of drive, belief and aspiration that permeated every school, classroom and conversation. Head teachers demonstrated clarity in self-evaluation and teachers were keen to celebrate successes. This was embedded in a strong sense of belonging: immaculate uniforms with club members and prefects clearly identified; school branded products promoting the desired image; highly visible mission and vision statements, echoing the government’s ambitions for the nation; and strong community support. This powerful philosophy was succinctly summarised by one school’s strap-line: “Malaysian Hearts, Global Minds” Furthermore, the multilingual competency of students and the wider community can only be described as inspirational. My personal outcome is a determination to widely celebrate the achievements of our rapidly improving school and promote our public image, and to undertake new and challenging projects, even those others deem impossible. Currently, I am a organising a return trip, taking a small group of upper juniors and five staff to benefit from the Malaysia experience.

My Head Teacher considers that I have returned more relaxed and confident, with a subtly enhanced quality of interaction. I believe this is a result of the opportunity for peer appraisal, with likeminded colleagues from the UK and Malaysia, grounded in the knowledge that in Malaysia education is highly valued, with teachers and school leaders held in high esteem - and that their system and practise is in many ways modelled on ours! In Malaysia the need “to save face” is a key cultural behavioural driver and a week of practising soft language and sensitive phraseology has added a new dimension to my communication skills.

My study-visit focus was pupil voice, choice and participation. Malaysia offered limited examples to model but never-the-less the opportunity for “inch-wide” mile deep consideration of this aspect has already impacted on our school practise, and ripples have influenced colleagues in other schools. One aspect of Malaysia’s curriculum that has influenced my thinking is the ministry of education’s new teaching sequence for English - each week’s study is themed and includes sessions devoted to “listening and speaking” and “language arts”.

Finally, one Malaysian Head talked of the need for us to be prophets and see the future our children must fit into. In this exponential age this is the greater need we all seek to serve.