Latest news with #Taylor'sCollege
The Star
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
RISE Educator Award 2025
Voting deadline: May 23 > Taylor's College is inviting the public to vote for their favourite teachers to honour their outstanding contributions in shaping the future of education and empowering students. > The 10 finalists for the Remarkable Impact in Student Education (RISE) Educator Award are: - Tan Meng Wei (SMK Pengkalan Aur/SMK Tat Beng in Perak): Developed accessible multimedia rooms for students with mobility and hyperactivity challenges; now teaches life skills through farming initiatives. - Stefanus Lucas (SK Pendidikan Khas Kota Kinabalu, Sabah): Uses music to support pupils with visual and hearing impairments; formed a boy band and a specialised music room. - Mohd Nur Hifzhan (SK Kuala Kenyana, Sarawak): Introduced co-curricular activities that took his pupils from a remote school – only reachable by boat – to international competitions. - Izzat Fahim Ibrahim (SK Tagibang Kota Marudu, Sabah): Boosted school spirit through sports, increasing attendance and reducing dropouts. - Sufina Halim (SMK Tunku Putra, Kedah): Founded Project Cikgu to help families in need by providing food, school supplies and emotional support. - Hallsen Justin (SK Timbua Ranau, Sabah): Teaches pupils in hospital wards, creating a supportive environment for those with chronic conditions. - Ainul Inayah Hamzah (SM Teknik Tuanku Jaafar, Negri Sembilan): Encourages students to recycle waste into eco-friendly soaps. - Shyamala Siva Sithambaram (SJK(C) Jerik/SMK Jengka 2 in Pahang): Uses creativity and technology to make learning Tamil fun and engaging. - Dr Mohd Zamri Husaini (SK Kampung Tun Razak, Melaka): Developed innovative teaching tools that make learning exciting. - Selvarani Uthra Kummaran (SJK(T) Ladang Banopdane, Perak): Creates engaging educational videos that make learning Maths enjoyable. > The five teachers with the most votes will advance to the finals, where a panel of judges will assess their contributions. > Grand prize: RM5,000 cash (for the winning educator), RM50,000 sponsorship (for their school), and RM500 cash (for the nominator). > Four other finalists will each receive RM1,000 cash (for the educator), RM10,000 sponsorship (for their school), and RM250 cash (for the nominator). Details:
Rakyat Post
16-05-2025
- Rakyat Post
7 Times Malaysian Teachers Went Viral For The Right Reasons
Subscribe to our FREE The teaching profession is not for everyone. Teachers are there not only to teach but to ensure their young pupils gain the necessary skills to do well in life. However, this important task can be tough to undertake due to factors like lack of school funding and equipment. This Teacher's Day, we highlight and celebrate Malaysian teachers who have gone above and beyond to help their students. 1. Two teachers in Sarawak bought Starlink to keep classrooms connected Setting up the Starlink device. Image: Aekholic (@ Two teachers teaching in rural Sarawak bought a Starlink device each so that their students could access the internet in their respective classrooms. TikTok users and teachers AmOi Morni (@amoimorni) and Aekholic (@ bought the Starlink device with their own money and set it up for the kids. READ MORE: READ MORE: 2. School teachers in Selangor donated half of their monthly salaries 17 teachers of SJK(C) Tche Min in Sungai Pelek, Selangor donated at least half of their monthly salaries to support the construction of a new multipurpose school hall last year. Their collective effort helped raise over RM200,000, inclusive of external donations. The generosity of the teachers touched the hearts of many in the community. READ MORE: 3. Pahang teacher uses prize money to set up first OKU Multimedia Studio Image: Taylor's College Cikgu Hazeem (full name Mohammad Hazeem bin Azemi) from SMK Kuala Krau won the RISE Educator of the Year award which comes with a cash prize of RM5,000. The judges were moved by his story of helping specially-abled and Orang Asli students in his school. Hazeem helped to conceptualise the school's first OKU Multimedia Studio, an OKU-friendly IT lab that's the first-of-its-kind in Malaysia. Together with a RM10,000 sponsor from Taylor's College, he plans to enhance the multimedia studio and equip it better to help bridge the digital divide among his students. READ MORE: 4. Kindergarten teacher fights off attacker from hurting children Image: Adun Bekenu/FB & Len Talif Salleh/FB A teacher at Tabika Kemas Kampung Rajang in Sarawak fought off a drug-induced teen attacker to protect her young students in 2023. Despite sustaining some injuries, her bravery helped protect nine children under her care. READ MORE: 5. A teacher who helped Orang Asli improve