Latest news with #Kayyelvizhi
The Star
12-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Johor school celebrates historic SPM success
TOP scorers in the 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations credit their success to personal sacrifices, family support, disciplined study routines, and dedicated teachers. Among the 56 top scorers from SMK Sultan Ismail in Johor Baru were M. Kayyelvizhi, Harry Danish Ahmad Kamal Azuan, twin sisters Lee Yun Ting and Lee Yun Qian and Chan Le Rou. Kayyelvizhi, who scored 10A+ and 1A, went to great lengths to avoid distractions – choosing not to have a mobile phone or engage on social media throughout her studies. 'I didn't want a phone because I knew it would distract me from studying,' she said during a recent interview at the school. Kayyelvizhi says she draws inspiration from her elder brother who had attended the same school and was a top scorer. Aspiring to pursue medicine, Kayyelvizhi drew inspiration from her elder brother, a former top SPM scorer from the same school who achieved 12A+. She credited past-year exam papers as a key part of her preparation. Her parents rewarded her with a mobile phone after she completed her final exam in 2024. Harry Danish was thrilled to score 8A+ and 1A in SPM, which he achieved without attending any tuition. 'I chose to study independently, as my teachers' notes and guidance were more than enough,' he said. While confident in his preparation, he kept his expectations realistic. He plans to pursue a degree in information technology (IT). For Chan Le Rou, early preparation was key to her success in the examinations. 'Our school put us in 'battle mode' from day one of Form Five, which helped me stay focused,' said Le Rou, who scored 8A+ and 2A, including an A in Japanese. Having participated in a student exchange programme in Japan, she developed a passion for the language. She shared that her most productive study hours were from 6pm to midnight. 'I took breaks to avoid burnout, but consistency was what kept me on track,' she added. Le Rou also scored A in Japanese. Twin sisters Lee Yun Ting and Lee Yun Qian credited their success to strong family support, especially from their mother. Yun Ting, who scored 6A+, 3A, and 1A-, and Yun Qian, with 7A+, 1A, and 2A-, said they often supported each other in their studies. 'Our mother always gave us advice during the hour-long drive to and from school, ever since Form One,' Yun Ting said. SMK Sultan Ismail principal Suriyah Mohamed Lahir credited the school's historic SPM 2024 results to the combined efforts of students, teachers, parents, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), as well as the district and state education authorities. The 56 top students scored straight As, including two who achieved all A+, while all 159 candidates passed – marking a 100% pass rate. Suriyah, a 30-year education veteran, noted the school's improvement from the previous year, which saw 36 students with straight As, including three with full A+. Suriyah: SMK Sultan Ismail saw 56 students scoring straight As, including two with full A+ in the 2024 SPM examinations. She attributed the success to clear expected targeted results (ETR), consistent performance monitoring, and regular student-teacher dialogues under the Take-Off Value (TOV) approach held at least three times before the exam. She said preparations began as early as Form 4, with struggling students identified early and parents brought in for support. 'Each student's progress is tracked closely – every head counts,' she said, also thanking the PTA and education offices for their ongoing support in resources and guidance. Beyond academics, she said the school also emphasises extracurricular excellence. One of its current Form 5 students, Chua Yee Jia, has been selected to represent Malaysia at the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2025 in Columbus, USA, with her chemistry innovation project titled 'Molecular Insight Into M.L.C.E Larvicide'. Johor saw a significant improvement in the 2024 SPM results, with 41 students achieving straight A+ – more than double the 20 recorded in 2023, according to state education director Mohd Hanafi Samad. The state also recorded its best performance in five years, with a Grade Point Average (GPN) of 4.36, outperforming the national average of 4.49. 'This is the best achievement for the state in the past five years,' he said. 'A total of 1,513 candidates scored excellent results (A+, A, or A-), while 4,096 earned at least one B, and 6,740 secured at least one C.' He said of the 42,616 candidates, 94.49% qualified for certification, and absentee numbers dropped to 565 from 901 in 2023. 'Special needs candidates also performed well, with 16 out of 168 scoring excellent results –including four with 8As, four with 7As, and eight with 6As.' Additionally, Hanafi said the number of schools across urban and rural areas in Johor achieving 100% certification eligibility rose from 75 to 81. The performance gap between urban and rural candidates narrowed to just 0.02 points, aligning with the state's goal of becoming a national leader in education.
The Star
24-04-2025
- General
- The Star
Special needs student used ‘smart strategy' to ace SPM
GEORGE TOWN: Against all odds, special needs student Kenneth Saw Chzi Yang has proven that determination knows no limits by scoring 9As and 2Bs in the SPM examination. Saw, 18, from SMJK Sacred Heart in Balik Pulau, is classified as a slow learner but it evidently has no impact on the astuteness of his mind. With grit and spirit, he soared academically, clinching six A+ grades in subjects including Additional Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. Saw stood out as Penang's only special needs student to excel in the nation's most important school exam last year. 'I struggled a lot with expressing myself when I was younger. People often couldn't understand me. True grit: Saw, who scored 9As and 2Bs in his SPM exam, says he studied smart, making up for his shortcomings. 'My focus was poor and my vocabulary was limited,' Saw, who has a speech impediment, shared. With support from friends and family, Saw overcame his difficulties and pushed forward, with sterling results. His secret? A smart strategy. 'Don't just study hard – study smart,' he said. 'Understand the topics well and use keywords to improve efficiency.' 'If I face challenging questions, I refer to the marking scheme and look at trial papers from other states for guidance,' he said after receiving his results yesterday. Saw said he hopes to secure a scholarship next and pursue a degree in data science, a field combining mathematics, statistics, and computational techniques. Meanwhile, at SMK Bukit Jambul, there was even more reason to celebrate as three pairs of twins joined the ranks of high achievers – all with straight As. They were among 49 students from the school to achieve top results. The twins are Teh Zhe Huei and his sister Teh Zhe Yee, sisters Nurul Aliya Najwa and Nurul Ain Nafisha Muhamad Rusli, and K. Abirami and K. Abinaya. In Johor, M. Kayyelvizhi, Harry Danish Ahmad Kamal Azuan, and twin sisters Lee Yun Ting and Lee Yun Qian, saw academic excellence as not powered by privilege but forged through sheer discipline, sacrifice, and family support. Kayyelvizhi, a top scorer from SMK Sultan Ismail who achieved 10A+ and 1A, swore off mobile phones for the past five years during her secondary school time. 'In fact, during the last two years of my secondary school, I did not use any gadgets for leisure at all. 'I knew when I had to study, and I stayed true to that,' she said when met at her school yesterday. Kayyelvizhi, who plans to further her studies in the medical field, said she was inspired by her older brother, who formerly scored 12A+ for SPM. She said her parents bought her first mobile phone right after she completed her SPM examinations. Harry Danish, who is also 18, was very thankful after getting 8A+ and 1A by relying on self study and persistence. 'The pressure was intense. There were a lot of drills, but I kept going because I knew it would be worth it. 'I expected to do well based on the effort I put in, but I kept my expectations grounded,' he said adding that he plans to further his tertiary education in information technology. Twin sisters Yun Ting and Yun Qian, both 18, paid tribute to their parents for their support. Yun Ting scored 6A+, 3A, 1A- while Yun Qian earned 7A+, 1A, 2A- in the exams.
