16.3.2010 - SK Ba Kelalan

As the sun was setting, we took a leisurely stroll among the paddy fields to our next destination, the SK Ba Kelalan primary school.

After all my yabba dabba about Christianity and spiritual stuffs in the earlier posts... (yawn, boring religious talk), you might wonder if Ba Kelalan has any real, down to earth success story in the secular world, in real life. Oh yes...

The primary school has emerged CHAMPION in a COMMONWEALTH competition. Look at that banner... it said Johan... Commonwealth competition... Good Practice Award. They won enough money to bring the students and teachers for a field trip to Kuala Lumpur, with RM400 pocket money for every student! Before that, they had won a couple of Sekolah Cemerlang and Cluster School honours. I am not in the education line, but the good Cikgu said with those titles, the school had direct access and funding from the Education Minister, bypassing all the red tapes in state and district administration. They were also allowed to liaise with NGOs, thus getting expertise and support for school projects. They would be getting an overseas scientist next month or so, to teach the school-children about science in the fields.

The Cikgu was obviously proud of the school's achievements.

Community involvement in the school was evident. The villagers would adopt a classroom in the school, and put their effort into making it a great place. Look at the traditional hut at the back. Those were made by the parents, who wished to provide a cosy and homely environment for their children when they were in school. As the Cikgu said, "the students loved the classrooms so much, that they did not want to leave" (I pengsan...). And believe it or not, every classroom had a hut with a different design! Look at the bunch of old-timers there, who could only wished that they had such priviledge during their schooling years.

There were an average of 10 to 15 students per class. The seating arrangements were not your typical town school setting. The desks were placed in a horseshoe or U-shape arrangement, with the teacher in the center "to encourage student participation". "Rotans (caning) were banned". "Students are allowed to lie down or even sit on our laps, as long as they are learning. We want to show them that we are their family and we love them". (I pengsan again). "We told the community that we teachers are only there to serve their children. The school is theirs, and it is their children. Whenever we had activities or visitors, the parents would turn up in full force to participate in the events and performances."

The SK Ba Kelalan provides primary education from Year 1 to Year 6. After that the students further their studies in Lawas or Miri. It is a boarding school, understandably, because it's a long walk from the villages to the school. There's also a pre-school building for younger kids.

And I overheard that Pst Jubilie, Andy Wong, and Jimmy has been asking for application forms to send their partially-Sarawakian kids there. Hehehe... maybe should send Ryan there too, since he has some Lun Dayeh connection.

This spanking new hall would become the gallery of Ba Kelalan, to showcase the history and stories of the land and its people.

UPDATE 1.4.2010: Lun Bawangs aim to have one graduate per family