their English language skills Image: @TeacherPrize/Twitter Cikgu Sam (full name Samuel Isaiah) went viral for going above and beyond to help his Orang Asli students excel in their studies. Sam is an English language teacher who faced a particular challenge since the school he was sent to is known as one of the worst-performing in the district. Despite all the naysayers, Sam met his students where they were at; travelling all the way to their settlements and conducting English classes under the tree twice a week. He would also make classes fun and entertaining by playing the ukelele. He also embarked on a crowdfunding mission to equip his students with tablets and computers, transforming their classroom into a modern one. His efforts paid off; the students went from a meagre 30% passing rate to an average of 80%. Sam became one of the top 10 finalist in the Global Teacher Prize for his consistent efforts. READ MORE: 6. A teacher who transformed whole classrooms to help Orang Asli students learn better Image: Taylor's College & @shawnstanly/IG Cikgu Shawn (full name Shawn Stanly Anthony Dass) teaches in an Orang Asli school in Perak. He noticed that Orang Asli students face many prejudices about their academic levels. To help equip them with literacy and numeracy skills, he transformed whole classrooms and created engaging projects like a flight simulator and a beach-themed marine class. He also enriched their learning experiences with school trips to Penang and even Mumbai, India. READ MORE: 7. A teacher who painted and redecorated the classroom himself Image: @mattakim89/TikTok Teacher and TikTok user @mattakim89 decided to repaint the whole classroom, including the doors, himself after feeling sick of the terrible looking room. Once the paint job was done, he continued redecorating the classroom by adding small items like new information boards, mini whiteboards, and posters. He even went as far as to get new handles for the doors. His effort to freshen up the dull classroom got him and his students excited to attend school. READ MORE: Of course, there are many more outstanding teachers doing their best daily to get their students the best educational experience and opportunities out there. This includes teachers to refugee students who play a vital role in shaping the futures of displaced children but are not paid equally to teachers in public schools. READ MORE: Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
Borneo Post
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Borneo Post
Three Sabah teachers Top 10 Finalists in RISE Educator Awards 2025
Hallsen Justin Izzat Fahim Bin Ibrahim Stefanus Lucas KOTA KINABALU (May 14): Three exceptional educators from Sabah have been named as Top 10 finalists in the RISE Educator Awards 2025, a prestigious national award organized by Taylor's College that celebrates teachers who go above and beyond in transforming education. One grand winner will walk away with RM50,000 in funding to scale their impact even further. What makes this even more remarkable, all three finalists – Stefanus Lucas, Izzat Fahim Ibrahim and Hallsen Justin – come from rural schools and special education backgrounds, proving that dedication and compassion can overcome any challenge. Starting with no formal background in special education, Stefanus (SK Pendidikan Khas Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran) is now one of the most inspiring figures in the field. He teaches music to students with learning difficulties, visual impairments, and hearing disabilities, and has successfully guided them to compete and win at international levels. Last year, he formed the school's first-ever boy band and began building a dedicated music room for deaf students, despite minimal resources. His guiding belief is simple but powerful: 'Focus on ability, not disability.' He dreams of forming a unique student ensemble that blends modern and traditional instruments and building Sabah's first inclusive music room specially designed for deaf learners. When Izzat arrived at SK Tagibang, a quiet rural school in Kota Marudu, he brought a mission: to ensure rural children get the same opportunities as anyone else. In 2022, he rode a motorbike through the forest with two preschoolers to attend a singing competition — one of them, Kristiannie Riduan, went on to become district champion and placed fourth in the West Coast region. He also trains students in sports as early as 5:30am. His efforts have led the school to multiple district and state-level victories. In 2024, one of his students, Clayvera Mastin, became the first rural athlete from Kota Marudu to represent Sabah at the national level, breaking records in the 4x100m and 4x200m events. As Deputy Head of Administration at SK