A-plus for budding innovators

The Star

20 hours ago

Step by step: SJK(T) Ladang Rini pupils explaining about one of their creations, shoes for the visually impaired, at the competition.
JOHOR BARU: From shoes that guide the visually impaired to turning waste into electricity, a group of young innovators from SJK(T) Ladang Rini has proven that big ideas can come from young minds.
The pupils, all aged just 11 and 12, impressed judges at the World Robotics and Computer Science Olympiad in Bandung, Indonesia, last month, bringing home a haul of four medals – two gold and two silver.
Principal S. Tamiel Selvi said the 15 pupils had worked tirelessly for six months to prepare their innovations for the competition.
'There were 108 teams from nine countries, including India, South Korea, the Philippines and Kazakhstan.
'We sent four teams, each with a different innovation, as we wanted to give them exposure to an international event.
'We never expected all four to receive awards. It was such a pleasant surprise,' she said proudly.
The pupils' other projects were a pot made entirely from recycled materials and a classroom monitoring system to help teachers keep track of students.
'Despite being so young, they were able to come up with such creative products themselves.
'The ideas were all their own. We were just there to guide and cheer them on as they worked towards making them a reality,' Tamiel Selvi said.
The school also had two teachers, P. Pavithra and M. Divya, serving as judges at the competition, further adding to Malaysia's presence on the international stage.
Tamiel Selvi said this was the second time the school had taken part in the competition, and they hoped to continue participating in it as well as other similar international events in the future.
'Last year, we brought home a gold medal for a pair of shoes designed to help the blind navigate their surroundings.
'This year, we brought a similar product along with three others, allowing us to better our previous achievement with four awards.
'We hope this will inspire more pupils to keep coming up with creative ideas that can make the world a better place,' she said.