SK PETASEH

It was a long journey, into the hills and rainforest, and at times the coach crawled its way up the winding roads, past landslides and water buffalo. Everywhere was fresh and bright, and there was evidence of replanting where logging had occurred. We were on route to SK Petaseh, a remote primary boarding school.

Once again we met with a warm Malaysian welcome, and this time the receiving line included officials from the state education department and heads from other schools. Everyone was dressed in stunning batik clothing, which we learnt is always worn on Thursdays. I am uncertain whether this is a state or national initiative, but it is yet another example of how Malaysia creates a sense of belonging and pride. As with every school, the visi and missi and motto (vision and mission statements and school motto) were clearly on display throughout the complex. The Petaseh vision is “to become excellent and produce excellence” and its mission is "to develop a world-class quality education system which will realise the full potential of the individual and fulfil the aspiration of the Malaysian nation."

The most striking feature of this school is the learning environment. Firstly, set on top of a hill, it has a panoramic view of the rainforest canopy and is cooled by a refreshing breeze. Secondly the buildings are bright and spacious. As the school is not full there is plenty of space in classrooms, and specialist rooms and spare rooms. In many areas the tables and chairs have silk valences in bright colours. The complex had also been freshly painted during the school holidays – a grant having made available because of our visit! Thirdly, the outdoor environment was brought into the school with plants and water features tucked in corners and courtyards. The school seemed very well organised and members of the UK team were particularly taken by the learning tables used in the library and religious instruction room. The table tops had news articles and other learning prompts covered with clear plastic.

There are separate boarding houses for the boys and girls. The girls’ block is set around a courtyard, big enough to play. On the ground floor there is a recreation room with TV and video and a homework room, and then dormitories with bunk beds are on the floors above. There are two ladies looking after the girls, and when we visited their washing was pegged out at the back. As you might expect, many of the beds had a cuddly toy! The boarding fees are government subsidised and cost 1RM a day, the equivalent of 20p. Currently 100 boys and 47 girls are resident and they are drawn from many districts. Most are year 3 (our year 4) and above, but a few are younger, but from next year no younger pupils will be accepted. This is because the boarders are expected to be very independent. The children can see their parents twice a month.

In Malaysia, teachers are posted to schools rather than choosing to apply! This means it is commonplace to have a staff accommodation block. Being a rural area, many of the staff at Petaseh live on-site. In the main school there is a comfortable staffroom and large workroom with ceiling fans, where every teacher has their own desk. The office areas were also comfortable, attractive and highly organised, and we were all envious of the head teacher’s office. Her furnishings included an elaborate three piece suite around a coffee table.

The children were immaculately dressed, well-behaved and seemed very happy. Teachers took pride in telling us of their successes, including a year 4 boy and year 6 girl who had won state storytelling competitions and five students who have reached national level in football and hockey. The staff attribute these results to a greater emphasis placed on co-curricular activities in the first term of the year, before the academic focus kicks in as the year 6 UPSR tests approach. Like some other schools we visited, there was an impressive trophy cabinet.

The Head Teacher explained that the school year was 288 days, which is structured into two terms, with a mid-term holiday, a mid-year holiday and a final-year holiday. The four half terms were very similar in length. Each day the children have lessons from 7.45-1.35 and then 2.30-5. Afternoons were devoted to religious studies and co-curricular activities. In addition, on Saturdays and Sundays, 8.30-12, special government-funded tuition is available for pupils in years 4-6. No doubt this reflects the importance of the UPSR results. In 2008, 4.3% of pupils got 5As, which would give them a scholarship place to a state boarding school. Overall the data suggests Petaseh is a good school. I have based this judgment on the criteria we were given in Seremban for being part of the cluster of excellence - primary schools need an average of 80% plus across all subjects and a point average below 2. At Petasseh, in most subjects the 2008 results are in the high 80s and low 90s and most years the point score is 2 or 3.

This was the only school where I saw evidence of differentiation by task. The focus on a specific curriculum and test outcomes seems to remove desire or need for this. However, in one class the children were working around nested tables, doing a writing task in Bahasa, and the worksheets were clearly different levels. The teacher confirmed the children were seated by ability. It was a writing and spelling activity and I was amused to recognise the word “durian” on the board. I then learnt “bola” means ball – rather than, as I had thought, being the spelling for "boleh" which means "can do". Another example was the well resourced remedial room. Here a small group of children, who need to catch-up in Bahasa, were being taught. The children came to each of us, taking our hands and touching them to their heads, and then delighted in reading to us in Bahasa. They had laminated cards with a simple title and picture, and a series of simple sentences below. One was labelled chi-chi, but I cannot recall if this was about sheep or goats! The boys appeared to read confidently and fluently but, as Bahasa is such a phonic language, it was impossible to tell if they were reading with meaning. They certainly gave the impression they were enjoying learning. In another area of the room, a few older girls were working on a separate task. This part of the visit touched many of our hearts.

Having toured the school, we went to the school hall, a large modern building with staged area, which would be the envy of UK primary schools and even some secondary schools. We were treated to a banquet including chicken in spicy sauce, noodles and delicacies such as curry puffs, rambutan (a spiky red fruit with juicy white flesh inside) and durian (a pungent fruit which seems to have an acquired taste!) Next there was a display of traditional music and dancing. One dance was about the moon and the kites, and two children were playing a bamboo instrument, where the tubes were rattled to make the notes. The performance was of a very high standard and I’m sure will be a lasting memory for us all.

Being a truly rural school, where the majority of staff and children are Malay, English is not as widely spoken. In contrast to the urban primary schools, the school leaflet and website is in Bahasa, and the Head Teacher, Puan Latifah, had hours of special tuition to rehearse her extensive welcoming speech! The website is still worth a visit http://skpetaseh.50webs.com/ and by selecting “Kenali SKP(B)” then clicking on “Prasarana SKPB” or “Berita dan Peristiwa” it is possible to view slide shows of all areas of the buildings and events such as hockey tournaments in which the school has participated. In the “Akademik” section you can view the school’s data: with graphs and targets, and even individual pupil scores.

The visit ended with a lengthy photo-call, giving and receiving of presents and many good-byes.