Timbua, Ranau, Hallsen is not only a school leader — he's also a passionate advocate for students with thalassemia. As a father to a child living with the condition, he understands the struggles families face when juggling health and education. He began teaching thalassemia patients in hospital wards so they wouldn't fall behind academically. He continues to do this while managing school duties and administration. He also works closely with the Sabah Thalassemia Association and the Ranau District Education Office to raise awareness and push for better support in schools. His message is clear: 'If we don't act, who will? These children have the same right to education.' The public can now show their support by voting for their favourite finalist in the RISE Educator Awards 2025. Voting is open from 13 to 23 May 2025 via the link below: One vote could change everything — not just for these teachers, but for the students and communities they continue to serve with heart and purpose.
The Star
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
KL teen orator heads to London finals
Promising potential: Chreesh (centre) with (from left) Tan, Ooi, Tunku Dara and Chin. THE coming week promises to be an adrenaline-pulsating experience for Chreeshveeran S. Ramesh. The student from Campus Rangers International School, Kuala Lumpur, will represent Malaysia at the English-Speaking Union (ESU) International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) in London, United Kingdom, from May 12 to 17. There, the recently crowned champion of the national leg of the competition will compete against champions from over 40 countries. Expressing his excitement and nervousness about his first trip to London – and abroad – the 16-year-old, who is fondly known as Chreesh among his family and friends, said he will do his best to represent Malaysia, despite the pressure and challenge of the competition. At the national finals on April 19, Chreesh beat 10 other finalists in a competition that had attracted 221 Malaysian participants aged 16 to 20. The theme for both the preliminary round and the finals, was 'We Know What We Are, But Not What We May Be' – a quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet – while the theme for the semi-finals was 'Unity To Be Real, Must Stand the Severest Strain Without Breaking'. For his outstanding performance, Chreesh won a cash prize of RM1,500 and an all-expenses-paid trip to the UK to take part in the world finals. His school was also rewarded, receiving RM500 in cash. Second place went to Jenny Ooi Jie Yuee, 19, a student at the University of Bristol, UK, and third place to Chin Bei Yan, 18, of The Seed Resource Centre, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. They received RM1,000 and RM500, respectively. The other finalists took home consolation cash prizes of RM250 each. Thanking his parents, teachers and school for their support, Chreesh said his participation in the competition was part of the school's efforts to encourage students to excel in co-curricular activities as well as academics. He also credited his coach Stan Lee for giving him useful tips, such as speaking to captivate the audience and to resonate with them. Chreesh said it is important to speak on a subject one is passionate about. 'How can others be interested to listen to me if I am not convinced of the subject myself?' he stressed. The national competition was held by ESU Malaysia in collaboration with Taylor's College, with support from the Malaysian Institute for Development of Professionals and the Malaysian English Language Teaching Association. This year marked the 25th time ESU Malaysia had served as organiser, and the sixth year of its collaboration with Taylor's College as co-host. ESU Malaysia chairman Tunku Dara Tunku Tan Sri Naquiah Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar expressed hope that the competition would help enhance communication skills, foster international understanding, and provide a platform for Malaysian youths to develop confidence and mastery of spoken English. 'Effective public speaking is not just about giving a speech. It is total communication. The voice, the tone, the eye contact, the body movement and hand gestures –they all tell a story,' she said in a press release. Taylor's College campus director Josephine Tan said both institutions share a common vision of nurturing the younger generation by empowering them with knowledge and soft skills, including a strong command of the English language. 'This helps them thrive both personally and professionally, ultimately driving the nation forward,' she said. The upcoming world final marks the 45th year of the IPSC, touted as the world's largest public speaking competition of its kind.
