Carolyn Khor's blog

  Association of Science, Technology and Innovation’s (ASTI) founder and president Dr Mohamed Yunus Yasin asserted that one of the best ways to learn is to teach. A process and chemical engineer by profession, Dr Yunus started volunteering as a teacher when he was pursuing his doctorate in chemical engineering at the University of Cambridge. “That was in 2000,” said the passionate educator and freelance consultant who hails from Penang. “Then, I started ASTI at the end of 2012.” ASTI has nine programmes, of which, four are held on an annual basis. They are: 1.       Science Fair for Young Children (SFYC) The Science Fair for Young Children is one of ASTI’s flagship programmes that is held annually. It provides a platform for primary school students to showcase their scientific projects and experiments. The fair encourages creativity, critical thinking, and a hands-on approach to learning science. Participants gain valuable experience in presenting...

  Sixty students with disabilities from five schools around Penang Island will be participating in Penang Science Cluster’s InclusiveSTEM programme, with Intel as its collaborator. The programme, aimed at providing these students with exposure and opportunities to explore STEM careers will receive mentorship from Intel’s 76 volunteers . F acilitators will conduct the STEM activities during the workshop sessions, while the mentors will guide students through their Project Instructables, which will be submitted for the Penang International Science Fair (PISF) 2024. The participating schools with students divided into three cohorts, are SMK Tanjong Bungah, SMK Padang Polo, SMK Pendidikan Khas Persekutuan, SMK Jelutong and SMK Georgetown. Intel has also committed about RM55,000 (USD12,000) to this programme and will support these students with STEM learning kits and loaned laptops. “Our support to this program extends beyond financial contributions; it includes the dedication of In...

  Beneath the vast blue skies off the coast of Semporna and overlooking the clear turquoise waters of the Celebes Sea, children's faces light up each time a teacher walks into the classroom. 'Selamat pagi, Cikgu,' they call out. 'Selamat pagi, murid-murid,' replies the teacher enthusiastically. For nearly a decade now, since 2015, the Bajau community has benefited from Iskul’s gift of knowledge, empowering literacy among stateless youth. The Bajau, or sea nomads, inhabit the Omadal Island, a mere 60-minute boat ride from Bum Bum Island. Emphasising the need to enhance academic achievement and leadership potential within the Bajau Laut community, Iskul Sama diLaut Omadal's mission to empower the community through education has yielded remarkable results. “Starting with a foundation in basic literacy skills in Bahasa Malaysia and Mathematics, we also support our students’ development with a wide range of programmes for a wholesome and...

Choosing between individual music lessons and group lessons is easier than you think. As parents, you may want to consider several factors before deciding on the most appropriate lesson format. This includes considerations such as your children’s age, personality, mental ability, and your children’s preferences. Let’s start with exploring the different factors that might influence your decision: 1.       Children’s Age: Developmental Milestones and Learning Readiness All children are different, and all have different learning abilities and paces. The first thing to consider is your children’s ages. Are they young children under the age of 7? Or slightly older but below 12 years old? Or are they in their tweens and teens? As children grow, they develop their motor and cognitive abilities, and it is essential to understand what your children may or may not grasp. Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development provides valuable insights into children’s cog...

Press Statement on Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 – 2025 by YB Zuraida Kamarudin National unity no doubt starts with a good education plan but this does not necessarily mean that we should curtail people’s rights to choose the type of education suitable for their children. The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 – 2015 launched by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on 6 th September must be carefully reviewed and agreed upon by various parties to avoid public discontent. The Keadilan Women’s Wing recognizes and acknowledges Bahasa Malaysia as the national language but at the same time takes into consideration the multiracial and multi-cultural composition of the country. It is therefore our view that without compromising the importance of Bahasa Malaysia and with support towards the freedom of choice that we request Tan Sri Muhyiddin to revise the Malaysia Education Blueprint for the benefit of all citizens. While all national schools use the Bahasa Malaysia as the m...

Link to MSN A simple act of kindness goes a long way. What is an act of kindness? Do we really need to ponder what kindness is? Don’t human beings have an innate sense of kindness and compassion that outweighs logical reasoning? Has the world forgotten about all the heroic deeds of ordinary folks? Strangers who save one another out of burning buildings; or people who do not know how to swim diving in to save a drowning child; or people who donate their organs to others just so they can live another day? The above simple act of kindness by Raven Murugesan was shared on Facebook over 9,000 times as of 11PM last night. Raven had suggested to a Muslim cashier to drink and eat a little before continuing work at the checkout counter of a supermarket in Kepong. This occurred during breaking fast time and so only one counter was open at that time. Many people are overwhelmed by the bombardment of racist and racial remarks made by certain quarters intended to aggravate...

Khairy Jamaluddin, Youth Chief of Barisan National was in Penang on 22 May 2011 to answer questions from the public. In this video, KJ explains why it is not possible to have a single education system.