The Star
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
SHAPING DIGITAL NATIVES
(From left) Hijjaz, Wong and Tan at the Diploma in Digital Design launch with representatives from the programme's work-based learning industry partners — Ethan Teng (Crave FX), Jason Low (Virtualtech Frontier) and Nina Hayani (iTrainKids). AS Malaysia positions itself to become a leading digital economy—projected to contribute over 25.5% to the nation's GDP this year—Taylor's College is stepping up to meet the demand for agile, digital-first talent with the launch of its new Diploma in Digital Design (DIDD). The programme aims to equip students with the practical know-how and essential skills needed to thrive in today's technology-driven economy. Students benefit from state-of-the-art facilities like the Taylor's Virtual Online Future Technology and Extended Reality (VORTEX XR Lab) and 3D modelling studio at Taylor's Lakeside Campus. These immersive environments allow students to integrate real-world objects into digital settings through extended reality (XR) applications and develop full-scale 3D virtual reality (VR) simulations. Hands-on access to such technologies prepares graduates for specialised roles across digital media sectors. According to DIDD programme director Hijjaz Hamidi Abdul Aziz, the curriculum is supported by both cutting-edge facilities and experienced faculty, with a strong focus on industry readiness. 'We want to produce people who can interact, collaborate and solve real-world problems using digital design - in their thinking, attitude and ethics,' he said. Aligned with national goals The DIDD also aligns closely with Malaysia's Digital Economy Blueprint by cultivating agile digital talent to excel in diverse digital fields. Taylor's College campus director Josephine Tan highlighted that the programme addresses critical skill gaps in Malaysia's growing digital and creative sectors. 'Our forward-thinking curriculum and hands-on learning approach are designed to produce graduates who are not only industry-ready but are also capable of making meaningful contributions to Malaysia's development as a global digital hub,' she said. Experience-driven learning Taylor's College is among the few Malaysian institutions incorporating work-based learning (WBL) into a digital design diploma. Delivered as a 20-week module in the final semester, this structured industry placement provides students with practical, in-demand skills. Unlike traditional internships, the WBL component is designed to boost students' credibility as modern digital architects. Hijjaz Hamidi noted that students will be guided by leaders in established digital companies. Industry partners such as CraveFX, FusionWorks, iTrainKids, Geek Fam, Cause Effect Consultants and Virtualtech Frontier have committed to offering close mentorship, guiding students through real-world projects and helping them refine their capabilities in professional settings. 'WBL offers our students a significant advantage by bridging the gap between academia and industry,' Taylor's College School of Diploma and Professional Studies head Dr Wong Chee Kong shared. 'This mode of learning provides continuous mentorship from industry experts, enhancing students' learning experiences and significantly boosting their employability upon graduation,' he added. Crafting competent creators During the launch's experiential session, Hijjaz Hamidi showcased some of the creative and technical competencies students will develop throughout the programme. He also emphasised the importance of connecting with global creative communities, where students design and contribute 3D assets—such as characters, props and virtual accessories—to shared online libraries. 'Designers today don't work alone,' he said. 'They build with others, share resources and support each other. That's the kind of designer we want to produce.' This collaborative mindset is woven into the curriculum, encouraging students to adapt, problem-solve and innovate in dynamic digital environments. DIDD graduates can also advance to related Bachelor's degrees at Taylor's University, including the Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media or enter Year 2 of the Bachelor of Interactive Spatial Design (Honours). From 2021 to 2023, Taylor's College's Diploma graduates achieved a 100% employability rate, as verified by the Higher Education Ministry, a testament to the institution's focus on producing job-ready talent.
